Outsourcing Versus Doing it Myself
February 26, 2008
If you’re reading this site in the first place you probably know that I’m a web designer/developer/whatever. That being said you might also know that I love to take photographs. But the dilemma comes when you combine the two and try to make it meaningful, just humor me for a minute…
I have a website, it’s true. But you know that because you’re reading it. But I also have a Flickr photo account, that I never use anymore. Why? Because some time ago a friend brought it to my attention that my site was competing with itself.
I had my photography setup in a gallery on my site while I also had a Flickr badge that pulled in photos from my account. It was labeled so I wasn’t worried about people mistakingly clicking on my Flickr account, it just seemed pointless to have both at the same time. I’ll also admit that it was probably pulling away from my in-house photo gallery.
Once that was off this site my Flickr career came to a screeching halt, it was both out of sight and out of mind. Fast forward to earlier today where I was visiting Dave Shea’s site and noticed something interesting. He has a header graphic displayed on his site but it’s pointing to his account at Flickr.
That threw me for a loop because I’ve never seen anyone put a link to their Flickr account from their header graphic. That’s quite possibly the genius of the setup, it’s not expected but yet it effortlessly directs you to another way in which to connect with the work of Dave Shea.
When I first saw it I was skeptical. I was skeptical because everyone has a Flickr account, but not everyone who runs a photography section of their site has a blatant pull from Flickr. That notion was trumped by the reminder that tons of people have managed their entire photography section from within Flickr and display it on their sites. And, not only that but on the flip side people like Joshua Davis are putting their work in Flickr, even when it’s not a photograph and it’s something that they have already put on their own website. Veerle even held a contest using Flickr.
There’s an even bigger question to answer when I consider the social benefits from using Flickr. Connecting with friends, creating another manner in which people can look at my work, critique my work, etc. all of that comes into play. It may have been that the way I was using Flickr wasn’t the best way, but it doesn’t mean that it will always be so.
So the question I need to answer is this, “can I compete with what Flickr offers?” And I think it depends on two things. 1. What is it that I want to do with my photos, and 2. what is it that Flickr can do but I haven’t asked it to do yet? I might just have to reincorporate Flickr again somehow, the jury is still out.
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