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0 pointsvishnukvmd1mo ago0 comments

The way I've thought about this, we will not have "files inside tags", but we will have tags (foo, bar, baz) attached to a file as additional encrypted metadata.

We have existing client-side infrastructure[0] that can create auto-updating albums based on metadata, and this can be extended to enable sharing workflows.

[0]: https://ente.com/help/photos/features/albums-and-organizatio...

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codethief1mo ago

I'm not sure I understand yet. If tags (and the photos associated to them) are supposed to be shareable with others, how do you control read/write access to the tag if you don't use separate cryptographic keys? If you re-use/share existing keys (e.g. the parent album's collection keys), how do you ensure the recipients cannot read other photos or tag metadata not shared with them? What am I missing?

Once again thank you for taking the time to discuss this here! I appreciate it!

vishnukvmdOP1mo ago

Happy to share my thoughts!

Current plan is to keep tags as part of an item's metadata, and allow sharing and access control with "smart albums" - that create a collection view over a tag-filter.

For eg. you can create a "smart album" for items that match the tags ["2020", "Holidays"]. Your devices will auto-add any items in your library that match these tags, to this collection. You can then share[0] this album with recipients who can view / add / auto-add items from their library.

Hope this makes sense!

[0]: https://ente.com/architecture/#sharing

codethief1mo ago

Ahhh, now I see! Thanks!

> You can then share[0] this album with recipients who can view / add / auto-add items from their library.

IIUC, when a contributor uploads a photo, the owner of the smart album would need to do some client-side synchronization and 1) add the uploaded photo back to the original album and 2) add the tags ["2020", "Holidays"], so as to control write access to the original album & tag?

Either way, would these smart albums show up next to regular albums, though, or be "hidden"? I'm asking because what I would like to do, e.g., is to have a photo album for all our summer vacation photos and then create a subfolder (tag) for each family member to upload their photos in. If the smart albums all showed up in the top-level (flat) album list, I'd end up with a bunch of albums "2026 Summer vacation", "2026 Summer vacation - Alice's photos", "2026 Summer vacation - Bob's photos" all next to each other, which would kind of defeat the purpose in many ways.

vishnukvmdOP1mo ago

Smart albums are collections that support rule based additions, as well as one-off additions. So a contributor can add photos directly to the collection, without the owner's clients not having to perform any extra computation. Also, for one-off additions, tags are irrelevant (the metadata of added items will stay unmodified).

Smart albums will show up next to regular albums, unless you hide / archive them. So you will unfortunately end up with multiple albums next to each other. For the workflow you've mentioned, we have plans to make albums where collaborators can only view the items they have added - so you could share "2026 Summer vacation" to collect photos from Bob and Alice, and you will be able to see photos added by everyone, while Bob and Alice will only be able to see theirs.

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codethief1mo ago

Once again thank you for taking the time to discuss this here! I appreciate it!

vishnukvmdOP1mo ago

Happy to share my thoughts!

Current plan is to keep tags as part of an item's metadata, and allow sharing and access control with "smart albums" - that create a collection view over a tag-filter.

Hope this makes sense!

[0]: https://ente.com/architecture/#sharing

codethief1mo ago

Ahhh, now I see! Thanks!

> You can then share[0] this album with recipients who can view / add / auto-add items from their library.

vishnukvmdOP1mo ago

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