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Scrapbook update
A new version of Scrapbook is coming soon. This announcement is to let you know that we're overhauling our photohosting service, Scrapbook, and that all users will be migrated to the new version beginning in early May.
Why a new Scrapbook?
The current implementation of Scrapbook is outdated and has a number of problems, including simple usability issues such as not being able to upload multiple images at once. Much of the interface is overly complex, with many layers of pages that make it troublesome to navigate. We want to address these issues by implementing a new photo hosting service that is easier to use, has more intuitive navigation features, and provide a platform that can more easily be built & improve upon in the future. We're aiming to launch the new service in early May, and have an FAQ below explaining a bit more about the entire process.
What will happen to my Scrapbook images?
All images from Scrapbook will be automatically transferred to the new version of the service, and will preserve the image & gallery names.
There is currently no tagging system in the new photohosting service, so tags you have created in Scrapbook will not be copied to the new service.
The new version does not currently allow images to exist in multiple galleries. If you have an image which exists in multiple galleries, it will placed in the first gallery which the image is associated with.
Videos are not supported by the new version of Scrapbook. Any videos which are in your Scrapbook will temporarily remain there. Shortly after the migration occurs, you will be sent a notification which contains instructions on how to download these videos.
How will the image transfer process work?
The process for transferring photos will take some time to complete, and will happen one account at a time. Each account should take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to complete, depending on how many images exist in their Scrapbook. When an account's images are being transferred to the new version, Scrapbook will be temporarily unavailable for that account and images being loaded from that account's Scrapbook will not appear in entries or comments. Once the transfer has completed, all galleries and images will appear and load normally again.
What happens to my entries that use images from the old version of Scrapbook?
There is a redirection mechanism behind the scenes that will display the correct image from the new system even though the old URL is used in the entry or comment. If you delete an image from the new system, the picture no longer exists, and will not display at either the old or new URL. Non-public images will stop displaying to other users when the security level of the image changes during the conversion process.
Will my galleries and images still have the same security level as they did before?
Scrapbook currently has its own custom security levels, but the new version inherits all security options from your LiveJournal account. Because of this, it is not possible to preserve all security settings, and therefore the following security level conversions will take place during the migration:
1) Any images which are set to "Public" or "Registered Users" in Scrapbook will be set to "Public" in the new system.
2) Any other security settings you have used will be converted to "Private". Because custom groups in Scrapbook can differ from those in your LiveJournal account, this was the only way ensure that access to images is not granted to someone who isn't intended to have access.
Can I still use the old ScrapBook after the switch?
No. The old ScrapBook interface will be inaccessible once the image transfer process has completed.
I don't want to wait, can I switch now?
If you want your account converted to the new version of Scrapbook as soon as possible, you can join the community lj_pics_beta, and comment to the entry at http://lj-pics-beta.livejournal.com/862.html with "+" without the quotes, and with no other text. Please be aware that if you do this, you will not be able to reverse the change; your old Scrapbook will become permanently unavailable once your account is migrated.
Will I still have the same amount of storage space for my images?
Yes, all account levels will retain the same storage space levels as before, including if you've purchased the extra storage space add-on. These levels are not being reduced.
What will the new Scrapbook look like?
When you first arrive, you'll see your Albums page, from which you can see your existing Albums, create new ones, and upload images:
Within each Album, you can both see and manage your images. From here, you can upload new images, add images to an entry, change image security, or delete images:
Uploading multiple images from files has become significantly easier:
After selecting which images to upload, you can make final adjustments to the image names, descriptions, security levels, and adjust which album to save them to:
Once the uploaded images have been added to the album, it looks like this:
Why a new Scrapbook?
The current implementation of Scrapbook is outdated and has a number of problems, including simple usability issues such as not being able to upload multiple images at once. Much of the interface is overly complex, with many layers of pages that make it troublesome to navigate. We want to address these issues by implementing a new photo hosting service that is easier to use, has more intuitive navigation features, and provide a platform that can more easily be built & improve upon in the future. We're aiming to launch the new service in early May, and have an FAQ below explaining a bit more about the entire process.
What will happen to my Scrapbook images?
All images from Scrapbook will be automatically transferred to the new version of the service, and will preserve the image & gallery names.
There is currently no tagging system in the new photohosting service, so tags you have created in Scrapbook will not be copied to the new service.
The new version does not currently allow images to exist in multiple galleries. If you have an image which exists in multiple galleries, it will placed in the first gallery which the image is associated with.
Videos are not supported by the new version of Scrapbook. Any videos which are in your Scrapbook will temporarily remain there. Shortly after the migration occurs, you will be sent a notification which contains instructions on how to download these videos.
How will the image transfer process work?
The process for transferring photos will take some time to complete, and will happen one account at a time. Each account should take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to complete, depending on how many images exist in their Scrapbook. When an account's images are being transferred to the new version, Scrapbook will be temporarily unavailable for that account and images being loaded from that account's Scrapbook will not appear in entries or comments. Once the transfer has completed, all galleries and images will appear and load normally again.
What happens to my entries that use images from the old version of Scrapbook?
There is a redirection mechanism behind the scenes that will display the correct image from the new system even though the old URL is used in the entry or comment. If you delete an image from the new system, the picture no longer exists, and will not display at either the old or new URL. Non-public images will stop displaying to other users when the security level of the image changes during the conversion process.
Will my galleries and images still have the same security level as they did before?
Scrapbook currently has its own custom security levels, but the new version inherits all security options from your LiveJournal account. Because of this, it is not possible to preserve all security settings, and therefore the following security level conversions will take place during the migration:
1) Any images which are set to "Public" or "Registered Users" in Scrapbook will be set to "Public" in the new system.
2) Any other security settings you have used will be converted to "Private". Because custom groups in Scrapbook can differ from those in your LiveJournal account, this was the only way ensure that access to images is not granted to someone who isn't intended to have access.
Can I still use the old ScrapBook after the switch?
No. The old ScrapBook interface will be inaccessible once the image transfer process has completed.
I don't want to wait, can I switch now?
If you want your account converted to the new version of Scrapbook as soon as possible, you can join the community lj_pics_beta, and comment to the entry at http://lj-pics-beta.livejournal.com/862.html with "+" without the quotes, and with no other text. Please be aware that if you do this, you will not be able to reverse the change; your old Scrapbook will become permanently unavailable once your account is migrated.
Will I still have the same amount of storage space for my images?
Yes, all account levels will retain the same storage space levels as before, including if you've purchased the extra storage space add-on. These levels are not being reduced.
What will the new Scrapbook look like?
When you first arrive, you'll see your Albums page, from which you can see your existing Albums, create new ones, and upload images:
Within each Album, you can both see and manage your images. From here, you can upload new images, add images to an entry, change image security, or delete images:
Uploading multiple images from files has become significantly easier:
After selecting which images to upload, you can make final adjustments to the image names, descriptions, security levels, and adjust which album to save them to:
Once the uploaded images have been added to the album, it looks like this: