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Could this be it for Flickr?[/caption]
The pictures we take aren't meant to collect digital dust on a hard drive, they're practically begging to be seen. Fortunately for you, getting your work in a gallery or published in a book/poorly created zine isn't necessary for others to see them. The not-a-dumptruck of the internets is a blessing for those looking to display their work. Over the years we've seen a variety of community driven websites geared toward publicly archiving photographs...Some of them even free (with restrictions of course). One that we've come to know and love is a little site called Flickr. Unfortunately, it seems like we've had a falling out of sorts.
The little photo-sharing-site-that-could opened up shop in 2004 and has since accumulated over 50 million users with well over 60 Billion hosted images. Flickr was once a thriving community, where one could share their photographs without much hassle. Although they haven't abandoned ship, Flickr hasn't changed much in the 8 years its been around...design-wise, it's severely stuck in the 2000's. At least it doesn't suffer from age like your old Geocities websites (R.I.P.); complete with sparkly animated GIFs and midi sound clips of an Aerosmith song...I digress, if there's one thing Yahoo hasn't done, it's giving Flickr a much needed makeover.
Razmataz isn't the only thing Flickr is lacking. It's users seem to have fled the flock. Unless you're very persistent in driving users towards your content through other websites, endlessly joining groups and tagging your photo's, no one is going to just stumble onto your work. They still drive heavy traffic (number 48 on alexa guide is nothing to scoff at), but I just don't see much activity from those who used to be very active. Where have all the cowboys gone?... Partial blame could be over-saturation and not keeping up with the times. It's following the trend of any social network...people are always excited about what's next.
Have the flickr users been taking less photographs altogether? My assumption is no; I think their needs have changed while Flickr...hasn't. Many have been shopping around for the best place to "market" their images...I use that term lightly as there are a select few that take pictures for fun (crazy, I know). Those that want to share their images with their friends are most likely already part of the biggest social network. At 800 million active users (and counting), Facebook is probably the easiest way to tag and share since everyone is already there. Unfortunately, we must be weary of any social media's shady terms of service. Although they need the rights of your images to host them, they can technically do whatever they want with them...but hey, you can't beat free!
Free membership can be a very attractive feature. It can drive people to join and hopefully justify an eventual upgrade fee, but not everyone is so easily convinced to fork over some cash for additional storage space. Although you'll have to sacrifice quality for quantity, basic members can still share their images (although you might be engulfed by endless advertisements in the process). Alas, one wouldn't direct a potential client to some Photobucket archive...This is why professionals will gladly pay for an attractive interface that will make their images shine. They're not really interested in connecting with other photographers, they want jobs!
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500PX: A Popular Alternative for Professionals[/caption]
I often get sucked into the vast void that is photography forums and a reoccurring topic I see is the "need" for a "professional" online portfolio. It's almost overwhelming how many sites will gladly take your money in exchange for unlimited storage and a slick interface. Some hot ones that I've seen are 500px, Smugmug, and Livebooks. They all vary in prices and provide basic features like unlimited hosting, various aesthetically sterile templates, and the ability to use your own domain. 500px seems to be gaining a lot of momentum...They boast to be the world's best photography community. Like Flickr it starts off free, albeit crippling with a 10 image limit per week. It's premium price of $50 gives access to cloud storage from anywhere, no annoying ads, better analytic to see who is viewing your work, HD video, unlimited bandwidth, and the ability to sell your work through the site. Although I'm unsure if it's necessary to showcase your work in this fashion, I do think it's important to have a clean-looking presentation without distracting flash animations that take an hour to load...especially on mobile devices, being able to show your work on the go can mean the difference between getting a job and having empty pockets.
Mobile integration is a big thing these days...We are hopelessly entangled with our phones/tablets/phablets (whatever you want to call them) and now that these things have cameras that are comparable to high-end point and shoots. Hell, the iPhone is most popular camera used on Flickr. Nothing beats having the ability to take a picture and then sharing it with everyone on the same device. It seems like a shame that Flickr hasn't jumped on board of some trending apps like Instagram, who cater to those interested in fun and easy editing mixed with a social media aspect. Flickr's app on the other hand is just a slow way to watch the staggering nothing going on over there.
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Is this the face of Flickr's last hope?[/caption]
Aside from neglecting Flickr, things haven't been looking good for Yahoo since their last CEO fiasco. Although the photo community is glad to try and find alternate options, I think there is a still a community out there waiting for change to happen. However, things may be looking up! Yahoo recently announced it's new CEO, one who just might last longer than a couple months, provided she didn't lie about a comp sci degree or working as a Google exec. This exciting news fills some with hope that she may be able to revive Flickr from its stagnant state. So what can Marissa Mayer actually do to fix our once loved Flickr?
An obvious structural makeover would do some good. They really have to keep up with the times as far as having a customizable interface that will look good both on the computer screen and the mobile device. Looks aside, they should focus on winning over their old users before seeking out new ones...how about a more specific search, a more expansive "explore" feature, better integration with sites like Facebook, or a complete redo on that sorry excuse of an app? In terms of mobility, they should put together an intuitive app that allows swift browsing that also one-ups Instagram's easy filter system...maybe even adding some other tools that would help the photographer on the go. An extra incentive I think everyone would enjoy would be an increase of space for uploading any size photo, especially since these file-sizes are getting so large these days.
Although there's a lot of work to be done to keep the ship afloat, it would certainly be a nice homecoming for the photo community. One has to wonder if they can revamp Flickr before it finds a spot in the Yahoo graveyard.