I’ve had a couple of hassles from the algorithmic gatekeepers on flickr this month.
The first is probably more a Yahoo issue, Earlier this month I was presenting a free session at the local library on using flickr for seniors. The on-line examples didn’t go so well, it barely went at all, just getting adequate Wi-Fi access proved difficult, presumable because of the bandwidth demands (of all the pictures). However the real let down was in the Join Up. Apparently Yahoo have a new feature that stops multiple log in and account set up from one ISP (ie one library) along with a few other issues. So only a couple of lucky participant could create an account at all. Further the new gmail sign up doesn’t seem to work at all from iPhones? All a bit frustrating when you are making a presentation of how nice and easy to use flickr is.
The second is slightly more distressing for me. You see it now appears I am suspected of being a spammer, and not allow to use my Flickr Mail. I really hope I am not a spammer! All I wanted to do was invite participants in the VIC/TAS comp thread within the Australian Photographers group on flickr to an exhibition of photographs by three of The VIC/TAS contributors, including me. I started to email them one by one over a considerable space of time. Alas when I had got to 40 plus I got the message above and I have remained on flickr mail lock out for nearly three days. So if you are a VIC/TAS contributor and haven’t got an invite sorry, but look here.
Perhaps all these procedures and automatic filters are seen as generally desirable, to block out the unsocial behaviour of many but there is a danger that these same things will stop the true social behaviour of the few. As Elli Pariser noted in a recent TED talk we must be careful “The FiIlter Bubble” doesn’t narrow our on-line world to a net of one.
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