[tomtom]

Hello,
I was wondering what the online photo dumping/sharing site of choice was? I see alot of people here use Flickr.. I've a Picasa account and used it in the past, but get fed up of the downloaded picture manager app that seems to overmanage my pictures on my PC - but you have to use it to upload images to Picasa...
If Flickr - why? Is there anything out there better?
Thanks,
T

[Paul B]

Flickr because its simple, the uploader is great and it says hello to you in a different language each day.

[slackline]

I find the pics on flickr are down/re-sized and loose a lot of resolution, which in one sense might be a good thing if you're worried about people nicking your pics and using them without permission, but on the flipside you might like to show of your pics in their full glory.

I've used flickr for four or five years and for the price of pro account you get a a pretty good deal, the only draw-back is the long-term tie in (in my opinion).

Two other common choices are detailed (very briefly, without any opinion due to lack of experience) here.

[Johnny Brown]

My experiences of hosting are the DIY website approach, or more recently PhotoShelter (good, but pricey).

However I look at images on Flickr fairly regularly, and don't like it. Picasa is easier to navigate and doesn't seem to attract the same reams of drivel comments.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

However I look at images on Flickr fairly regularly, and don't like it.

I agree, am I the only one who gets annoyed Flickr doesn't seem to have a 'next' button in the normal view? I may be being thick but without going into slideshow view, how do you flick through a set with a single click?

[dave]

top right it'll show you the next and last pictures in the set, click on one of them.

[slackline]

am I the only one who gets annoyed Flickr doesn't seem to have a 'next' button in the normal view? I may be being thick but without going into slideshow view, how do you flick through a set with a single click?

Look to the right of the picture, there will be various different square thumbnails for the sets and/or groups that the picture you are currently viewing has been added to (if the user has bothered to put them in sets and/or groups).  Hover the mouse over these and a pop-up dialog box appears, the one on the right takes you to the "Next" whilst the one on the left takes you to the "Previous" (this will be chronological based on date uploaded if you are looking at them under the individuals photostream; whatever order they have order the set in; chronological if its a group based on the date they were added to the group).

Obviously this won't flick you through the whole set "with a single click" as you desire as you'll have to click again on the next image that loads, but if you don't like the picture that is Next/Previous based on the thumbnail just use the arrows underneath to scroll to the next.  You can also view "Sets" of the thumbnails by clicking on the name of the set (in grey) just above the thumbnails.

[Johnny Brown]

Its still a shit UI though isn't it? Picasa is a lot simpler and more intuitive. When you sign up, do you have to tick a box that says 'I agree to add sycophantic messages to every picture I see'?

[Durbs]

Sycophantic comments PLUS horrid, tacky, flashing gif.

If you've got a Pro account you can upload (and share if you wish) original resolution shots.

[slackline]

Its still a shit UI though isn't it?

You think so?  Why? 

I don't, at its base level its clean, simple and uncluttered (the comments are additional and are generally a consequence of adding your pictures to groups, if you avoid this you're highly unlikely to get flashy gif shit).  The ability to organise my pics into sets and collections makes it easy for me to find pictures from a certain point in history when I want, and this is nicely augmented by the use of tags.  I participate in some groups, but rarely comment on many pictures as personally I don't have much to say about other people's pictures.  One feature I really like is some of the Greasemonkey scripts for Firefox that people have released to tweak the UI through javascript of many of the actions and features.  It also integrates nicely with external apps such as the Dokuwiki I use and twitterfeed.

What does Picasa have that Flickr is missing (obviously dependent upon the user requirements which vary from person to person)?

Perhaps you could augment the Wiki article (editing of which is open to all) to give a more balanced representation given you have used and formed opinions on both?

Picasa is a lot simpler and more intuitive.

I've never used Picasa, but haven't had a single problem learning how to use Flickr to organise my pictures.  If some subtle nuance hasn't been glaringly obvious I've found the answer in the help/FAQ within about 1 minute.  Horses for courses I guess.

When you sign up, do you have to tick a box that says 'I agree to add sycophantic messages to every picture I see'?

No, as per above with adding your pictures to groups (and your choice of group will often reflect the sort of comments you get), adding comments yourself is completely optional, just the same as making posts on UKB and the use of emoticons in your psots  .  In fact if you don't want the general populace to see your pictures you can keep them all private so that only "Friends" and/or "Family" can see them (although obviously they have to sign up for a free account and be added as a contact of yours).

[cofe]

I've never had a problem with Flickr, but then my stuff is either private or contacts only. Stops me getting the fucking drivel comments and i just send links to the people i'd like to see my images, rather than all the riff raff. It would be good to have the option of UI black rather than white but I don't give that much of a shit. Picasa has always seemed a bit log to me. Depends who you want to share pics with i guess.

[slackline]

It would be good to have the option of UI black rather than white but I don't give that much of a shit.

Flickr on Black

[Johnny Brown]

You think so?  Why? 

If you'd read my earlier post, you'd understand I'm only considering the perspective of someone viewing photos, nor uploading or organising them. I would submit that viewing is the whole idea of an online gallery.

Obi is a technology/UI professional, and it wasn't obvious to him. It isn't to me either = shit UI.

I'm not bigging up Piacasa, only used it briefly, but it is more simply laid out, and the relevant buttons are more obvious. From an aesthetic viewpoint I don't like the design of either.

[dave]

hence the expression "black by popular demand".

[slackline]

If you'd read my earlier post, you'd understand I'm only considering the perspective of someone viewing photos, nor uploading or organising them.

 

However I look at images on Flickr fairly regularly, and don't like it. Picasa is easier to navigate and doesn't seem to attract the same reams of drivel comments.

 Sorry my mistake, I forgot to read between the lines of "don't" and "like" and how this relates to "easier" under Picasa

I would submit that viewing is the whole idea of an online gallery.

Quite, but someone (be it me, you or tomtom who's asking here) needs to upload and organise pictures and its is this process that tomtom has found laborious in Picasa.  As you point out below in terms of aesthetics you find both rather log, so their on a par on that front and what is of greater relevance is the UI for uploading and managing said pictures.

Obi is a technology/UI professional, and it wasn't obvious to him. It isn't to me either = shit UI.

Two people having the same problem does not equate to a universal opinion! Lets get a decent sample size and an RCT going to check this out properly, I'll do the sample size calculation.   

 

[Bubba]

I fail to see what's difficult about viewing photos in Flickr.  The UI is perfectly clear imho with a very easy to use navigator just to the right of the photo. Perhaps I'm just used to it. 

Regarding comments. If you don't like them then you can delete them or ban a persistent "offender" from commenting on your pics. However, if you send your photo to a group pool then members of that group can still comment. The answer is obvious, don't send to the group pool, or only use groups that don't give crap loads of comments.

My problem with Picasa is that you *have* to have an application installed to use it and it's yet another service that belongs to Google.

Another plus for Flickr is the huge amount of apps and services that has been built around it, e.g. Flickriver as an alternative online viewer, or Flickroom as a Adobe Air viewer.

It's also cheap. Granted, something like Smugmug  is a much slicker and better looking service, but it costs a lot more.

[cofe]

i've never had a beef with viewing pics on flickr either. google do seem to be taking over the world.

[Johnny Brown]

I still think its log. Especially the navigation.

[Paul B]

its p*ss to use, I can't see what you've got beef with, photostream seems intuitive, click on something then flick between the previous or next? what is there that doesn't work?

[slackline]

I still think its log. Especially the navigation.

Maybe this will help 

If you're having trouble with that then try this one first...

[cofe]

yeah johnny you dick. just click on something you mug. clicky click click.

[Johnny Brown]

[Jim]

I'm with Johhny and Obi here, I think Flickr is shit, never been able to see how to view the next photo without going into a slideshow and I'd like to think I'm not shit at using computers. I've also got no interest reading slack-lines 15 page essay on how to either (sorry)
Obviously never tried to upload/manage photo's with it as I was struggling to view them.
It's a terrible layout and interface IMHO, never tried anything else yet but will not be using flickr

[slackline]

I've also got no interest reading slack-lines 15 page essay on how to either (sorry)

Try the flow diagram, or go with what dave said...

top right it'll show you the next and last previous pictures in the set, click on one of them.

Besides, its not about viewing pictures its about ease with which they can be uploaded and managed online as tomtom hasn't got on with Picarsa, but with a bit of luck I reckon Yahoo! will sit up, pay attention and take onboard the constructive criticism and revise the user experience in due course. 

[Paul B]

Does this break it down for you Jim?