the future of Flickr?

[Klondike]

Anyone that logs into Flickr today will see huge changes in the layout and format. I do not like the changes. In the help forum, 12,000 (and counting) members have written in to comment and 99.99% are negative. MAny are threatening to leave the site. Some already have.

So whats going on? Since this is where I'm based and where I get most of my naked pics to post here, it matters a lot to me. Some see a corporate influence and attempt to make Flickr more like the instant messaging services like twitter and instagram - visually exciting, quick, no frills. But this will drive away the more serious photographers in droves.

Flickr management is very quiet right now, and some feel, because there was little warning about the changes, that they have their minds made up and there will be no going back. Its chilling - that some forces have perhaps taken over and for business reasons, changes have been made that will not be reversed no matter how much people complain. That makes it a site no longer for photographers. We may never get our site back.

Anyone have any more input?

KLondike

[Fango]

My two thoughts:

1. The change was made to keep web designers employed. Everybody hates whenever a major website undergoes a design change, and yet, basically every major website other than Google keeps changing their design. As far as I can tell, this is just to keep "web design" a viable career option. Otherwise, every website would only be built/designed once.

2. Yes, the changes are annoying, but not exactly major. Everything still works the same and downloads as it should (i.e. the frontend has changed, but the backend is basically the same). That's just speaking from the viewing side. I don't know if there's been any changes to the uploading side.

Fango

[Matureflesh]

its disgusting the new layout.
More trouble to find what you want. Meaning more klicks needed.
Oversight is completly gone.
Its going frome one of the best picsharing sites downhill to becoming the worst.
Damn.........................................

[Klondike]

Originally Posted by Fango

My two thoughts:

1. The change was made to keep web designers employed. Everybody hates whenever a major website undergoes a design change, and yet, basically every major website other than Google keeps changing their design. As far as I can tell, this is just to keep "web design" a viable career option. Otherwise, every website would only be built/designed once.

2. Yes, the changes are annoying, but not exactly major. Everything still works the same and downloads as it should (i.e. the frontend has changed, but the backend is basically the same). That's just speaking from the viewing side. I don't know if there's been any changes to the uploading side.

Fango

regarding 1: yes, how true.....if I were 20 something again, I would probably understand even better...

regarding 2: If, as many people worry, Flickr is being pressured to become more like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, it may also be pressured to adopt a stricter policy towards adult pics. With more corporate involvement in policy etc, I fear this might happen. Right now, it looks like Flickr is adopting a more "wow, look at the cool new pic I just took" mentality vs the older "welcome to my photo galleries" type mentality. I just went to the new Flickr homepage, and by chance a very large, naked pic from BtoB was splashed across the top. Very prominent. it just happened to have been the most recent upload. But I wonder if they will continue to allow this now, because of the new site design and attempt to appeal to a younger demographic. I fear that whatever policy Facebook, twitter, etc has regarding adult content will be adopted now by Flickr. Thats what will happen if you are catering now to 14yo's.
Just my opinion....

Klondike



klondike

[Klondike]

here's an article about the changes.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-575...-the-new-site/

Flickr is now being described by one as a "vomit of images"

KLondike

[Sparky 45]

I just recently discovered a thread there that interested me, so yesterday, I bookmarked it. Today I went back and it was totally different. While the "front end" may be more appealing, I find it cumbersome to navigate. A lot of the "backend" functions are missing as well. One of the features I liked was the ability to select the size of the image. It not only listed all the common screen and monitor sizes, but the most important size. Original. One click zooms in and a second starts a slideshow. Didn't like it at all! Maybe it's different for members but based on today's experience, I'd be highly unlikely to join.
To OCC, you're doing it right. Simple layout. Click a thumbnail, picture shows in its original size. Simple, functional, no gimmicky bullshit!

[Fango]

Originally Posted by Sparky 45

One of the features I liked was the ability to select the size of the image. It not only listed all the common screen and monitor sizes, but the most important size. Original. One click zooms in and a second starts a slideshow. Didn't like it at all! Maybe it's different for members but based on today's experience, I'd be highly unlikely to join.

If you click the three dots in the bar beneath each picture (at the bottom right), a menu should pop up with that feature ("View all sizes"). Not sure if it's available for non-members like you say, but that's where it was moved.

Fango

[chickman]

could be a cool interface but i have my doubts :

• in first for offering 1 tb free for all and without ads for 49,90$/y and for 2 tb for 499,90$/y
• in second for interface for browsing images not really fluid was better old interface

[Klondike]

I'm keeping an eye out for any hints that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer might have plans to restrict adult content at the new Flickr. So far, there is just this little bit of encouraging news:

hxxp://freebeacon.com/marissa-mayer-defends-tumblr-porn/

which at least suggests that maybe we don't have to worry too much. But I don't know. Tumblr is not undergoing the radical changes that Flickr is, as Marissa seems to have adopted a "hands off" policy there while zeroing in on Flickr in particular.

But its a strange world we live in. I'm finding myself suddenly needing to know all about this woman who has overnight changed my life so much. For insights into her politics, you get stuff like she is anti-feminist, counts Vince Lombardi as a hero and yet sits on the board of the San Francisco Ballet. She is also a scientist/engineer by training, an Obama campaign contributor, and a workaholic who is sometimes described as tyrannical in the Steve Jobs mode. So what does that all spell? What does that all mean for OCC?

Well, my new Flickr homepage is still putting up naked and hardcore pics from my contacts. When it stops doing that, i will start to worry...

Klondike

[Fango]

Originally Posted by Klondike

which at least suggests that maybe we don't have to worry too much. But I don't know. Tumblr is not undergoing the radical changes that Flickr is, as Marissa seems to have adopted a "hands off" policy there while zeroing in on Flickr in particular.

I think that may be because Flickr has been a Yahoo! property for much longer. Frankly, for as long as I can remember. (According to Wikipedia, since 2005.)

Originally Posted by Klondike

So what does that all spell? What does that all mean for OCC?

Honestly, probably not much, other than that it's now kind of annoying that you have to scroll down to load new pics. Worst case scenario, Flickr outlaws nudity and everyone migrates to some other site (smugmug? pbase? something entirely new?). You can't keep nude pics off the Internet.

Fango