Creating the safest electronic family album with which program?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Freddo
  • Start date Start date
F

Freddo

Maybe someone here would know or maybe suggest where I can ask this
question.

Would it be best to show photos and captions in a MS Word document and
archive the family album this way for future generations to easily access?

Advantages I see -
Can be easily printed as a paper copy of the album,
Can be password protected against accidental alteration,

Disadvantages -
Word document file size will be big

So, MS Word or some other program?
Thanks
 
We can't know for sure how future generations will be viewing photos but it's
fairly safe to assume that some kind of portable device will be around. With
this in mind, I think I would be copying to disc at present and then, if and
when the media changes, copy to that. Captions can be added in photo viewing
software as it is now. Prints could be made from the discs, of course. I know
it's hard to imagine but Word may not even be available by then.

Hope this helps.
 
First ensure you have backups of your data.
Keep pics in origonal format, if required add a simple txt file, containing
the listing, to the pic folder.
Back this up, by a simple copy method, NOT a backup app, to two types of
media. eg a memory stick and cd/dvd. Use only quality branded media.
Now if you want to add captions there are many apps to choose from, add your
captions ENSURE you save the pic as a COPY of the origonal - ie you keep the
origonal pic intact / as it was -
Once youve done this to all your pics, backup again, as before, using
different media to the first backup ie another memory stick etc.

Its tedious but if you really intend to keep for the future.
PS backups should be stored in a different location to main PC data
 
Maybe someone here would know or maybe suggest where I can ask this
question.

Would it be best to show photos and captions in a MS Word document and
archive the family album this way for future generations to easily access?
Click to expand...

I have done all my family photo's (1482) in a html format so that they
will run with any browser
I think there will always be some kind of browser in the future
I then put them onto a CD and copied it so all members of the family
have one (11 copies all around the world) so I dont think all 11 will
be lost at one time
I Used Thumbnailer from http://www.smalleranimals.com/ to make
thumbnails and html pages as in http://www.btinternet.com/~cabby/
photo gallery holiday 2002
not very interesting but an example
 
Appreciate your answers.
Oh yes, the original photo files (.bmp) will be saved along side the album
and yes they are backed up in another location to the computer.
I don't plan to embed text in the photo files. My album will contain text
which is not always photo captions.
So maybe HTML format instead of msWord?
 
I wouldn't be so sure your photos are safe. Some tests show some CDs have very short life spans (like 2-3 years). If yours is like that they will chemically decay at the same time. CDs are supposed to last 50 odd years. But none has tested this as you have to wait 50 years to test.
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/54348
 
Appreciate your answers.
I am using NortonGhost and MrMirror to backup to 2 external hard drives.
My question is not about back up.
Suggestions are to use HTML or PDF then.
 
Back
Top