MetaChat - Annoying Flickr trend:

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05 March 2007

Annoying Flickr trend: Maybe I'm a cranky old bastard for complaining about this, but →[More:]is anyone else getting tired of commenters posting various "award" inline images in their comments?

Some groups exist on Flickr just for the members to hand out these "awards," and ask you to add your photo to that group. This was almost cute when there were only one or two of these groups, and the images were a little thumbnail-sized star or something.

But now the damn things are popping up like spam, and the images are getting bigger and bigger. (I had one this weekend that was literally wider than my photo.) What used to be a sort of awkward compliment now looks like a competition going on, using other people's photo pages as their staging area.

I wish Flickr had the option to disable inline images in comments... or does it, and I just can't find it?

post by: BoringPostcards at: 12:03 | 20 comments

That does sound obnoxious.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 05 March | 12:04

I suddenly noticed a whole bunch of these over the weekend. Up until then, I had only seen one, and that was a few months ago. I'm with you on hoping to find a way to disable inline images in comments. Those things are annoying, and I have the feeling it's going to get worse.

I love flickr groups, but I've also noticed the trend to create groups that exist to just be self congratulatory.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 05 March | 12:09

Shoot, I hate avatars that are limited to 50 x 70 (or whatever). And images in sigs? Fuhgeddaboutit!

posted by mischief 05 March | 12:12

I just delete the comments. I hate them too.

posted by iconomy 05 March | 12:24

As long as those images have existed, there have been Flickr conversation threads complaining about them. I just delete them. If I comment on a photo that later gets a bunch of them, I go back and delete my comment on that photo so I don't keep seeing them in my "comments you've made" page.

posted by matildaben 05 March | 12:26

I've started deleting them, too, but it seems like something that would be so easy for Flickr to address.

posted by BoringPostcards 05 March | 12:30

thanks BP for bringing this up. it's a terrible trend and i find it incredibly annoying. it takes more away from flickr than it adds.

I've also noticed the trend to create groups that exist to just be self congratulatory.

yeah, i'm not sure why but i have real disdain for 'pool sluts'. i don't understand why some view the site as a competition. i mean, i never even realised i had photos on explore until someone mentioned it to me, and i don't try to jack up the views/faves/comments or whatever. i mean it's cool for random folks to view my stream but i mainly use flickr as a webhosting site for my contacts.

i guess this just proves people will go to any lengths for attention.

posted by lonefrontranger 05 March | 12:31

Agreed, agreed, agreed.

*resists urge to add some sort of smartass "award" image to comment*

posted by me3dia 05 March | 12:36

BP, you're right - it would be easy to address. And no, there is no way to currently disallow images in comments. I also don't like it when I upload a photo and someone comes along and comments that they have a similar photo or they took a photo at the same place, and instead of posting a link to the photo, they post the photo itself on my page, in their comment. I delete those comments too. Go pimp your photo on someone else's flickr page, photo ho!

posted by iconomy 05 March | 12:37

Apparently I don't take photos appealing enough to be offered these things. I demand to be spammed!

posted by mike9322 05 March | 12:43

There's plenty of threads in FlickrCentral and other groups that describe why Flickr doesn't ban them. Inline image posting can be useful in critique or technique threads.

posted by matildaben 05 March | 12:50

Any .sig with a picture that ends up being larger than the post it's attached to is really friggin' annoying. There are a few people I'd love to banninate in our convention forums, but I can't. *sadness*

posted by TrishaLynn 05 March | 12:50

Turning them off in your comments wouldn't have to affect all areas of the site, though, right? The discussion threads in groups and all are a whole separate animal.

It would also allow those who use Flickr mainly for the social aspect (and there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're there for) to keep doing their thing, but it would give the rest of us a chance not to participate.

posted by BoringPostcards 05 March | 12:57

Yeah, what you said, BP.

posted by Specklet 05 March | 13:01

I don't really like them too much either but I don't delete them.

What annoys me are the people who comment by saying "Post this to xxxx group" without anything else.

My recent complaint about Flickr is that I can't get an RSS feed for the photos I've Faved. I wanted to post them as a flash badge on my photo blog.

posted by fenriq 05 March | 13:33

Maybe I'm a cranky old bastard

Yes, but you're a great cranky old bastard. here's your award:

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by jonmc 05 March | 13:53

Heh heh!!!

posted by BoringPostcards 05 March | 13:57

Yahoo doesn't want you to not participate. Free image hosting is their lost leader, they want to get you involved so you'll spend more time there.

posted by Mitheral 05 March | 14:01

Take me to your Lost Leader.

(plz post ths to teh Lost Leader grp. kthxbye.)

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by taz 05 March | 15:11

Awesome. :D

posted by BoringPostcards 05 March | 17:24

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