I've been a Flickr user since pretty much the beginning, and I've avoided moaning about the fact that eventually I'd have to switch to a Yahoo! account to use the service. They kept putting it off, until this week, when all of us old skoolers (their term, not mine!) got an e-mail: we have until March 15 to make the move. Like it or lump it.
I realize it's petty to complain about this, but I did anyway, sending Flickr an e-mail explaining that I like being old skool, and didn't want to change to Yahoo! (I just got a chuckle when I read that I'm not the only one). Of course I don't expect to hear back from them. The only reason I'm bringing it up here is that I really do love Flickr.
I distinctly remember the first time I fooled around on Flickr, I became an instant addict: a major epiphany: AH! this is what the web can become. Look at all these tags, and public photos, and community. I told everyone I knew about this amazing thing they had to check out. From then on, I was sold on what social media was all about. As Fred Wilson points out, Flickr remains the quintessential 2.0 example. Everything is just great about it.
But business is business, the 30 million or so Yahoo paid for Flickr has to be recouped somehow. Call me petty, but it just doesn't feel good to be part of the sellout. Community doesn't stand a chance against the big bucks, and this is something that others will have to face sooner or later (You Tube, and others). Bah!
UPDATE: Scott at Publishing 2.0 points to more revolt in the Flickr community.
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