Smug Mug acquired Flickr in April 2018. The question every long-term Flickr user is asking:
Should I renew my subscription?
I’ve been on Flickr for a very long time. And seen many ups and downs. Probably more downs. And it’s 2019 and I still use Flickr.
Con:
- Subscription has doubled in price: 50$ for 1 year instead of 2 years.
- There is an ongoing downturn in community activity. Group discussions are rare.
Pro:
- Without VIPs, social media influencers and advertisers, Flickr has become a quieter place far from the crowd. Which isn’t so bad if you don’t need to promote and sell.
- The mobile app works. Nothing flashy but ok.
- Flickr supports the main functions I need. Easy, structured photo storage that is searchable and shareable.
- Currently, no new features are tested on unsuspecting users on a weekly basis.
- I have nearly 15 years of links and embedded photos that I would need to update on this blog.
- Sentimental value: faves, comments, tags, memories, stats, links.
- Smug Mug isn’t Facebook / Google / Microsoft / Amazon.
I have some time until my subscription expires. I have a local copy of all of my photos and I’ve started to pull a backup of my Flickr account.
The question is: Should I stay or should I go? And if I go, where should I go? And does it matter?
