I have recently started a flickr thing (I am not sure what to call it, maybe "photostream;" yes, that's the word). It is obvious that a lot of people use flickr, and likewise, so do a lot of bloggers, and for good reason: it is extremely easy (maybe too easy) to post photos from the site to a blog. The issue I am having is whether or not I should continue posting photos from flickr from, say, my "reyonthehill does dc" project, or should I take the time to rewrite the flickr-type code onto my own server.

What if flickr goes out of business? I understand that flickr is owned by Yahoo!, and Yahoo! ain't going anywhere, but what if Yahoo! decides to discontinue the service (due to the fact that flickr has a lot of competition and has no business plan; oh yes, advertising revenue... where have we heard this before?); then what? Or, maybe after a few months, I decide to rid myself of this flickr "headache" and delete every photo I have on the site and cancel my account. All photos that were referenced on my blog would be lost. I don't mind links being broken, but broken images, I won't have it.

I have also got an issue with the true absolute location of the image on the web. For example, the Little Red School House image from my previous post is located at http://static.flickr.com/36/82362765_7a343bc1ec_m.jpg which, for the life of me, I can not figure out; there seems to be no logic to it. I would rather have that image on my own server at a location that makes sense, one that I maybe able to remember off the top of my head. And I think that is what I am going to do even though it will take more time. You see, I view my blog as a suitcase, and I might as well have all my socks in the suitcase too...

By the way, I plan on keeping my flickr account active and updated, and it is available at flickr.com/photos/reyonthehill.

Labels: reyonthehill_does_dc