While you might think that Yahoo would have pleased fans of its image-sharing Web site Flickr by incorporating a video feature into the popular service this week, it would appear that existing Flickr users are far from satisfied with the change.
Video Flickr is upsetting the status quo on Yahoo\'s image-sharing service. Credit: SA Steve/Flickr.
Specifically, a number of protest groups, including the likes of ‘We Say No to Videos on Flickr’ and ‘No Video on Flickr’ have reared up in light of the service alteration, and all of them are seemingly displeased with certain aspects and resultant effects of the new clip-posting tool.
“The big issue is the way it was implemented,” commented Jason Bouwmeester, a group administrators for No Video on Flickr, which currently carries the weight of 9,000 like-minded Flickr users. “There was no public beta... They just reset everyone’s settings.”
According to tech site Wired News, Flickr users have already lodged numerous complaints regarding the video service, which include a noticeable slow down to the overall Flickr site and also an unwanted shift of focus away from photography -- the original service’s core point of attraction.
Alongside the 9,000 disgruntled users supporting No Video on Flickr, a further 22,000 are currently voicing their displeasure through We Say No to Videos on Flickr, while an online petition calling for the immediate cancellation of Video Flickr has gathered around 5,000 signatures since the service launched on Tuesday.
“We thought long and hard about how we would integrate video so it complementedthe existing Flickr experience,” insisted Flickr spokesperson Terrell Karlsten. “We always welcome feedback from our community and appreciate their opinions across many topics.”
Video Flickr is only available to those users holding Flickr Pro membership, which costs $25 USD per year, a fee that Mr. Bouwmeester claims he would prefer to see directed toward improving the original Flickr service rather than nibbling ineffectually at the crust of the YouTube-dominated video-sharing pie.
Those complaining about Video Flickr are also suggesting that the inclusion of video clips (up to 90 seconds in length) on the site could well prompt an injection of unwanted and potentially tasteless material into the community.
This isn’t the first time that Flickr users have thrown their toys from the photography-based pram when faced with change. In 2005, users audibly wailed from the rooftops when Yahoo! Inc. swooped in and acquired the service, a calamitous shift they’ve seemingly grown accustomed to.
Most recently, users have similarly stomped their feet following early 2008 rumours that Microsoft Corp. was angling to hook the purchase of Yahoo. It’s possible that yet more user reaction is potentially looming on the horizon given the current takeover standoff between the two tech giants and the very real possibility of Yahoo’s eventual absorption into the Microsoft corporate fold.
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment!
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment!