Video and Flickr
April 9, 2008
Damn and blast!
Just as I’d started to get comfortable with Flickr (and actually begin to really like using it) they have to go and do that damned irritating web trick of introducing a change that affects every user, across the board.
Now don’t get me wrong. Whilst some acquaintances may (based on superficial observation) regard me as something of a stick-in-the-mud, a Luddite, I’m not necessarily averse to change, or technological innovation.
But what I’d really like is for the change to happen at my pace, not to have it thrust upon me whether I want it or not, whether I’m ready for it or not.
Sure, a lot of resistance to change consists in the having to get used to something new. Aside from the fact that anything new frequently contains a few unanticipated bugs that require sorting (which entire process is calculated to irritate even further), resentfulness of the change will also frequently manifest in being hyper-critical… an unreasonable intolerance of anything that doesn’t quite conform to how one thinks something should work.
These issues can be, and usually are, overcome in time. We get used to something, then get comfortable with it, then bang!…. another across-the-board change is introduced. And the entire process starts all over again. The resentfulness, the griping, the learning-curve, the growing familiarity… and so on, and so on.
I’m well aware of all of this, but still stand firmly by my initial moan. Why the hell can’t these web-developers simply provide us with a button we can click when we’re ready to implement the new feature or whatever, when we get bored with the existing interface, when we’re starting to look for some fun new feature, rather than at their whim when they think fit to thrust it upon us. Surely that can’t be too difficult to do in these days of Web 2.0
A bit like having user-definable skins for an interface really.
Two cases in point… a few weeks ago my principal hosting provider introduced a new (global, of course!) interface for their hosting control panel. Sure, it looks prettier, more swish and colourful, and I don’t doubt that (once I get used to it!) it’ll prove easier to find things than with the older version.
But dammit, I liked the older version! I had no criticisms of it and I didn’t want a new all-bells-and-whistles control panel.
Second example is this new wordpress.com dashboard. I don’t doubt that in time I’ll get used to it. But I resent the need to have to get used to it. I liked the old dashboard, it was easy to understand and use, and I don’t welcome the change.
So now the same thing with this new Flickr video feature (which they call “long pictures”… that is to say, max permitted size for a video clip is 90 seconds).
Oddly, its the max size that they’re permitting for these clips that I find to be the most attractive feature. Lends itself perfectly to the sort of thing that’d come straight off a mobile phone or point & shoot digicam with video facility. And practically ideal for the sort of usage to which I’d likely put it… newsworthy “incidents” at protests and demos for example.
No need for editing. Just upload the raw clip straight as it comes off the device, already in the right format. Superb.
However… its a feature I wasn’t looking for, didn’t ask for, and don’t want.
If I want to do anything with video then I’ll use my (practically un-used) YouTube account. The fact that its practically un-used should speak volumes!
For me, Flickr is a photo site. I don’t want videos integrated with it, and I resent having them thrust upon me with no choice on my part.
Wouldn’t have been quite as bad if the Flickr staff had not just recently managed to sort out a few long-standing bugs that were causing problems even without video clips!
Now this, and the potential buy-out of Yahoo by Microsoft (with precisely what impact on Flickr users I wonder?) is beginning to make me question my choice of photo-sharing site. Pity, really.
So having said all that, don’t be surprised to find masses of video clips populating my photostream in a coupla years’ time (assuming I’m still alive and kicking then of course, and haven’t simply expired from the stresses caused by change-overload!).
April 10, 2008 at 3:08 25
No. Really. Tell us what you feel. Don’t hold back.
First, if that’s your Sony Handycam we have yet another thing in common. This means I own one too.
Second, I too have not been thrilled with the changes at WordPress. I have found that some things have been moved around and I had to look long and hard to find them again. I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t been using it very long.
Third, with YouTube so very popular and successful, why did flickr need to make the jump to video. I think you’re right; flickr should be for photos. However, and in their defence, video really is nothing but photos. Ableit they come at 30 images per second!
You’ll notice that I haven’t yet created a flickr account. I’ve been satisfied with Picasa thus far as it suits my most modest needs (thus far). But I’ve been thinking about making the jump, but have retracted from that position thanks to the issue of Yahoo! and Microsoft. I think I’ll wait to see what happens.
Finally, I found myself laughing as I read the part about change upsetting everyone, but they eventually get used to it and then BANG! New changes that everyone must learn. It reminded me so much of the hatred of Windows XP when it first came out, but folks eventually got used to it, learned to like and embrace it and now we have BANG! VISTA. And almost no one likes it and we’re all complaining about having to deal with it….
April 10, 2008 at 5:34 30
Yep, that’s my Sony Handycam (on my kitchen bench complete with coffee stain as I noticed after I’d shot the pic!)… just wish I could get my head around editing the stuff that comes off it. Hence, I don’t do video!
The WordPress change really annoys me, particularly as not only do I have this blog but also about three or four others that I host myself using the script from wordpress.org, so I’ve become really familiar with the old dashboard, and have yet to find any significant improvements that this one can offer.
What really gets to me is that they just changed it without so much as a by-your-leave.
However, given the fact that the wordpress-hosted blogs are free (and a damned good service), I’m not inclined to complain overmuch.
Flick’r another matter entirely. You’ll notice I’ve a pro account, which means I pay for my use of Flickr. And I use Flick cos its a photo site… not cos its photos and video. If I want video I’ll use my YouTube account.
I get what you say about video being nothing but photos, but it could equally as well be argued that that’s being just a tad disingenuous.
Hmm… I’d noticed you’re still sans Flickr account [insert pregnant and very loud silence here]. However, given the most recent development re video and indeed the ongoing situation re Microsucks I can understand the hesitancy.
Reluctant though I am, I find myself beginning to have naughty thoughts along the lines of “maybe I’ll just have a quick look around at other photo-sharing sites”.
That said, its extremely unlikely I’d use Picasa as a default cos I’ve got too many “issues” with it. To each their own I s’pose.
April 10, 2008 at 21:59 51
Ah, my dear Michael. I was just kidding about videos really being photos “..albeit at 30 images per second.” Well, I’m not kidding that video is 30-frames per second, but that photos and video are the same thing. Damn the Internet for not being able to readily convey sarcasm. But now you’ve called my argument “..a tad disingenuous,” and have thus hurt my feelings.
I’ve actually enjoyed making videos (i.e. editing and all that) from home movies. I don’t do it as much as I used to, but I always found it so much more involved than anything I could do with straight-up photography.
Maybe the folks at flickr assumed you would be thrilled to be able to display and share both your images and videos all on one site instead of having to flip back and forth between two or more sites?
My impression of image sharing web sites is that flickr is probably the best. But that’s just my own humble opinion. Picasa isn’t anything to get excited about, but it was free, I already had a gmail account and I wasn’t certain I really wanted to post pictures anyway. It was a marriage of convenience more than anything else.
I’m just surprised you haven’t purchased your own URL and built yourself your own website. Considering your level of expertise I would have thought you would be all over that sort of adventure.
April 11, 2008 at 3:06 54
Aha, good old sarcasm. Yeah, I sort of had picked that up but reverted to type I’m afraid… being picky!
P’raps if I’d had any success with video editing I’d feel a bit more positive about Flickr’s stunt… on the other hand, maybe not.
The only thing that’s preventing me (at the mo’) from pursuing my “naughty thoughts” is the awareness of just how many pics I’ve got at Flickr.
The thought of transferring them all, making sure they’re all in the right order etc on a new site, changing all the links from external places… dammit… having to rework this entire blog even. Well, it just makes me shudder.
So… present ploy is to hold fire a bit and see how things work re Flickr for a while. And meanwhile start psyching myself up for a possible move just in case I decide, in a few months’ time, its desirable. I may also have a bit of a play around with some other sites, just to pass the time (I’ve heard some good things recently about… um… “smugmug” I think its called. Pity about the name though).
My own url? My own site? Oh goodee…chsnce for a plug
Pics site
April 11, 2008 at 18:47 57
Isn’t this the problem with the Internet? One becomes happy and comfortable with a web site and then suddenly something changes and you are no longer satisfied. What do you do? Pack it all in and move to another with the subsequent problems and issues that will undoubtedly arise? Bite the bullet and leave things as they are?
It’s a tough call.
So I look at smugmug (yeah, not real fond of the name myself) and I see they have some feature that will help one move from flickr. As the account is free perhaps you should open an account and try some photos as an experiment?
Oh, and I love this part of their web site: “We’re independently owned and here to stay.” So many great websites started that way, but……
April 11, 2008 at 23:21 57
forkboy… you’re a star!!!
Three cheers for forkboy!!!
I was absolutely certain I’d seen a mention on one of those freebie photo-hosting sites about a neat way of importing pics from Flickr. But having rummaged around in my rather decrepit brain cells I just couldn’t recollect the name of the site.
And weirdly, though I was looking at smugmug (damn that name) just earlier today (looking for that precise feature), I didn’t find it.
So now, back to smugmug again and look harder.
April 12, 2008 at 15:02 02
Right there on the home page….about middle of screen - “Flee Flickr” with image of goldfish bowl.
Of course by free they mean an account by which you can try their service, otherwise there is a regularly yearly fee, but it seems quite reasonable.
Actually, I thought their site looked really sharp - nicer than Flickr (or any other site I’ve recently looked over). I may just skip the whole Flickr experience and go straight to smugmug (yes; damn that name).
April 12, 2008 at 18:01 50
I agree… smugmug (definitely have to do something about that name!) looks real neat, but I’ve already hit the first snag.
Signed up for the 14-day trial, then discovered their methods of payment don’t include the card I use for internet transactions.
Fired off a quick email to them and, whilst I can’t knock their response time (within just a few hours) things don’t look very hopeful. So I may have to give them a miss whether I wanted to or not.
Pity.
April 13, 2008 at 1:55 51
Time to build that server and host yourself…..
April 13, 2008 at 8:17 44
Latest news…
Well, I think I may have found a reasonable alternative to Flickr (and they accept payment through PayPal!)…
Zooomr (www.zooomr.com)
Its pretty much a Flickr lookalike though still very much in early stages of development (a little bit buggy, a little bit slow in places, and not all features operational) and so far it seems to have a fairly small user-base, but its definitely got promise.
They do free and pro accounts and, even with the free account, there’s no limit on number/size of photos.
April 13, 2008 at 9:33 48
Update to last comment…
Hmm, Zooomr appears to be very buggy… using Firefox browser at least. Uploading’s iffy, geotagging’s iffy, there appears to be no equivalent to Flickr’s “organizr”, and generally quite slow.
So I can’t see me changing from Flickr anytime soon
April 13, 2008 at 18:57 31
Another update…
Oooh, I can hardly handle the excitement!
Just been tinkering around with yet another Flickr alternative, and this one looks really promising.
In fact, this whole topic seems to be turning into such a saga that I think I’ll do a proper (and new) blog post for it.
April 14, 2008 at 8:55 57
[...] The introduction of video clips on Flickr, following so soon after the news that Microsoft may buy Yahoo (parent company of Flickr) was sufficient to start me thinking about moving to a different photo-sharing site (see this post). [...]