[Digikam-users] Update, clean, and move database?

[Daniel Bauer]

Hello Jean-François,

Am 09.01.2014 15:45, schrieb Jean-François Rabasse:
>
> Hi Daniel,
>
> On Thu, 9 Jan 2014, Daniel Bauer wrote:
>
>> Sorry, I disagree.
>>
>> It is not always desirable that everybody can access tags, ratings etc.
>> (3 examples: models tagged with real name, but published with artist
>> name only; selection ratings, comments on customers images that are
>> not meant for their eyes; personal comments/reminders).
>
> Sure, I totally agree with you, it's not - always - desirable.
>
> But it's really easy to build, from archives images, images for public
> release with metadata removed.
> E.g. when I prepare a set of images for public web albums,
> I usually script something like :
>   convert original-image -strip image-for-public-release
> and get images files without any sections, Exif, IPTC, XMP, only
> raster data.
>
That's more or less how I strip meta-data.

It is just too risky to have a version with and a version without 
meta-data (for me): a quick wrong click and the wrong files are 
published or sent with email... Or I forget to strip the tags. Or I 
don't remember which version is which - even more versions and another 
organization task, which I don't like (Id rather spend my time behind 
the camera than in front of the computer screen, although in fact the 
computer screen has alread won :-) )

So the files developped from the raws get stripped, and whatever I work 
with in digikam/gimp is meta-data-less. If I need to, I add them later, 
manually.

> And when it is desirable, e.g. giving images of family events to family
> members that don't use Digikam, standard readable metadata is here.
>

Of course. I don't deny the sense of using metadata in image files, for 
sure they serve for many. Image banks for example need such meta tags 
(but not the ones I use for my personal work flow). I mainly referred to 
the phrase

"it's not to be considered as critical information."

and wanted to point out, that for /some/ it *is* critical information.

>> At least for me it is absolutely no option to save this information in
>> the image files, and the reliability of the database therefore is very
>> important for me...
>
> Hum, everyone's choice but, IMHO, you play with fire.
> What means « reliability of the database » and across which time
> interval ?
>
> You shoot an image today, say early 2014, and document with tags,
> comments, etc. Ok, fine.
> Now what about using your work in twenty years from now ? Or, what is
> the expected liftime of your work ? Can you assert today that you'll
> still be using Digikam in 20 years ? And that your DK database will
> still be valid in 2034, migration after migration, across versions
> changes ?

In my special case the lifetime of tags, comments etc. and of the work 
itself are two different things.

Tags etc. are for me helper tools during the production and then thru 
each selling process. Once finished this process I don't need this 
information anymore.

But *during* the process (which might be some weeks or in some cases 
two, three years) the data is important. Loss wouldn't be worlds end, 
but would cause a lot of additional work, many more hours in front of 
the screen...

The camera meta data are in the raw files which I never delete.

But as said: this is my personal, special case. It is just that the 
proper function of the database for me is important. That's all.

But now problems are solved anyway: should I loose data, I'd just ask 
the NSA or google who maybe already has reached the goal of entering 
into my computer :-)

  >
> This is the kind of bet I refuse to do, too dangerous.
> I prefer to rely on the XMP standard, as images with embedded XMP will
> still be useable in 20 years, whatever the DAM software I'll be using at
> that time.
> (Don't known what it will be, maybe it doesn't exist yet.)

What makes you so sure that there will be a program capable to read XMP 
or even digital images themselves in 20 years? (Only rethoric question)

Enjoy!

Daniel


-- 
Daniel Bauer photographer Basel Barcelona
professional photography: http://www.daniel-bauer.com
google+: https://plus.google.com/109534388657020287386