Comments on: Tim’s brief guide to Flickr groups

By: worker201

worker201 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:39:20 +0000

^ Ah yes, the old “I gave at the office” routine. Nicely played.

By: gambort

gambort — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:11:09 +0000

“Taking the axe to photos that don’t match the pool doesn’t bother me at all”. It bothers the hell out of some people.

Thanks all for your comments on how to improve the running of a group. I left that topic out of the post because more people join groups than make them but I’m glad to have some discussion on it.

From a group ‘owner’ perspective there is a compromise between being welcoming and keeping your pool/group useful. Personally I think I do enough welcoming by writing for TBB to sacrifice some of it on Flickr.

By: Thanel

Thanel — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:46:30 +0000

Very good advice all around, both for admins/mods and users. My only issue is with a small portion of #3. Sometimes protection of the group’s integrity seems to take the form of a personal attack, or at the very least is less than moderate. A little too much throat-jumping and reactionary stuff going on. I worry about balkanization.

To a certain extent it’s important to differentiate between how to interact and manage photo pools and discussions. Taking the axe to photos that don’t match the pool doesn’t bother me at all, it’s when discussion threads go sideways and otherwise sensible people turn into ogres that I get a bit peeved.

By: Joz

Joz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:05:01 +0000

I agree on all points. Guidelines, precedents and lurking especially. Though if one decides on starting group, I would recommend keeping it simple to follow – you can use an option where someone has to agree to the rules and guidelines prior joining. Also, as a “founder” you should be prepared to make the group as you envision it. Communicate positively. Alternatively you can set the option to moderate the content before it’s accepted int the pool. Don’t expect everyone to just get “it”. If they don’t, be supportive by writing to your group members about the content you’d like to see flourish in the pool. There’s my two bricks.

Also, whilst on the Flickring topic, has anyone set up the new “Gallery Option”?

By: peterlmorris

peterlmorris — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:23:35 +0000

I’m upset that you didn’t begin the numbering sequence at zero.

By: Sibley

Sibley — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:48:51 +0000

But Tim, this is completely reasonable

By: talltim

talltim — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:20:15 +0000

I think its just Lego fans that are the problem ;-). I’ve started http://www.flickr.com/groups/mobgde44/ http://www.flickr.com/groups/goldenpass/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/swisstransport/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/vosslohg2000/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/rhtt/
and had no problems with any of them!

By: dshaddix

dshaddix — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:18:11 +0000

I agree with what you are saying here, but I think you can paraphrase it more simply by saying: ‘fit in or go away’

By: TooMuchCaffeine

TooMuchCaffeine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:34:04 +0000

I agree with all these points, but have a suggestion for group owners/mods around point 1: If you have got guidelines for your group, and you want people to read them before submitting, then please make them easy to find.

I joined one group recently, submitted something, and got a couple of comments back criticising me for not reading the guidelines. However, there was no clear communication that there were any guidelines to read, and the guidelines themselves were buried in a discussion thread that had fallen off the front page.

I don’t need to be told twice, but I do need to be told once in the first place…