Frequently Asked Questions: General Questions
G01. What is PixVillage, the online photo sharing software ?
PixVillage is a software dedicated to free and unlimited online photo sharing with your friends, family, colleagues, etc. PixVillage is a free community software for sharing photos privately and directly with your invited buddies. PixVillage connects you directly to the PCs of your authorized contacts/groups and transfers automatically photos from PC to PC with a highly optimized P2P algorithm.
G02. How does online photo sharing work ?
When a user shares a photo with one or more of his/her contacts (friends, family, colleagues etc.), a copy of this photo is automatically transferred to all authorized contacts by an optimized P2P online photo sharing algorithm. The authorized contacts can browse the photos shared for them within seconds. To optimize browsing, photos are also indexed on the PixVillage server. If you want to know more: PixVillage Online Photo Sharing Algorithm - Technical Explanation.
G03. How do I get PixVillage software for online photo sharing ?
PixVillage is free and available for download here: download PixVillage online photo sharing software.
G04. Is PixVillage available with Mac OS or Linux ?
Currently, PixVillage is available for Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
G05. Does PixVillage work with Windows 98/ME/NT ?
PixVillage does not work on Windows 98/ME/NT yet. However, we may support these platforms in the future.
G06. Does PixVillage contain any Spyware or Adware ?
No. PixVillage does not contain any spyware or adware.
G07. Is PixVillage fully secure ?
Yes. With PixVillage, online photo sharing is private and fully secure as users monitor who can see shared photos with the Access Rights management feature.
G08. Can I get PixVillage in my language ?
PixVillage is already available in English and French. We need help to translate PixVillage into as many languages as possible. More information about PixVillage translations is available sin the forum.
G09. What is the difference between PixVillage and web-based online photo sharing services like Ofoto or Yahoo! Photos?
PixVillage is a software to install on your computer. You do everything within the software. When you share photos, PixVillage automatically send shared photos to the contacts you have invited or authorized (through an optimized P2P online photo sharing algorithm). When one of your contacts shares photos with you, you don't need any password or URL, you can browse the photos within the software. Your photos are never stored on a server (only thumbnails are uploaded and stored on a server), which brings to PixVillage community a highly scalable network. Moreover, PixVillage is a true community product while web-based sharing services like Ofoto or Yahoo! Photos are true distribution websites.
G10. How do I get started ?
Download and install PixVillage, then register within PixVillage community (note that your email will not be used for any commercial purposes). Share your photos and invite friends to see them or search for a friend who shares photos.
G11. Is the number of shared photos limited ?
Good Question! Online photo sharing through PixVillage is free and unlimited since fullscreen photos are not stored on a server.
G12. Which photo file formats are supported (JPG, GIF, BMP...) ?
PixVillage software currently supports .JPG (Jpeg, Joint Photographic Experts Group), .TIF (Tiff, Adobe Tagged Image File Format), .GIF (Compuserve Gif), .PNG (Portable Network Graphics), and .BMP (Windows Bitmap) photo files for online photo sharing.
G13. How does PixVillage Instant Messenging and chat differ from other such programs like MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM and Yahoo ?
PixVillage's chat, forum and instant messenging are aimed at enhancing the communication among photo lovers in the PixVillage community. It provides you the convenience of sending a quick message to one of your contacts whose photos you are looking at or discussing around specific photo.
Frequently Asked Questions: Users Questions
U01. How long is PixVillage software installation ?
PixVillage uses Microsoft Net Framework. In some cases, if this framework is not already installed on your computer, it will be automatically downloaded and installed with PixVillage. Microsoft Net Framework is about 20 Mo, so downloading process may take a few minutes. Of course, Microsoft .Net Framework will be downloaded once. When you install an updated version of PixVillage, no need to update Microsoft .Net Framework, so it's much faster.
U02. How do I start using PixVillage ?
To get started, download the latest version of our free software by clicking here. Once downloaded, the installer will take you through everything from setting up your account to starting your online photo sharing community.
U03. I can see the thumbnail, but I can't see the photo.
Ask your friend who shares this photo to start PixVillage. When you see him online (contact icon with a green light), open the event. After a few moments, the photo will be ready (p2p online photo sharing process completed). Now, you can see photos, even if your friend is offline.
U04. Which fields in my profile are public ?
Your profile help your contacts finding you. Your nickname, firstname, name and country are public.
U05. Can I view my contacts profiles ?
Yes, when you are in the Contacts tab, browse your mouse on your contact name and wait, their profile will appear in the tooltip.
U06. What if I want to change my profile ?
Click on Tools/Settings menu, then click on the I want to modify my profile link . Here you can change your nickname, first name, last name and country.
U07. How do I IM with a friend ?
Right-click on a contact name and select send message. Obviously, the contact has to be online. The communication in this area is between you and your friend only.
U08. I am connected to the Internet with a modem, can I use PixVillage ?
You can use PixVillage with a modem, but, as many P2P applications, we recommend high speed connections for improved convenience.
U09. Can I get a virus while using PixVillage ?
PixVillage only uploads/downloads photos. There is no executable code uploaded on your computer. The JPEG viewer used in PixVillage is Windows JPEG viewer (also used in Internet Explorer). Consequently, online photo sharing using PixVillage is as safe as browsing web pages.
U10. Does PixVillage support connections through proxies ?
PixVillage does support proxies according to the Internet Explorer configuration. However, you may encounter difficulties connecting to PixVillage through some proxies, especially if you're using authentication. Please refer to the forum for updated information.
U11. How can I report Bugs ?
In many cases, PixVillage will automatically propose to send a bug report to the PixVillage Team. If a bug is not automatically reported, you can email us or post on the forum.
U12. What should I do if I lost my PixVillage password ?
It is very simple. Just start PixVillage, in menu Tools/Settings, click on the "I lost my password and want to retrieve it" tab. Then, enter your email. Your password will be sent to your email account.
