Lesson # 6: Photo Sharing

More enlightenment--I had previously viewed Flickr and photo sharing as a way for my 30- something friends to easily share all those baby pictures with everyone in their email address book, and didn't see a personal need to participate. After all, I can send the occasional prom or graduation picture by email to family members. I'm not big on the idea of family photos on the web, even with the assurance of privacy settings. So until now, I've remained in ignorant bliss on the subject of photo sharing.

I took the Magical Mystery Tour (clever title to grab the 'boomers) and once agian learned some things that peaked my interest.

I have always loved to travel, and enjoy taking photos of places I've been. I've loaded my digital photos onto my computer and also burned CDs as back-up. However, I've recently begun to question the safety and permanence of this method, given the speed with which technology is advancing (will I even be able to view a CD in 10 or 20 years?), and the vulnerability of CDs in general. Flickr sounds like it might be a good place to store these photos.

Because I enjoy travelling but cannot currently afford to do so, I like to follow my brothers on their frequent excursions via the internet. One brother recently went to Rome--I typed in the address of the villa where he stayed in Google Maps and Google Earth. There I found and clicked on photo links, which opened pictures taken by various people and posted to these sights. I now realize these photos were shared by someone using Flickr or a similar tool. Again, enlightenment.

I enjoyed the tour on Flickr (clear and logical) as well as the video lesson (I feel like Lee LeFever is becoming an old friend). I will add "photo sharing" to my ever-growing list of things I want to do. I'm not interested in the social aspect of photo-sharing--I don't want to communicate via the web with folks who have similar interests (I feel like I barely have enough time to share with those I truly am close to--family and friends). As far as using it in a work context, I always figure I can help a patron who might come in with questions. If someone in the system uses photo-sharing in a project that involves me, I feel like I now have the knowledge to participate fully.