Cloud-based photograph library service Snapjoy has given users an ultimatum: download your photos by July 24th or lose your memories forever.

Snapjoy's blog post on the company's closure reminds us how important it is to choose cloud companies wisely and prepare for the worst — loss of customer data and the importance of choosing a service that provides for easy migrations.

Snapjoy's departing blog post covered the following points:

Snapjoy's closing may be surprising to some, especially following Dropbox's acquisition of the company in December 2012. Dropbox committed to continuing the Snapjoy service to current users during this time, but would not accept any new accounts.

Think of the the shut down this way: Snapjoy is a person holding down your helium balloon (your data) with a long piece of string, stretching all the way into the clouds above. At any moment, your piece of string could break, losing your balloon forever.

To prevent this catastrophic event from occurring, connect another person's string (another company) to your balloon as your second line of defense, keeping your legs on the ground — and your data.