Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 28, 2014, 12:27:42 PM
First, I was reminded/learned that images don't count as items "stored" in iCloud. I think I've heard/read that but I finally know why that's true (thanks for the question, Daryl). An Apple Support article explains that images in iCloud are actually only stored for 30 days. That's to give time for all your devices/computers to sync. So, the size/number of images won't count against your normal 5GB, since they will be deleted in a few weeks.
Second, I've probably been misreading the dialog that appears when one UNchecks the item in iCloud System Prefs. I have been reading the text as saying that images on my computer would be deleted. There are only a few, still, I must have wanted them... once!
I've underlined the text in the following image,that confuses me, now.
Could they be trying to say that images not yet imported by other devices will be deleted from iCloud right now, rather than in the usual 30 days? In other words, any images exported by this device will be deleted from iCloud whether they have been imported by another device or not. In point of fact, no images will be deleted from any "device" except the drives at iCloud!
But it certainly has "encouraged" me to maintain/use iCloud for far longer than I needed. Surely Apple is not encouraging/tricking me into buying more space! 
