Digital photography has fundamentally changed how people capture and store their pictures. Thanks to the quality and commonality of digital cameras, users can quickly take a large number of pictures and upload them to various photography and social networking Web sites. This is significant, because as the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project notes, GPS data is often passed along when people upload photos.
Therefore, sharing photos is not just about the pictures, but it is about tracking the individual’s movements, which may have impact on privacy. Flickr, which is owned by Yahoo!, is one such site. There are some similarities between Flickr and other sites, but each location is unique.
Social networking through photography. Flickr is based on many of the same principles that have made social networking sites popular. The site allows users to upload pictures via a variety of devices, including personal computers and smartphones. Pictures can be tagged and categorized based on their content, location and people in the photo.
Storing, sharing and saving. Flickr has different types of accounts. A standard account is free, but it is capped at 300 megabytes of pictures and two videos per month. If users want to upload unlimited photos and video, they can sign up for a Pro account, for a fee. After photos are uploaded, users can share them with friends, family or the general public. Individuals with Flickr accounts can also view public photos throughout the site.
Technology and mobility. The Flickr site allows users to connect to other sites such as Facebook and view content through mobile applications via smartphones. This is another opportunity for Flickr users to share their content with other individuals and groups and to access photos and video wherever they go.
Similar sites. Other Web sites provide similar functions to Flickr. Sites like Webshots and Photobucket are comparable locations where users can store photos and share them with other communities. Other sites like Kodak Gallery and Snapfish are more geared toward uploading photos for the purpose of creating prints, photobooks and other media. Ultimately, each person has to find the site that fits his or her needs and the best method in which to manage pictures.
