With the announcement of the “new” Flickr yesterday, I wonder when people finally realise that quantity doesn’t equal quality. The offering of 1TB storage is great, of course, but with a closer look, the new fancy wrapping quickly makes way for the not so fancy old Flickr look, feel and functionality.
Flickr was great, in it’s day, and most of us used it. Over time, it has become a place to get hugs for otherwise neglected images, but that’s about it. Like many, I’ve been looking forward to a long overdue overhaul of one of the biggest image databases online, but I was expecting more. Let’s not forget, we’re not talking about a tiny 2 men startup company, we talk about Yahoo with serious resources at their disposal.
And then… there was the not so clever statement by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer at the press conference:
There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [with so many people taking photographs] there’s really no such thing as professional photographers anymore.
Frankly it’s quite a stupid comment from someone in such a high ranked position. On Twitter she then excused herself and explained what she meant, but I would expect from the CEO of Yahoo to think first, and then speak.
So, the “new” Flickr has a polished surface, underneath is still the out-dated stuff, and the above comment sums it up: Flickr and Yahoo still don’t understand what’s going on. Google+ and 500px etc show how it can (and should) be done, and they do it well!
As for the “no more pro’s” statement, I will not indulge in a rant, I’m in a far too good of a mood today, the sun is shining, we have a gorgeous blue sky here on the Gold Coast Australia, and I look forward to an amazingly creative photo shoot this afternoon. Oh, I forgot to mention: I will get paid, as a Pro.
As a little hint, +Yahoo! and CEO Marissa Mayer, the definition of a “professional photographer” has nothing to do with the amount of photographs taken, or the quality of the photographs. My 2 young daughters produce some great photos with their point-and-shoot, even though they have absolutely no clue what they are doing. If you ask me, there’s a bit more to a “pro”, tiny little things like consistency, business, psychology, the ability to produce based on strategy and concept, day in, day out, without hope for lucky punches.
Anyway, just my first impression and thoughts, I’m sure others will like it, fair enough. As for Yahoo: Feel free to call me, I’m happy to help you design a seriously kick ass system, but I will not be cheap, because… I’m a Pro.
