9/13    Which online photo sharing websites do you guys prefer?
        \_ shutterfly.  -tom
        \_ http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~login
        \_ snapfish.
        \_ Decide what you need.  Here's the service summary on the 3 major
           sites:
                snapfish: uses Kodak paper and machines, lowest prices, but
                          ships from east coast so it takes a little longer
                          to get prints sent here, maybe an extra 2-3 days.
                ofoto: owned by kodak but uses fuji equipment, etc.  slightly
                       more expensive but you'll get your pics a day or two
                       sooner because they're printing locally,
                shutterfly: same idea as ofoto except they're still a dotcom
                            and dont have large company backing them so they
                            have to charge more and they could go under and
                            take your pictures with them at any time.  i
                            believe they use a variety of smaller development
                            firms, thus the higher prices since they don't get
                            the same kind of bulk rates snapfish and ofoto can.
                If you're not printing and only want the free online storage
                and the ability to share, it doesn't really matter.  Bits are
                bits, yes?
                \_ ofoto requires your visitors to log on to view your
                   pictures, so it does really matter.  -tom
                   \_ if they didn't then deep linking directly to photos
                      would allow rampant abuse of storage and bandwidth for
                      non-customer uses.  It isn't 1998 anymore.  They need
                      to control costs and make profit or die.
                      \_ that is easy enough to prevent without making someone
                         need to have an account.  Just check the referal.
                         \_ See my comment about 1998.  If they can get you to
                            sign up, you're more likely to continue using the
                            service.  If you won't signup, what do they need
                            you for anyway?
                            \_ I'm just pointing out that your first argument
                               was flawed.  As to the second, well, there are
                               two options I can go with that don't require
                               a visitor to sign in.  All other things being
                               equal guess which choice is better?
                               \_ We have a different idea of what constitutes
                                  abuse.  To me if you're not a paying customer
                                  or bringing in other paying customers yet
                                  you're sucking bandwidth and storage, you're
                                  useless to the company.  True, it's only
                                  really abuse if they allow it to happen and
                                  in this case they're not.  Additionally,
                                  they're taking steps to try to get more
                                  paying customers which is a good thing for
                                  any business.  We're splitting hairs at this
                                  point.  Since the accounts are free, it's
                                  all pretty much the same in that regard.
                                  There's probably a csuamotd/csuamotd account
                                  on all three already.  :-)
                                  \_ no, because if I'm using the service I'm
                                     also probably paying for prints and the
                                     like.   The point is by making people
                                     need to log in to see my pictures I'm
                                     going to go with one of the other two
                                     and when I want to get prints I'll
                                     get them from the company where I've
                                     put my photos.  Bandwidth and storage is
                                     still pretty damn cheap compared to other
                                     costs and it is pretty easy to catch the
                                     serious abuses.  (Say just give every
                                     use a dl/day limit).