Sorry folks, I see a lot of discussion, complaints, speculation surrounding Photo Gallery, and I am probably talking about the Windows Live Photo Gallery (WLPG), the one that is part of Windows Essentials - I think that is the one my wife was using on Windows 7.

I am specifically interested in Microsoft's plans for this program/product in the future -- and more specifically, I am interested in the future of thousands of TAGGED pictures..

My wife has over 40K pictures on her machine -- and she has spent countless hours, days, months, etc. tagging these pictures.  No, she hasn't done all 40K pictures, but she has tagged many thousands of them.

She did so at my instance - my instance that we use a photo editing (tagging) program that will be around in the future - one that we could always count on being there - one that will always be compatible -- i.e. not some cheap 3rd party photo editing program that may not be there a few years from now -- in other words, use a quality program from a quality company that you know will be around for years and years to come.

So, I guess you know where this is heading.  Is the Windows Photo Gallery product going to be around for years and years to come.  The last time I checked, the last product release was WLPG 2012 -- OK, that's 4 years ago now (well, OK make it 3) -- but the point is, why isn't there a WLPG 2015 or 2016.  From what I can tell, Microsoft has been mum on the future of this product (other than speculation here on this board).  I don't even know if there is any support for the product aside from this Community board.

And FRANKLY, again, what I am interested in is the tagging features and support -- the feature I want to survive through the ages.  I can get lots of photo editing programs, but the foundation of archiving pictures is the new accepted way by tagging (eliminating the need for all of the duplicate pictures I have because I used to organize all of my pictures by folders).  I dissuaded my wife from using the Oracle Photoshop Elements tagging features because it means we will be tied to Photoshop Elements forever (not too bad, but I have to pay for it) and convinced her to use the Windows Photo Gallery product BECAUSE it will be there with Windows forever and it is free (and a good product).

So did I go wrong.  Has Microsoft let me down.  Did countless hours of tagging thousands of pictures go down the drain.  And one last question - is any of the tagging portable across other photo programs - I.e. is there a tagging standard, paper, protocol or some interchange format that ever body is using.

But can anyone answer the Photo Gallery future (FOR SURE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER).

ron in round rock