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Can video support on Flickr be a good idea?

12.Aug.2007

It seems that the Flickr team has plans on adding video support to their popular service. Several opinions were made from both sides. While some think that video should have already come some time ago and are looking forward to it, others fear that this addition might ruin their experience. I also feel a bit reluctant about this predicted change.

Fred points out on his blog one guideline successfully used by many other services: “Do one thing right”.

Consider the reverse scenario: Youtube adding photos. Preposterous idea, I hear you say – exactly. Just like Flickr dwelling into the world of online video – a crazy idea, and apparently quite out of touch with the majority of the Flickr audience.

The Pronet Advertising blog remembers how much competition there is already out there. Maybe too much even for a popular brand like Flickr.

Before it even launches, the problem with Flickr Video is what you should use it for and how the service should be used. Most of us already have our videos on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, or any of the other dozen or so web video sites, which makes us wonder, if Flickr Video will really be able to differentiate itself enough to necessitate another upload?

By dkrunic2k at Flickr.

Flickr has some points on his advantage. A large group of his members use it to upload they’re personal photos, and since every digital camera includes video features, those kind of videos would naturally fit beside photos. However, the more experienced users, probably the ones with PRO accounts, amateurs and professionals on photography, may not like to see their chosen service welcome another media format.

You also have to consider the community consequences, while video might bring a good number of video enthusiasts, some of the users from other services like YouTube, don’t fit quite well on the actual Flickr users. But there are also cases to prove me wrong like the Vimeo community.

Much will depend on how video will be implemented. Probably giving users the option to filter video would ease the most skeptic. Anyway, I hope the current users (including me) don’t get disappointed with this new and important feature.

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1 Comment

In my opinion, if Flickr manages to get a way of accepting *.3gp files both through web and email, I believe it will get some popularity (Youtube cannot do that in the present time. You must convert them into *.avi first, and nobody likes to waste their time). If you analyze both Flickr and Youtube communities you'll see different types of contents. While in Youtube it's mostly junk videos (kids doing stupid stuff and funny videos, and so on), in Flickr there are most artistic photos, so if this goes ahead, flickr videos will be artistic while youtube will remain the same. No conflicts.