Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Flickr disaster


The post  by Edwinjones on Flickr says it all:
"1. Photostream
Old Flickr - I the user get options on how it is viewed both by myself and others. Either larger or smaller images and I can promote my sets on the first page. New Flickr - I get no options. The header image is unnecessary and takes up too much space above the fold. The resolution required for the profile image has been increased with nobody bothering to tell us first.

2. Individual Images
Old flickr. Clean and simple layout. I can see at a glance the picture and a map if available and the number of views, comments and favs. New flickr the number of comments made cannot be seen without scrolling down. Click needed to see exif assuming this is noticed in the links from the dots to the side of the picture, click needed to see the map. It appears showing the picture on black is not good for sight problems.

3 Viewing Contacts Images, groups and search
Old Flickr. I had a wide choice of viewing these as justified or as various thumbnail sizes. New flickr you restrict me to justified. I have over 500 contacts and comment on many of them. In the old system using a thumbnail size it was much easier to quickly see the photos I wished to view and comment on. In Groups I liked to quickly look though pages and might only look in detail at I picture per page, Justified is totally unsuitable. You just destroyed Groups. For groups and search only the most recent pictures will be viewed. Justified is far too cumbersome especially for those on a slow connection."

Jim Davies said: "Flickr users are photographers.

As a result we are also aesthetes. We know what is "good".

There was always a very, very sweet spot for me with Flickr - lots and lots of easy to find high quality photographs and a chance to share my own attempts with like minded people. These ranged from lo-fi analogue fans to megapixel professionals and all points inbetween. There has been nowhere online to compare.

As I type this there have been over nine thousand replies to this topic in fifteen hours almost overwhelmingly disapproving of the new Flickr.

It is clear that you have made an unpopular choice. I don't think Yahoo! will gain as many new users from the new Flickr as they will lose unhappy ones who feel cheated, dismissed, or just can't stand the idea of a Facebook style cover-photo.

I can find no reason to rejoice in any of this." 


As to me, I had been away from Flickr for some two hours, when I returned I was confronted by a cover photo so I almost thought I had landed on Facebook. No, it was a huge change on Flickr, everything, photostream, sets, groups where in justified view, just scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. When at last I got to an individual photo page, I was promised some info. Most of it was just "see how wonderful we are now". The only real info was what a 'terabyte' is, which free accounts now are promised, 500 000 photos!
It said: 'Pro members, your subscription stays the same.' ??? First, there is no pro anymore, it has even taken from your name. Yet they call you pros! Secondly, the fee is doubled to 50 dollars/year, if you do not want adds. Free accounts get this terabyte but must have adds and do not get stats. 
There is a new category called 'Doublr', 2 terabytes, costing 500 dollars a year. How many do you think will want that?
I have been able to find some features (by trial and error) so it's a bit easier. 
There are six official topics where users can tell about bugs and their feelings. 

Feedback on today’s site changes 
was started 11:20 last night. Now, in the afternoon next day, it has 93 pages, mostly negative, very  few positive expressions. 
My initial reaction was one of horror, I even wept!
The photos are on a wide black background,without a choice, which we had  before.

This was my contribution: "Wow, I did not think I had been away from Flickr's photostream for more than a couple of hours and when I get there I see COVER PHOTO so I thought I'd come to Facebook! I did never think they could do justified on the photostream! though I saw people wish for it earlier, I thought them stupid LOL. 
Is it possible to opt out of it? I thought I saw some. one ask that earlier but I'm too nervous/upset to read posts. Do we get to a photopage by clicking on a photo? I hope I get used to this but for the first time on Flickr I have doubts! 
And the same thing I hated on other justifieds, loading for ever and ever, crazy. 
This is sure to get more people writing on the HF than ever before. I LIKED THE PHOTOSTREAM, BUT NOT THIS! I have hardly ever complained but this is too much, aarrgghhh!
The whole thing is a big bug!! 
You have spoiled the whole Flickr experience, who wants to come here any more! You are welcome to have a justified view for those who have wanted it, but let others have the chance to have the old photo page and thumbnails

I do not feel quite as suicidal as I found the photopage and there is still some familiar things there." 

On my photopage it says: 

Pro members, your subscription remains the same

Later I have found more on FAQ and those who were pros when this change happened, can reapply for the same fee, 24,99.


This because Yahoo had just bought Tumbrl for a huge amount of money. 

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