Flickr, Phanfare, and Picas a Web all require users to upload their photos to them. That seemingly minor impediment discourages busy people from putting their pictures online. Memeo Share (memeo.com) takes a slightly different tack, supplementing Web albums with automated sharing between PCs.

After installing Memeo's software on your PC or Mac, you designate one or more folders as "shares." The application then automatically uploads all photos that you store in (or add to) those folders to your online account, optionally resizing them for faster uploading. It also syncs with PCs of friends and family members (your Sharillg Circle, in Memeo parlance) that are also running the Memeo software.

If you're on the receiving end of new photos, you must still import them manually into your preferred photo management program. For the moment, Memeo offers no way of ordering prints or gifts either (though that option is in the works, according to company reps). So, despite offering an expedient method for swapping photos with your personal network, the Memeo Share service isn't ideal.

Like both Phanfare and Flickr, Memeo Share offers a 1GB account free of charge. An unlimited amount of storage costs per month. The biggest downside may be that the service requires everyone in your circle to download and install yet another program.