Flickr bought by SmugMug

[Steve M.]

Whilst surfing the daily newspapers for the recent (and seemingly continuous) Enquirer like news of what is happening in Wash D.C., I stumbled upon this little story in USA Today about SmugMug buying Flickr. I don't use either, but as a former member of Photobucket, I am still seething mad at how all of my photos were deleted when I refused to pony up the $400 extortion money they suddenly demanded.

Hopefully all will go well w/ this new buyout, but it might be prudent to stay updated on the continuing developments if you have your images at either site.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...ath/537377002/

[kshapero]

As a Flickr guy, this is something to watch out. Thx.

[charjohncarter]

Hey, I don't watch the news unless I'm forced to: airport, barbershop, doctor's office etc. So a big thanks for this heads up.

[raid]

I have been a smugmug member for several years now. It seems to be a good website for storing images.

[John E Earley]

My guess is that Flickr will become a paid subscription service or will be loaded with advertising. It will have to repay the buyers somehow.

Next to the Flickr logo on each page are two donut like objects. Click on them and it takes you to SmugMug/Flickr.
https://www.smugmug.com/together/

I have an account on 500px in case I need to move.

[Ko.Fe.]

Originally Posted by John E Earley

My guess is that Flickr will become a paid subscription service ....

Wait, I'm already using Flickr as paid by subscription storage service...

[John E Earley]

Originally Posted by Ko.Fe.

Wait, I'm already using Flickr as paid by subscription storage service...

Not all accounts are paid. Some are free with limited service.

[lynnb]

I have a paid Flickr account but the link says I can "try a free, 14 day test run" on SmugMug. So now I decide which service to subscribe to.

[Larry Cloetta]

FWIW, I have been really happy with Smugmug for the last 5 years or so, but I am pretty easy to please.
No issues, ever.

[easyrider]

I have been on Smugmug for some years but don't like the way they remade it. Have not yet come to grips with it. OK for storing and delivering pix though. Price is reasonable.

[farlymac]

It's likely to be the end of the free ride for all the Flickr members without Pro accounts. SmugMug's top fee is only $40, and goes as low as $4. Supposedly advertising free, plus photos and personal information are protected. It's too late in the day to check out their site, but I've got in on my top bar for later perusal.

PF

[f16sunshine]

Yikes!
I pay for flickr and hope it stays as is.... really hope so!
Even after they took the ceiling off the free storage limit I kept paying.
I hate the ads.... Paying those few bucks a year makes flickr ad free.

[Ronald M]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

Hey, I don't watch the news unless I'm forced to: airport, barbershop, doctor's office etc. So a big thanks for this heads up.

Democracy only works if the citizens are well informed.

[f16sunshine]

Originally Posted by Ronald M

Democracy only works if the citizens are well informed.

Becoming well informed from watching the news ??
What year is this?

[Sumarongi]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

Becoming well informed from watching the news ??
What year is this?

1984?

[craygc]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

Becoming well informed from watching the news ??
What year is this?

Couldn't agree more...

[peterm1]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

Yikes!
I pay for flickr and hope it stays as is.... really hope so!
Even after they took the ceiling off the free storage limit I kept paying.
I hate the adds.... Paying those few bucks a year makes flickr add free.

It is not staying as it is :^(((((

I just got an email from Flickr stating that unless I cancel my Flickr account by 25 May everything will be transferred to Smug Mug - no choice offered other than abandoning your Flickr membership entirely (you can however download your own content first). I am a pro user (i.e a paying user) and that is at a fixed rate of $25 per year due to an offer made by Flickr some time ago when the site last changed. No word on what will happen with Smug Mug but my guess is they will not honor it beyond the current subscription year.

I tried Smug Mug some time back and did not like it - Flickr functionality is much better, especially its community. Unless Smug Mug has improved recently which it seems not to have. So Not Happy! The greatest advantage of Flickr for me is the way its functionality (e.g groups) drives traffic to your page through your posting on interest groups. SmugMug is presently advertising itself essentially as nothing more than a hosting site for photographers. Which means you have to get your own traffic. Which for most of us is useless. And a P.I.A.

Extract:

" ......We think you are going to love Flickr under SmugMug ownership, but you can choose to not have your Flickr account and data transferred to SmugMug until May 25, 2018. If you want to keep your Flickr account and data from being transferred, you must go to your Flickr account to download the photos and videos you want to keep, then delete your account from your Account Settings by May 25, 2018.
If you do not delete your account by May 25, 2018, your Flickr account and data will transfer to SmugMug and will be governed by SmugMug’s Terms and Privacy Policy."

[kuuan]

Originally Posted by John E Earley

My guess is that Flickr will become a paid subscription service or will be loaded with advertising. It will have to repay the buyers somehow.

Next to the Flickr logo on each page are two donut like objects. Click on them and it takes you to SmugMug/Flickr.
https://www.smugmug.com/together/
.

had noticed those and clicked on it. All I saw was some advert like page and video saying that "united is better" but it lacks any substantial information. As flickr user I am curious what will come of this. For now I rather like the news, it least flickr seems to continue which I felt had become uncertain under yahoo and there is hope it will improve, there is a lot room for that.

[rbiemer]

Originally Posted by Ronald M

Democracy only works if the citizens are well informed.

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

Becoming well informed from watching the news ??
What year is this?

Originally Posted by craygc

Couldn't agree more...

See here:
http://www.ginandtacos.com/2018/04/18/brain-drain/

Rob

[jarski]

never tried SmugMug, but now checking their site, they dont have free option at all? even basic plan costs something. anyways, I think this is good news for Flickr.

[lawrence]

I have subscriptions to both Smugmug and Flickr and, for me, they are different beasts. Smugmug is a portfolio hosting site for photographers and artists -- similar to Zenfolio, Squarespace Etc. -- while Flickr is more of a social networking site for photographers. I like both sites and I hope that Smugmug doesn't change Flickr too much.

[brbo]

This is not good news for flickr.

[wjlapier]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

Becoming well informed from watching the news ??
What year is this?

I watch the "news" for it's entertainment "value". That's it.

Back to Flickr--I guess I'll do as I did in years past. Use my charter acct to store photos I want to share, which I did rarely, but that is a bigger hassle than Flickr, so I might go back to not sharing photos like I did before I joined Flickr.

[Ko.Fe.]

FAQ:
"Will anything happen to my photos? Will they be moved?
No, you’ll still be able to access your photos as you do currently and they’ll retain the same Flickr or SmugMug URL as always. Over time, we’ll be migrating Flickr onto SmugMug’s technology infrastructure, and your Flickr photos will move as a part of this migration—but the photos themselves will remain on Flickr."

[Timmyjoe]

Before things get crazy, I deleted my account this morning. Stopped using it years ago when I found my images were getting stolen off my Flickr site and used without permission all over the internet.

Best of luck to all you who are still using it. Hope the transition goes well.

Best,
-Tim

[Tim Murphy]

Originally Posted by Ko.Fe.

FAQ:
"Will anything happen to my photos? Will they be moved?
No, you’ll still be able to access your photos as you do currently and they’ll retain the same Flickr or SmugMug URL as always. Over time, we’ll be migrating Flickr onto SmugMug’s technology infrastructure, and your Flickr photos will move as a part of this migration—but the photos themselves will remain on Flickr."

Dear Kostya,

Thanks for this update. I was figuring that this would be another photobucket moment but now I feel a bit more encouraged.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

[bluesun267]

Humm, I never paid for Flickr, and never got ads (unless I failed to sign in). I'm really getting toward the idea of deleting myself from the internet as much as possible--FB and Flickr at least. The only real link I have to Flickr is the group I started for the Nikkor/Sonnar 50mm lenses which I'd like to keep going.

Once I get past the *idea* of re-connecting with old friends or sharing photos, I can objectively say my life is not any different than before. And FB is mostly a way to put myself into a state of depression.

[rybolt]

I'm a longtime Smugmug user and have what they call a Power Account. The cost is $5.99 a month paid 12 months at a time. I use my own domain name ,ryboltcox.com, for the account and am not set up to sales.
I use this for display of my own stuff and for filing some images that I need to have hosted.
I have a Flickr account that is basically just a catchall place to store images. I use it more as a social site than a serious photo site. It's cool to be able to search groups for particular lenses or locations. If it went away tomorrow i wouldn't be hurt.
Having said all this it will be interesting to see how Smugmug works with their paid subscribers who also use Flickr.

[Timmyjoe]

Originally Posted by bluesun267

And FB is mostly a way to put myself into a state of depression.

Yes, and Twitter just puts me into a state of outrage.

Turned it all off for a week a couple years ago, and it was blissful. Probably need to do that again, but this time for good.

Best,
-Tim

[Out to Lunch]

I am hopeful that SmugMug's acquisition of Flickr is good news in that it will take better care of it than Yahoo has done. This said, the details on how this acquisition will impact current Flickr users are opaque. I have a paid subscription to Flickr and I don't mind continue paying fees as long as my link remains ad free.

[raid]

I just got this in my email from smugmug:
https://www.smugmug.com/together/?ut...tm5hms5b9i3de3

[Out to Lunch]

Raid, this link is the same one as it appears under the 'donuts' one on Flickr.

[raid]

It is their marketing tool, most likely.

[farlymac]

Originally Posted by peterm1

It is not staying as it is :^(((((

I just got an email from Flickr stating that unless I cancel my Flickr account by 25 May everything will be transferred to Smug Mug - no choice offered other than abandoning your Flickr membership entirely (you can however download your own content first). I am a pro user (i.e a paying user) and that is at a fixed rate of $25 per year due to an offer made by Flickr some time ago when the site last changed. No word on what will happen with Smug Mug but my guess is they will not honor it beyond the current subscription year.

I tried Smug Mug some time back and did not like it - Flickr functionality is much better, especially its community. Unless Smug Mug has improved recently which it seems not to have. So Not Happy! The greatest advantage of Flickr for me is the way its functionality (e.g groups) drives traffic to your page through your posting on interest groups. SmugMug is presently advertising itself essentially as nothing more than a hosting site for photographers. Which means you have to get your own traffic. Which for most of us is useless. And a P.I.A.

Extract:

" ......We think you are going to love Flickr under SmugMug ownership, but you can choose to not have your Flickr account and data transferred to SmugMug until May 25, 2018. If you want to keep your Flickr account and data from being transferred, you must go to your Flickr account to download the photos and videos you want to keep, then delete your account from your Account Settings by May 25, 2018.
If you do not delete your account by May 25, 2018, your Flickr account and data will transfer to SmugMug and will be governed by SmugMug’s Terms and Privacy Policy."

That almost reads like some spam mails I've seen before, Peter. You sure that came from Flickr? I've gotten no e-mails concerning Flickr, just little blurbs when I go on the site like that video Raid got. Everything I've read so far has stated that Flickr will be run like a separate entity, keeping all the Groups functions and such.

PF

[raid]

Beware of spam these days making use of such mergers.

[Graham Line]

Got the same e-mail. Will have to nose around SmugMug to see how it functions. The discussion and comments aspects of Flickr seem pretty dead anyway, and I use it mostly as a place to link or transfer photo files.

[rybolt]

Look at the FAQ's on the emailed link. They are pretty clear that there will be no changes at this time to either Smugmug users or Flickr users.

https://www.smugmug.com/together/faq

[css9450]

Originally Posted by Graham Line

The discussion and comments aspects of Flickr seem pretty dead anyway...

This, exactly. Most of the Flickr groups I am a member of have been pretty close to dead for the last several years. Many of my contacts have been inactive for years. Makes me wonder who is still doing the "social networking" aspect of the site. Or maybe I was supposed to keep joining newer, more-active groups?

[peterm1]

Originally Posted by farlymac

That almost reads like some spam mails I've seen before, Peter. You sure that came from Flickr? I've gotten no e-mails concerning Flickr, just little blurbs when I go on the site like that video Raid got. Everything I've read so far has stated that Flickr will be run like a separate entity, keeping all the Groups functions and such.

PF

As to the suggestion that the email I received may be spam....the email address certainly looks like a genuine Flickr address, it is the first thing I checked. Of course having said that, email addresses can be spoofed.

I would not have got a Smug Mug email (as Raid did) as I do not use Smug Mug, only Flickr. The wording of my Flickr email (as quoted in my other message) certainly does not sound as if they intend to keep the sites separate under Smug Mug ownership. Though of course corporates often write clumsy emails that convey things they did not intend so I live in hope that the email I received is merely clumsy and inept. Of course I saw the video that Raid received - it is on Smug Mug's site and I viewed it after seeing reports of the take over when I checked Smug Mug to find out more about what they say. But it is nothing more than some marketing blah blah. Totally information free.

But I still say that based on the email message I saw it sounds to me as if the two sites are not planned to be maintained separately - if I were writing such an email the simplest thing in the world (and the most logical to assuage user fears) would be to write something like "Flickr has been bought by Smug Mug. For the foreseeable future it is their intention to continue to run Flickr as a stand alone site with all existing features and will honor membership of Flickr Pro paying users, but we plan to bring some exciting new features blah blah blah ...." Or some such. This is definitely not what they said. Which suggests to me it is not what they intend.

I should acknowledge their email also said "Nothing will change immediately with regard to your Flickr account." But to me "immediately" means in the near term - i.e. in the next few weeks or months and certainly gives no representations about what will occur in the longer term. In fact one might also read it as hinting that there certainly are longer term changes planned. A lot of traffic to my Flickr photos comes from within Flickr Groups etc and from people just casually browsing Flickr - this seems not to be possible with Smug Mug as when I have tried it forces me to "join" first - something many would not be bothered with as a casual user wanting to view images. It is that kind of unique functionality makes Flickr worthwhile. If it merely becomes another Smug Mug hosted photo site, devoid of features that help people find photos in the way Flickr does )and if it in fact puts in place membership hurdles which discourage this) then the value proposition for me has been lost and there is nothing to distinguish Smug Mug, say from having my own web site hosted somewhere else.

[Tim Murphy]

Dear Peter,

When you first made your post I checked my Flickr account and it just spun and spun and did nothing.

I checked again a couple of minutes ago and was able to get this picture of a young bear that some ahole from my neighborhood shot and killed for being a bear that bothered his pet ducks.

If I never recover anything else from my Flickr account I'll shed no tears. This picture does it all for me.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

30223617_10156144141668418_799709024_o by Tim Murphy, on Flickr