Flickr Adds Video

[sarahtowny]

When I went onto my flickr account yesterday, I saw that they had added video to the site, I have to say I was really annoyed.

I joined flickr because it was a photography website, with some very high quality images, infact my level of taking shots has a lot to do with flickr, and I am always trying to higher my standard of photography. Video typically stinks ands there is already a well established home for that sort of "oh look my cats fallen off the fridge" stuff. I won't be uploading any videos, I won't be viewing any videos. Not only that flickr can be slow as it is.

This morning I went to my account and they have added on my profile a automatic view of any videos on flickr. Needless to say I have turned that option off.

On flickr there are groups you can join, I noticed one yesterday that put up a petition, over night thousands of people have signed it, which also includes me! It has made CNet.

I also checked groups that are in favour of video, about 100 people have joined but when you check quite a few members have made comments saying they are unhappy about it.

On the whole it looks to me that a majority of members are against the changes, shame flickr never asked the paying community members if it was something they would have liked ... now all they have is hundreds of people asking for a refund. Will they care ... nope

I think you get the idea I am not happy about it, maybe you disagree, but I cannot see any advantages myself.

[Jeff]

Personally, I think adding video is a natural and GREAT idea! Obviously there are some people who use Flickr only to post their photographic art, but many, many more use it to create and share photo albums of their snapshots with friends and family.

Having just come back from vacation, I had a lot of photos and a few short videos I captured on my digital camera. I was thinking what a bummer that I'd have to upload the videos to YouTube and the stills to Flickr, but now they can all be collected in the same place (see my Costa Rica collection).

Having video capability in Flickr doesn't mean you have to upload them. The groups that are dedicated to photography as an art form can still stick to that. In other words, no change at all for them. It's simply there IF you want to use it.

Also, the video upload capability is only available on Pro (paid) accounts, so most of the "kids" posting "my cat fell off the refrigerator" videos will stick it on YouTube (which is free).

I appreciate your position, but I fail to see what the big problem is. If you want to use it, cool. And if you do not, don't!

[sarahtowny]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Having video capability in Flickr doesn't mean you have to upload them. The groups that are dedicated to photography as an art form can still stick to that. In other words, no change at all for them. It's simply there IF you want to use it.

Also, the video upload capability is only available on Pro (paid) accounts, so most of the "kids" posting "my cat fell off the refrigerator" videos will stick it on YouTube (which is free).

I appreciate your position, but I fail to see what the big problem is. If you want to use it, cool. And if you do not, don't!

I think I need to reiterate my point a little bit more, what annoyed me is that I pay for this service, and video was not part of that service, if it had been I would not have paid. The most important point to me is that as a paying member not to be asked is disgusting.

I understand your point about not having to watch and I have turned that off my profile so I don't have it in my face.

I don't get your point about teens will stick to youtube, being a teen does not mean you don't have money and have the option for flickr pro accounts, and the funny vids are not posted by just teens. If you now search on flickr you will find lists and lists of videos that have now been added, like 'watch my cute hampster on his wheel'. The dross has begun and it will get worse.

Again I will say, I paid for this service and did not ask for this crap to be added, even if I don't have to watch it ....

[Yahooligan]

But there is already "crap" in Flickr in the form of still photos. I think Jeff's point is that you don't have to look at it. It doesn't effect you at all, unless you go searching for it.

[sarahtowny]

Originally Posted by Yahooligan

But there is already "crap" in Flickr in the form of still photos. I think Jeff's point is that you don't have to look at it. It doesn't effect you at all, unless you go searching for it.

So there is including some of mine but I paid for a still photography website, if the pictures are poor or great, that's what I paid for, still photography.

Not videos.

[Yahooligan]

But you don't pay for the quality of the photos. You pay for the privilege of uploading more photos and adding more categories.

[sarahtowny]

No I did not, yes that is an extra, but I joined as it was a still photography website.

[Yahooligan]

So if they had from the get go given you the CHOICE of uploading your videos, you wouldn't have joined?! I still can't get my mind around why anyone would be upset over something that is an OPTION that they can choose to IGNORE.

[sarahtowny]

Apart from feeling there is an echo, I reiterate, I paid for a still photography website, not a website with videos.

If you had read my previous posts I did say that no I would not have joined if videos were an option. I really don't think if you read what I put I could make it any simplier, I did not pay for it, I was not asked, I do not want. And actually it was not until I was told by a friend of mine who is also against it, that flickr overnight made it an option that video's were automatically watched. I have turned that off, which is also something I wrote in a previous post on here ...

[Jeff]

Actually, the reason Flickr added video was because it was the most requested feature by their members.

Frankly, I'm still with Yahooligan on this one (sorry Sarah). No one has yet explained how adding an additional (OPTIONAL) feature is in any way detrimental.

Sarah, I'm sure in the photo/art groups in Flickr, their rules will disallow the use of videos, so it shouldn't impact you there. Of course you have control over your own photostream. Personally, I don't browse around much, but even when you do, they videos do not automatically play in the photostreams -- they only play when viewing the individual page for the photo/video (and as you noted, you can turn that off as well).

So the only "wildcard" is what your contacts will do. I suspect that some of your contacts (those who use Flickr to post still images as art) will simply choose not to post videos, in which case you will not see any change whatsover. Other contacts (such as me) will post some videos, but you'll still be able to choose whether you play them or not. So what's the big deal?