Flickr Users Look Down on YouTube
Jinkies, you’d think that Flickr was out clubbing seals given the negative reaction from the photo-sharing community to the site’s new video feature. Members are in full-on digital revolt with more than 30,000 members joining anti-video groups, and a multi-language petition to have video removed.
More entertaining than the idea that a digital petition will actually do anything (it won’t), is the level of anti-YouTube sentiment in the forums. The Flickr community looks down on those YouTube hoi polloi. Here’s a sampling of comments from the Flickr forums:
Let me demonstrate why I don’t want videos on Flickr.
Flickr photo comment: “Well done, very nice composition!”
YouTube video comment: “wtf dat shiz wack no1 even died ths sux”
Take a look at the comments on flickr and the comments on youtube - world of difference
That was a youtube style comment, and that’s what we’re worried about. If you think that the thread is not really a good plan, you could try to say that in a mature way.
Of course, there’s this Flickr quote, which I’m pretty sure was written without any hint of irony:
Youtube users sometime sound like some emotionally distraught people who are part of a lynch mob.
Too bad all this wailing from Flickr members is for naught. The company has made up its mind. Here’s what Flickr staffer Heather had to say about the situation in the forums:
I’m not sure what to say to those who don’t want peanut butter in their chocolate (so to speak). Video is now part of the Flickr DNA and while we will definitely be addressing some of the great feedback for ways that the implementation can be massaged towards better things, we’re not pulling up stakes and rolling back.
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Not listening to users has NEVER backfired on a company. Companies know us better than we know ourselves. (Though admittedly - eep on the level of collar-tearing.)
Curt on April 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am - Permalink
Even Web 2.0 industry leaders are not immune to forum drama.
Mike Abundo on April 11th, 2008 at 10:17 am - Permalink
[...] This week, with some Flickr users up in arms over the site introducing video (Chris Albrecht had a good summary of the situation this morning), I thought it would be an opportunity to re-visit the subject and come up with a [...]
The Screw You Coefficient on April 11th, 2008 at 11:08 am - Permalink
I don’t understand why the users who don’t want video just simply don’t use it. No one is forcing them to start sharing video or even interact with video.
If the comments were more like the photo comments - mature and sensible - would they still be revolting. I think not.
Frankly, it says a lot about the both the Flickr users and the Youtube users (there goes the neighbourhood?)
David Mullings on April 11th, 2008 at 12:28 pm - Permalink
Donut freak out! Saying there’s a divide between Flickr users and YouTube users is a little silly. This isn’t Blood vs. Crypts or Jets vs. Sharks people. I use both and I hold no inner conflict about this albeit I don’t pay to play either.
However, a friend of mine who has a Flickr pro account recently remarked: “Why would I pay $25.00 a year (which I already do) to post a 90 second video when I can post a 10 minute one on YouTube for free?”
The backlash is amusing to me. Like the previous comment, business need to listen better. The old aphorism “The customer is always right” seems appropriate here.
“Community” is a tired and useless buzzword if businesses fail to read the writings on the blogs. Call it lame, but you can’t argue that Starbuck’s is at making an attempt to do just that with their latest “My Starbucks Idea” campaign.
T. Barnes on April 11th, 2008 at 1:11 pm - Permalink
I doubt that these Flickr users fears will ever be will founded. People use Flickr to post their family vacation photos, fine art photos, and snapshots they take at parties, oh and porn, lot’s of porn. Flickr has a barrier of entry here ($25.00) to post video, and it’s 90 second time limit is too short to allow aspiring creative directors the space to get creative.
Youtube is used to post videos of people getting hit in the nuts, motorcycle crashes, and teenage girls ambushing and beating the crap out of other teenage girls.
The reality is that video and still images are like apples and oranges. I’m a fan and content producer on both sites, but I don’t plan on uploading any vids to Flickr, and probably wouldn’t upload any photos to youtube, should they ever offer me the opportunity.
Chai G. on April 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm - Permalink
[...] know there’s a been a lot of anti-video ranting about this, but I think it’s brilliant. My camera takes both photos and videos. When I first [...]
blog.hanfordlemoore » Blog Archive » Flickr adds video on April 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm - Permalink
Cahi G. has saved me some typing… I fully agree with him… this little drama is all for nothing.
Klim on April 11th, 2008 at 7:34 pm - Permalink
Chai G. has saved me some typing… I fully agree with him… this little drama is all for nothing.
Klim on April 11th, 2008 at 7:34 pm - Permalink
[...] users have a massive superiority complex when it comes to YouTube users. They’re probably right [...]
spincitydotorg » Blog Archive » Flickr > YouTube on April 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm - Permalink
[...] Flickr Users Look Down on YouTube Jinkies, you’d think that Flickr was out clubbing seals given the negative reaction from the photo-sharing [...] [...]
Top Posts « WordPress.com on April 12th, 2008 at 5:01 pm - Permalink
This is funny. Most of the people don’t understand the logic behind having videos on flickr. Every time I visit a place and take a lot of pictures; I also record small video clips that I’d like to share with my family. It doesn’t make sense for me to upload them on different websites and than ask my family to go to flickr for pics and youtube for videos. Some people on flickr are really lunatic about the whole thing. Don’t like a feature; don’t use it. Let others have it.
Nirav on April 13th, 2008 at 12:01 pm - Permalink
[...] The guys at Flickr, apparently, are not worthy of their brand. They decided to add video features to the famous photo sharing site, and the heavy users and the fanatics didn’t like it and are up in arms about it. I’m a bit torn on the development myself. I understand the rationale behind both the company and the people opposing the move, but that’s not what this post is about. [...]
Facade » Blog Archive » Are you worthy of your brand? on May 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 pm - Permalink
[...] NewTeeVee reports flickr members are in full-on digital revolt with more than 30,000 members joining anti-video groups. [...]
Video Killed the Photo Sharing Star on May 5th, 2008 at 7:07 am - Permalink