Flickr - change it back!

[Lightningboy2000]

I've just found a link via a Flickr contact.

Am I betting that a large proportion of members on here use Flickr to link their photos.

Myself I wasn't too happy when they changed the functionality of the site, so much that even with the (expensive) and reasonably fast computer that I own, that the site just grinds to a halt when loading or uploading photos.

Also I've noticed that other guys on here have problems linking pics due to the convoluted process on Flickr, the old way was so simple, much like Photobucket.

A lot of us pay to use the pro account and have very large collections on there, but how many of us have lost the motivation to use it?

You may even keep uploading to Flickr instead of Photobucket simply because you might pay for the Flickr account and due to habits etc. I know there's always an alternative to Flickr, but some of us might simply want to soldier on with them in the hope they might change the way the site works for the better.

I thought this was a great petition to hopefully get the powers that be at Flickr to get things in order.

I know I'm not in the minority with this.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/change-flickr-back?source=s.em.cp&r_by=9620230

Martin

[Tony C]

Hmmm why leave alone, something that works when surely its better to tinker, make it difficult to use or even add things that are of little use to the majority?

Sometimes I could pull my hair out, only I've got none left from pulling it out having to deal with the constant 'improvements' to eBay!

[Mike]

Are we getting old? There's got to be an element of that, but I wonder if the developers have taken into account the crappy internet that a lot of their users have to put up with? Might work just fine over gigabit ethernet, but I hope they'd test it with something resembling speeds in the wild.

There also seems to be trend for cleaned up interfaces that result in the user having to perform more clicks. Google have bunched all their "ancillary" services on a button, so accessing a relatively important service such as images takes a flick to the right of the screen and two clicks, instead of the one it did previously. Not world-shattering, but contrary to user-friendliness. It's also not abundantly clear that you can scroll that little fly-out window of additional options, so a lot of people probably wonder where Translate and Blogger has gone to

[Lightningboy2000]

I lost many contacts on Flickr, members from all over the planet simply because the site was too slow to load even with fast broadband packages. Ipernity being a site that a lot of users have migrated to, have kept things simple & in fact works similar to the old Flickr, but when one' has thousands of images on Flickr, your a bit stuck in moving them all.

It's a shame that there's these people that want to over complicate. The main problem with these people at Flickr, was that "pro" paying customers were ignored - in their thousands.

Martin

[Julien]

I have downloaded a lot of pics from flikr (some from Martin!) and from photobucket.

Both are pants to use now. PB used to have a folder download feature which has vanished so you have to download one at a time (great fro 30+ pics!) and flickr has really lost it.

Why do they bother making these things "better"

[feldr]

rather like MSN.. to Skype...

Ah , the more they try to improve the plumbing..................

[kev67]

Yes I quite agree Flickr is rubbish, seems as though they are not looking at a simple format for a web site that works but something more arty farty that looks and feels naff to use, the Odeon web site is the same, used to be good now is very confusing

[Lightningboy2000]

I have downloaded a lot of pics from flikr (some from Martin!) and from photobucket.

Both are pants to use now. PB used to have a folder download feature which has vanished so you have to download one at a time (great fro 30+ pics!) and flickr has really lost it.

Why do they bother making these things "better"

Hi Julien, I am considering migrating everything across to Ipernity, not sure if that will affect those links.

Been looking at Ipernity for a while as I have a handfull of pics on there & a friend of mine now uses it a great deal.

If anyone is thinking of escaping from flickr then Ipernity seems the best bet.

Martin

[Julien]

Don't worry Martin they are not linked, everything in the walkaround section I download then re-upload to the BM server.

Julien

[Will Vale]

What're the specific changes you're unhappy about? Is it the "new photo experience" (that isn't finished yet, and you can opt out of) or something else like the earlier change to the Google Images-style justified photos?

A few weeks ago it bothered me that they hadn't implemented the share/BB code thing for posting photos on forums, but that's caught up and is working now. They just need to make the size and format sticky like it was in the old version.

I left a comment in their feedback thing to that effect - it's a bit of a pain but maybe worth letting them know the bits you don't like that way as well as/instead of the protest movement way?

Will

[Mike DeTorrice]

Yes, I sadly agree completely ......... Flickr was badly screwed up by the "changes" done starting last May. What a disaster and many tens of thousands of users were appalled and let management know this in no uncertain terms !

They have made so many insane moves that not only look bad, but work badly (if at all) and the entire site moves and loads at an infuriating snail's pace.

I stopped using it for 6 months and dropped my long-time Pro-User account. I now use it just as a storage site and generally don't use the groups anymore. I have lost many contacts and one of the only reasons I am around there at all is because there are a few people left there I would still like to interact with.

It's unfortunately a pathetic example of incredible arrogance on Flickr's part and vast incompetence throughout the organization ...... most especially at the top and at the management level.

Mike

[arnobiz]

Totally agree, just signed. Not having the option to stay with the old design was very annoying indeed.

Let's hope they hear us

Arnaud

[perdu]

I cannot read the text they put out What is it? Two pixcels a letter high?

I accept that I am an old dinosaur but as surely as there's no easy way to make text big enough to read, I'm getting less and less like using it

And Photobucket is as clunky as a slow clunky thing

S'pose it's me really

[Will Vale]

Have you tried changing the text size in your web browser? It's usually CTRL PLUS or CTRL MINUS, and CTRL ZERO to reset it, or try the view menu.

Not all websites lay out nicely with different text sizes, but I find it really helpful as there's lots of stuff I find uncomfortable to read otherwise.

Will

[Lightningboy2000]

What're the specific changes you're unhappy about? Is it the "new photo experience" (that isn't finished yet, and you can opt out of) or something else like the earlier change to the Google Images-style justified photos?

A few weeks ago it bothered me that they hadn't implemented the share/BB code thing for posting photos on forums, but that's caught up and is working now. They just need to make the size and format sticky like it was in the old version.

I left a comment in their feedback thing to that effect - it's a bit of a pain but maybe worth letting them know the bits you don't like that way as well as/instead of the protest movement way?

Will

Hi Will, there are many faults with the way the site is presented that I find tedious to list really, but one example that you've reminded me of is extracting the correct code info for image links.

Once upon a time photobucket had it to a T, when all you had to do was simply click on the URL then control C it to your required linky in whatever forum you use. Simple. Now photobucket no longer works that way and the same goes for Flickr. If I want to grab an image link to stick a photo on here, I have to take the whole BB code or URL code, and extract the correct details from that and have to ad the bracketing code afterwards in the respective forum. That's not using an old browser by the way.

I recently purchased a new macbook and the same is happening with that. Now you can't say to me that the Flickr site is working!

Incidentally, they are trialling a new version - again!!!!! Are they now getting the message that there's a global problem? The new version still doesn't quickly display images or even doesn't display them at all in the photostream and that's on Mavericks the latest version of OS.

To me, that isn't a quality service provided, when there's still thousands paying the privilege of a pro subscribtion. Flickr must have seen a massive drop on paying customers & likewise Ipernity must have made a fortune when Flickr mucked up.

Because I have thousands of images on Flickr I grudgingly pay for the pro account, mainly so that I can use the organising facility that doesn't come free.

There is the Ipernity site that recognises the downfall of Flickr and does everything it's supposed to.

It's just a pain to have to shift everything over to that site and pay them instead, simply because of a few issues with Flickr. I know I am on the soap box and having a moan and still haven't left Flickr, but believe me, you would be amazed at the numbers of people that have up sticks, so to speak.

[Will Vale]

Sure, I can see there's been a lot of unhappiness. Couple of things which might help though:

* You don't need to pay for Pro anymore, a free account does almost everything (including Organizer/Collections I believe) and still offers a lot of space. They got rid of that ridiculous limit where you could only see your most recent 200 photos or whatever it was in your photostream. Free accounts are ad-supported though, but you could Ad-block them away.

http://www.flickr.com/help/limits/

I saw something about pro-rated refunds for paid accounts, but I don't know if that's still going on. I'm quite tempted to continue to pay to keep the ads away, but I haven't made my mind up yet.

* For the URLs, I'm guessing you're talking about the link to the image itself, rather than the photo page link you can just copy out of the browser's address bar? I hadn't realised that was hard to get to - I guess to post on here I just use the BB code Flickr provides - saves all the mucking about adding the and tags. I paste it straight into my post and it works fine:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/willvale/11662490724/][img=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/11662490724_06df2deb8e_b.jpg][/url]

I usually delete the second line though, but the new Flickr doesn't add that so that'll be good for me

NB: I don't have any particular reason to make you want to stick with Flickr, just trying to point out stuff you might've missed. Apologies if it's not any use!

Will

[Atom.uk]

I've just found a link via a Flickr contact.

Am I betting that a large proportion of members on here use Flickr to link their photos.

Myself I wasn't too happy when they changed the functionality of the site, so much that even with the (expensive) and reasonably fast computer that I own, that the site just grinds to a halt when loading or uploading photos.

Also I've noticed that other guys on here have problems linking pics due to the convoluted process on Flickr, the old way was so simple, much like Photobucket.

A lot of us pay to use the pro account and have very large collections on there, but how many of us have lost the motivation to use it?

You may even keep uploading to Flickr instead of Photobucket simply because you might pay for the Flickr account and due to habits etc. I know there's always an alternative to Flickr, but some of us might simply want to soldier on with them in the hope they might change the way the site works for the better.

I thought this was a great petition to hopefully get the powers that be at Flickr to get things in order.

I know I'm not in the minority with this.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/change-flickr-back?source=s.em.cp&r_by=9620230

Martin

I was annoyed with the changes and considered leaving, but I have so much time invested in downloading and organising my pics I have decided to lump it. I'm getting used to the new flickr but don't trust the viewing stats any more.

AT

[Lightningboy2000]

I was annoyed with the changes and considered leaving, but I have so much time invested in downloading and organising my pics I have decided to lump it. I'm getting used to the new flickr but don't trust the viewing stats any more.

AT

You and me both, that's exactly my situation and how I feel! I am going to lump it despite being a typical moaner about it!

Nothing like a good moan once in a while!

Martin

[Lightningboy2000]

Sure, I can see there's been a lot of unhappiness. Couple of things which might help though:

* You don't need to pay for Pro anymore, a free account does almost everything (including Organizer/Collections I believe) and still offers a lot of space. They got rid of that ridiculous limit where you could only see your most recent 200 photos or whatever it was in your photostream. Free accounts are ad-supported though, but you could Ad-block them away.

I saw something about pro-rated refunds for paid accounts, but I don't know if that's still going on. I'm quite tempted to continue to pay to keep the ads away, but I haven't made my mind up yet.

* For the URLs, I'm guessing you're talking about the link to the image itself, rather than the photo page link you can just copy out of the browser's address bar? I hadn't realised that was hard to get to - I guess to post on here I just use the BB code Flickr provides - saves all the mucking about adding the and tags. I paste it straight into my post and it works fine:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/willvale/11662490724/][img=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/11662490724_06df2deb8e_b.jpg][/url]

I usually delete the second line though, but the new Flickr doesn't add that so that'll be good for me

NB: I don't have any particular reason to make you want to stick with Flickr, just trying to point out stuff you might've missed. Apologies if it's not any use!

Will

Hi Will, that's interetsing and helpful info thanks, regarding what you get with the free account. I do like to have collections and sets etc, so I might look into that. But there's your very good point about keeping the account to keep the ads at bay! I certainly don't want ads, who does!

Cheers and all the best

Martin

[perdu]

Have you tried changing the text size in your web browser? It's usually CTRL PLUS or CTRL MINUS, and CTRL ZERO to reset it, or try the view menu.

Not all websites lay out nicely with different text sizes, but I find it really helpful as there's lots of stuff I find uncomfortable to read otherwise.

Will

I tried this with ctrl + and it helps quite a lot

thank you

bill