A New York Times article reminded me that Flickr had added video support. Here's the deal, according to Flickr:
What is video on Flickr?
Video on Flickr is going to be defined by our incredible, diverse, far-flung and fabulously talented members. Some answers that we’ve come up with:
- A long photo
- Personal
- Simple – not overproduced or slick
- Possibly the best answer so far: The Great Unknown
Some ground rules to get started:
- Only “safe” and “moderate” video content is permitted.
- Only upload videos you have created yourself.
Why is there a time limit of 90 seconds?
Video on Flickr grew out of the idea of “long photos” and as such, we’ve implemented what might seem like an arbitrary limit of playing back the first 90 seconds of a video. 90 seconds?
We’re not trying to limit your artistic freedom, we’re trying something new. Everyone has endured that wedding video, where even the bride will fast-forward to the “good bit.” In fact, even Tara at FlickrHQ hasn’t made it past the first 90 seconds of her own wedding video.
Is video available to everyone?
Only pro members can upload video content, but anyone can view it, provided they have permission.
If you have a free account and tons of video to share, you might like to upgrade to pro.
So... This is interesting. In my various examinations of digital photography services lately, and in revising "Windows Vista Secrets" over the past month, I too, have come to the conclusion that most "home video" shot today and going forward won't involve film or video cameras but will instead happen on cell phones and digital cameras and thus be short in nature. In other words, I think their focus here is smart, because it will keep out the long-form YouTube-type baloney and ensure that Flickr remains a service for user-created digital memories.
Anyway, I'm in Providence, Rhode Island this morning with a laptop so I don't have access to my own videos, but I'll upload a few later today when I get home.