Radical Behavior

There have long been discussions of Flickr adding video sharing to it’s popular photo sharing site. These have been confirmed by Flickr higher-ups themselves. Now rumors are circulating that this will be happening in as soon as three weeks.

I’ve been a member of Flickr since 2005 and have over 13,000 photos on the site. I’m always impressed that they keep adding features without changing the overall experience. And while the photobucket sharing teens have no idea what Flickr is, the rest of us web geeks seem to put Flickr on a pedestal without second thought. But now Video? With YouTube, Vimeo, Revver, Viddler, and countless others out there, why does Flickr need Video? Here’s why it simply makes sense:

• People like to take videos on their digital cameras. Every time I upload my latest batch of photos to Flickr, there are a few AVI files - short videos - taken on my camera that have no where to live. I could - and have - uploaded some to YouTube, but video of daughter getting her ears pierced seems out of place there.
• It’s part of the photostream. One of Flickr’s best features is the photostream. You can easily browse from photo to photo using the next button. When taking photos, I often switch from taking photos, to recording a short video, and then back to photos. Why not allow for viewing online in the same fashion.
• My family goes to Flickr to look for family updates. Now they will be able to see the photos and videos in one place. My Mom will love seeing video of the grandkids.

There are many Flickr users who use high-end cameras and share on Flickr because their photos are art. This feature isn’t for them. However, there are far more users who upload from their point-and-shoots that will finally have a home for those AVI files that litter the photo directories on their hard drive.