Contacts list upload from Gmail or Yahoo incompatible?

[gfmucci]

Is the 2021 version of the Organizer designed to upload contacts from Gmail or Yahoo to the "Contact Book?"  From what I've noticed, the file type suffixes are not compatible between the Contact Book and Gmail or Yahoo, so uploads via the vCard (.vcf files) are not possible.  Is this correct?

The ability to sync with preexisting contact lists would be appreciated.

Alternatively, the ability to read directly from a preexisting contact list in Gmail or Yahoo would be great.

I was finally able to send photos via Gmail from the organizer after setting Gmail to work with "less secure" programs (which it cautions is not a good idea), such as Photoshop Elements. There is a dual authentication/password workaround - haven't tried it yet.  But why?

I'm surprised that after 10 years (Elements 9) Adobe has done no better with this feature. Many significantly less robust image editors have more intuitive and workable photo email utilities than this.

[Walter_H]

Hello,

I use PSE 2020. The dual authentication/password login is Google's setup, not Adobe's. It's a little tricky, but it's a one-time setup. After the initial setup and confirmation you're done with it. You should give it a go.

I was NOT able to import a "Contacts List"  that was exported from Gmail. But, I WAS able to import individual "Contacts" that I exported from Gmail as "contacts.vcf" files. It was a little tedious having to export all the individual contacts I needed, but still better than entering the info manually.

[gfmucci]

Regarding Google dual authentication: If that is setting up your cell phone number for further secondary authentication, I have already done that.  If it involves more, I need to learn what to do.

Regarding PSE comparisons, I am spoiled by the ease of doing light edits and quick emails on my Samsung S9+ smartphone. Obviously, the Smartphone platform and related software has become more adept at integrated security measures as well as integrated functionality than the hobbyist grade computer-based editors have. I understand why.

Ten years after my Elements 9 experience, Adobe remains old school - being left behind by new tech and newer market expectations. Trying out PSE 2021 after 10 years of new versions and "upgrades", I expected more advancements in integration and ease of use.  I am really on the fence as to whether I will let my 30-day trial period fade off in the sunset.  My Elements 9 does 90% of everything I would use, except the Camera Raw for newer cameras and a couple of other newish features.  But there are always separate apps for the occasional times I would use develop in RAW.

Disappointments aside, if I do end up buying PSE 2021, I will probably load in just a handful of contacts in its directory.  If I need to mail out to a broader group than those few I'll likely follow MichelBParis suggestions.

[gfmucci]

Is Davie still horse country?  I grew up in Fort Lauderdale and spent my first 40 years there.

[MichelBParis]

@gfmucci 

I'm surprised that after 10 years (Elements 9) Adobe has done no better with this feature. Many significantly less robust image editors have more intuitive and workable photo email utilities than this.

I am not surprised.

Clearly, you are warned that the recommended way to share photos by mail is to prepare your files with the powerful options in PSE editor and organizer and store them somewhere in a temporary folder on your desktop where your preferred mail service can deal with them with all its tools, including the contact book.

It's distinctly an additional step in your sharing workflow, and that additional step is considered a necessity for your safety and your full control of the images by PSE and by your mailing service.

It's not really an Adobe choice, it's the choice of many old school experts, which is based on seveeral principles.

- Distinguish programs from data (editor versus  mail services opposed to the data: the mails with their attachments)

- Don't duplicate if possible (contact books for instance)

- Avoid having programs 'talk' together which is the best way for malwares to contaminate your computer

- A specialized software like an editor will never be as efficient and flexible as your usual mail service.

So the net result is that those principles are totally against the dreams of all new social media users. They want all programs to 'talk togeteher' and they want your currently used software to do everything your other ones are doing.

If your goal is to share photos today, you have so many ways to do that (without emails) from social media or photo sharing sites, you send links to Cloud storage for big sized photo batches. So, you may take the time to optimize the 'data' sent to the program (the mail service) with the many options of the 'export to new files' command of the organizer after you have created (temporary?) albums in your catalog. Then you can use the 'data' (the temporary destination folder on your desktop) for your email service or your cloud sharing service.

I have configured the PSE mail service with just a few contacts (mainly myself!) The reason is that there is a very handy option to send a batch of photos in a multipage pdf file in the share by mail option. And this offers a workaround to create such a pdf for your own use, since PSE is unable to produce multipage pdfs other than for mails, not for your computer... I do send me the pdf on my own mail.

I absolutely don't want to have the problem of keeping and synching two contact books. Judging by the number of close friends who have been stolen of their own contact book, it's a factor to be considered seriously.

[gfmucci]

No, I wasn't warned that PSE STILL has a cumbersome and under-secured email integration. But thank goodness for the trial period.  Now I know. Why does Adobe even bother with the Contact List feature?  It barely works.

I am not a big fan of social media. Talk about the potential for invasion of privacy and security breaches! Most people I have contact with are not fans either. And yes, I've known people whose contact lists were hacked. And those lists weren't connected to ANYTHING.

As I mentioned in my OP, there are alternatives to uploading and creating a separate contacts list.  I have a single contact list that I keep updated that is easily accessed by Gmail, Yahoo, and Protonmail and accessible from both my and my wife's phones, tablets, and desktop computer. The same goes for our calendar.  One calendar is accessible from all the above platforms. I have no qualms about the security of that integration. 

I trust that current technology does not sacrifice security for integration, and convenience. There is always a chance of getting infected, just as there is a chance of catching COVID. But I don't keep myself locked in the house all day. 

Maybe in one of  the next few versions, PSE will apply more of this new tech.