Least Interesting on Flickr

There are loads of tools on the web for seeing your most interesting pictures on Flickr. But what about the unsung heroes, the ignored and the lonely? What about your Least interesting pictures?

The good news is that there are a couple of great tools on dopiaza.org that answer this question. Go to FlickrBrowser, add in your username, select Sort by Least Interesting Pictures First and there, in all their glory, are your very worst shots (or at least, Flickr thinks so).

With this knowledge, you now have choices. You could delete the worst, re-post if you think they were unfairly treated, go on a promotion run around Flickr's groups, or just accept that for every most interesting shot, there is a least interesting one.

If you want to share your shame with the rest of the Flickr community, why not add a set of these least favorite carbuncles to your photostream. Flickr Set Manager hooks into your Flickr account and, amongst other things, allows you to keep a regularly updated set of your least loved.

Below is my least interesting picture according to the people at Flickr. I suppose it is a bit dull!




Wallow in your failures on Flickr.

Rare Cabbit - photographed for the first time

Rare Cabbit - photographed for the first time
Originally uploaded by doug88888

Unusual breed spotted in the wilds of London.

A rare result of passion twixt Rabbit and Chat Noir.

World's Biggest Migration

I was lucky enough this year to spend time in the Serengeti in Tanzania, East Africa. The Serengeti Plains witness an astonishing feat every year - the great Wildebeest migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara in Kenya. It's an incredible spectacle - the largest migration in the natural world. An estimated 1.4 million animals on the move in such of water and lush plains.

I was pondering this phenomena on my commute into work earlier this week. When something hit me. Was I, and my fellow passengers, on my own migration? Each day 1.5 million people commute into london (see this 2007 survey for proof).

One and a half million men, women and children flow in and out of the big city.

Our civilised, organised, industrialised city manages IN ONE DAY to migrate more humans than any other mammal manages in a year. Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Bicycles, Buses, on Foot or on the Tube - however we do it, we do it.

This realisation had me gasping. If we were ever to need evidence that human society has completely divorced itself from the rest of the world's species, surely this fact is enough.

There are many questions I could ask about why we do it and how we do it. But, the fact that we do it, and no other mammal does, is the most disturbing thought of all.

For more info on the wildebeest migration, go here.

Flickr on FriendFeed

Excellent new discovery today.

Friendfeed is an awesome way to follow your Flickr contacts. Can't believe I've only just discovered it. Big thanks to Thomas Hawks for his illuminating blog on the subject.

To get yourself following contacts - here's a very simple guide.

First - add yourself. Simply register on the site, click on Me, click Add/Edit services then pick Flickr. You can then add your Flickr user name into the box then clicked Import Flickr. Then click back on Me to see my recent Flickr updates.

Second - add your contacts. Friendfeed uses the idead of Imaginary Friends - you can set up as many as you like. For example, to add my Flickr account, click on Friends, the Imaginary, give the friend a name, Doug88888, then click Create. Then simply select Flickr as an extra service and add your friends user account, so Doug88888 again. And voila, you now have your friends stream too.

Just go back onto Home to follow it. You can then click on any picture you like to zoom over to their picture on Flickr for comments, fave's and more.

There's loads of other things you can add like Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Last.Fm. Have fun.

Flickr Best Friends

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So you like someone's Flickr photostream. You make them a contact.

Then what?

One of the best and most addictive qualities of Flickr is the opportunity to build up a lasting relationship with some of your contact. Not all - some will fall by the wayside, some will prove to be disloyal, but some will prove to be great and enduring friends.

So how do you make yourself the kid on the Flickr block that everyone wants to be friends with? Well, everyone will have their own answer. Here's a few ideas that might help you on your way.

1. Follow their photostream.

I keep a shortcuts list of favourite Flickr contacts. After I've logged in, I drop in on some of my favourites and scroll through their latest. On Firefox, I simply bookmark any Flickr photostream I want to return to again and again and add it to my "Flickr Fave's" folder. I'll try and comment / fave any pics that take my fancy.

2. Be quick to comment

Whilst online I have FlickrFox running in a banner on my screen. This banner keeps me updated of any new uploads by my Flickr Contacts. Its means I've always got fresh images in front of me. But, more importantly, I can instantly respond to a picture I love the look of. Its like getting an instant reminder from my contacts that their picture is special.

3. Return comments

People in the Flickr community (almost) all love a comment on their image. Funny, constructive, encouraging or wise is best - but hey, even a "Nice!" is better than nothing.

The method I use to reply is as follows: View one of my recent images, Open a new tab (in Firefox) for every person who's dropped me a message, and then check out each photostream in turn. The advantages of this method are a. Its quick, b. its complete.

4. Drop them a message

There's something really special about getting a direct message. I will message people if they ask me a question, if I'd like to know how they achieved a shot, or to thank them for their support and communication. I don't message every day, but that makes it more special.

5. Giving is better than receiving

I have contacts that I view religiously but they never return to my site. Do I care. Hell, no. If I love their pictures, I'm going to tell them. And if they don't love mine, or don't visit, or maintain radio silence, I don't mind. They didn't force me to comment - so I try to have no expectations in return.

With the right approach, you can find some regular, loyal contacts who'll share their ideas and views, suggestions and photos for months/years to come. Have fun and feel free to visit me - user name doug88888


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Flickr Fave's Game

What's the Flickr Fave Game?
A fab way to navigate your way through Flickr using other people's favourites as your guide

What's in it for you?
This is a really fun way to explore Flickr. An alternative to using Flickr's own Explore logarithym or looking through Group's or searching Tags. It has the advantage that you'll only see pictures that other people have fave'd and so you can find common themes and pleasure patterns as you go.

Equipment to play the game
- A Flickr account
- Firefox as a browser
- GreaseMonkey installed on Firefox
- Flickr Cross Recommendations script added and active on GreaseMonkey
See my previous blog on my Fave Flickr tools on how to sort yourself out with these three. They are free (woo hoo).

I'm convinced - How do I play?
Once you have the equipment to play (see above):

1. Choose a starting point of a favourite picture of yours. For example, I might choose a picture of mine withto start the game.

2. On the picture page, you should see five picture lined up below your starting picture. These are pictures that people who have fave'd your starting picture have also fave'd. Take a look at those thumbnails and click on the one you like most.Flickr will take you to the expanded version of that picture.

3. Once on the new picture page - Fave it - if you like it. But definately leave a comment - for example -"What a great picture - I love the wonderful colours in that sunset. It reminds me of the town where I grew up. I found your picture playing the Flickr Fave's Game."

4. Now, look at the five fave'd pictures below the main picture and pick your favourite again.

5. Repeat from step 2 until you've found and commented on as many pictures as you like.


If you enjoyed playing the Flickr Fave's Game, feel free to visit my Flickr site, doug8888, and leave me a comment or message. No pressure though.

Happy Flickring.

Clear space clear mind - Office desk tip

I'm the sort of person who could never keep my desk tidy. There were always piles of paper, lunch, post-its, staplers, books strewn across my workspace. I had concluded that I was "Just not a tidy person" and never would be.

I was wrong. I was just trying to achieve the world rather than moving one step at a time.

I picked up a simple piece of advice to follow:

Don't try to keep you whole office tidy. Pick one small area, and focus on keeping it clear at all times.

Simple.

This could be one part of your desk if you are open plan. If you have an office, how about the spare table in the corner. Anywhere will do, but ideally it will be a place that you can look at from where you sit.

Follow this piece of advice and things start to happen:

First, whenever you feel out of control or manic at work, look at your tidy space. This alone is often enough to clear your mind for a moment - you are in control of this space.

Second, you realise that this kind of discipline (and it is a discipline) is achievable. Actually, if you can achieve this simple objective how many more simple steps can you take in making your work life more organised and controlled.

Third, people might start to comment on your new found control. This is a really visible way to change how people in the office perceive you. You could even try telling some people what you are trying to do and ask them to point out to you if they spot your tidy space messy. This adds to the fun as you try to outsmart them, and maybe they'll adopt the practice too.

Lastly, you might find that that small tidy area begins to grow as you tend it and take pride in it. Next thing you know, you've started tidying that shelf above your desk too. Then the area by the printer. Before for you know it, your whole desk may be tidy and in control.

Having a tidy space helped me get control of my work life. You can adopt it as part of a continuous improvement in your approach to work.

It worked for me - give it a try and let me know if it works for you too?

Flickr Enhancements - Best Tools Available

My name is Doug88888 and I'm a Flickr-holic.

It does feel like an addiction. The highs and the lows. But, if I am going to spend half my life roaming around in Flickr, I have at least found some tools to make the experience as productive as possible.

There are loads of tools out there to enhance your Flickr user experience. Below is a list of the ones I use everyday. The best news is they are all free to everyone.

Firefox
Whether you currently use Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mac's Safari, seriously consider switching to Firefox. Why? Because you can then load add-ons that interact directly with Flickr. These will save you time and add to your enjoyment.

Download it first to make the most out of its features. Its free and easy like all good things.

GreaseMonkey
Think of GreaseMonkey as a gateway to Flickr add-ons. Install it right after Firefox. Once installed, there are loads of scripts available to enhance all kinds of websites, but especially Flickr.

Flickr Auto Page
Scrolling through page after page in Flickr can be a real drag. Once you have Firefox and GreaseMonkey installed, get this next. The script automatically adds every page related to a photostream so you can scroll straight through each page without clicking anything. Neat.

Flickr Ad Removal
Another GreaseMonkey script. If you hate being bothered by adverts, get this.

Flickr Move Comments Box Up
Have you ever noticed how much time you spend scrolling to the bottom of a photo's page to leave your glowing comment. This GreaseMonkey script shifts the Comments box up so its directly under the photo. Invaluable!

Flickr PM
This nifty little Greasehelper adds icons for Mail, Profile, Favourites, Scout, Interestingness, DNA and the user's photo archive next to usernames in forums and on individual photo pages.

Flickr Cross Recommendations
Under every picture you view, this adds thumbnails of other pictures fave'd by people who have fave'd this picture. A great way of finding other pictures you might like, and also allows you to play the Flickr Fave's game.

Cool Iris
This tool is an incredible way to view Flickr images. Once downloaded, hover your mouse on any Flickr image on someone's photostream, a small box and arrow icon will appear. Click on this and you are rushed into a new world of viewing pleasure via Cool Iris. This allows you, using a very intuitive interface, to fly through all the images on that page. Click on any you like to go to their individual Flickr page. With Flickr Auto Page installed, this means you can view a persons whole photostream, or all of their favourites in one go. Tip - use it on your own favourites to view your own personal art gallery - don't you have great taste!

The Explore list
This brilliant site lets you see the entire current top 500 photos on Flickr - the Explore list or the Interestingness list. A really swift way of catching up on what's been going on, and looking for your own pics! A fabulous feature of this is it allows you to comment on pictures directly, rather than going through Flickr. A wonderful shortcut - but remember, with great power comes great responsibility - resist the urge to write "Great Shot" next to all 500 pictures.

An alternative to Dackr is FlickrRiver, which has some of its own unique features.

Flickr DNA
This wonderful tool allows you to see, amoungst other things, whether any of your pictures have made it into Explore. BigHugeLabs do loads of other great Flickr stuff, which is worth experimenting with, but DNA is invaluable. You can easily check out other people's DNA too - here's mine.

These are the extras I use everyday - and I think they are helping me to overcome my addiction. Now to move onto another one...








Let me know if any of these links don't work for you. All the best.

How to Increase your Flickr views

So you want to get more views on Flickr? Who doesn't? Its an amazing feeling when strangers take the time to visit your best pictures.

How many visits do you currently get?

First question - do you know how many views you are currently getting? On your Flickr Photostream page, you should be able to see how many Photostream vists you have had. (It will be written in grey next to the number of pictures you have uploaded). This is a great first indication on your visits but its not the full picture.

On your Photostream, click through on the Popular link and then choose Views. You should now see a list of every picture in your Photostream in order of views. If your a Pro account users (and you should consider it if you want to get the best out of Flickr), also go to FlickrStats to get the full low down on everything from number of views to the sources of each visit.

Now that you know the metrics to look out for, here are a few of the tips I've picked over the past few months. Try them out, and let me know any others that you come across.

Top 10 Tips for increasing your Flickr visits

• Take pictures that people want to see
  

I know this might sound obvious but if you want to get the most out of Flickr, and boost your visits, improving your photography should be your number one priority. That means your family snaps are not appropriate for sharing unless there's an artistic edge. Selecting pictures that people want to see come with time and experience, the right equipment, some sound research and inspiration. The Good News is that Flickr is the perfect place to hone your skills.

• Comment on other Flickr users images

There is no better way to get visits than to visit other people. Leaving a comment or adding their picture as a Fave lets them know that when they had a party, you dropped in to check it out. Leaving a comment is easy, don't feel shy. You can say whatever you like, but I encourage you to treat people with respect. Remember, they have bared their souls to the Flickr world so be gentle

• Join Groups
  

There are tons of different Group's on Flickr. Experimentation is the best way to find a Group that's interests you. When I uploaded this picture of Stonehenge I searched for Group's that included the keywords "Stonehenge", spotted that English Heritige was one of the most relevant Group's for that keyword, joined the group and added to it. Easy.

• Tag your pictures

90% of Flickr users don't upload pictures - they are voyeurs - they want to look at the best Flickr has to offer. One of the most common ways to do this is by searching for tags or keywords. So if your picture has a Rabbit in it, tag it "Rabbit". And whilst you're at it tag it with "Lapin", "Animal", "Mammal", "Pet", "Big ears", "Fluffy Tale" and so on. Any words that you think someone might think of and search for. Tip: Google and Yahoo will also search these tags so even people not directly using Flickr might find your image.

• Make contacts

When you spot a picture that you like, after you've commented and fave'd the picture, take a look at the rest of their photostream. If you like what you see, add them as a contact. Every new picture that they add to their photostream will then be reported to you on your home page. This will help you up visits in two ways, first, it means you'll see more pictures from the people you like so you'll feel more compelled to visit and comment on them. Second, they may well visit your photostream and may even add you as a contact too.

You can add me as a contact here, if you like.

• Message people

Flickr allows you to send messages to (almost) anyone on the site. Experienced users know that most of these messages are simply people becoming your contact (see above) or inviting you to join groups. Why not send a personal message saying how much you love someone's photostream - I'll bet you they'll visit your site to check it out.

• Allow others to Blog your photos

Flickr allows you to make your pictures available for others to include on their sites. Its called Creative Commons and giving your photo a Creative Commons licence is a great way for people to visit you and potentially share your picture with the world through their blogging or creativity. There are several licences depending on how willing you are for people to play with your images, the more flexible you are the more likely you are to get visits.

• Get Explored

One of the most entertaining aspects about Flickr is to get Explored. That means your picture is in the top 500 pictures that day (based on a mysterious algorithm), and is also known as Interestingness. This is always guaranteed to lead to more viewings. No-one knows the magic recipe for success for sure - I recommend taking a good look at other pictures that make it to the explored list and try to determine what makes them special.

• Pick your subjects

Some image subjects seem to entice people to view again and again. If you were to happen upon one of the following, I recommend taking a snap of it for Flickr use - Kittens, Cats, Puppies, Dogs, Flowers, Bokeh, Angsty Teenage Girls, HDR shots, pictures of cameras, beach/ocean scenes. Again, research what makes it to Explore to find out what's in fashion.

• Be active

Its a simple equation, the more time you spend playing around in Flickr, the more views you'll get. Why? Because you'll inevitably be commenting, faving, being active in Group's and leaving your mark.

Most importantly, have fun - Flickr can be surprisingly addictive if you choose to let it take a grip over your life!

Links to some more ideas on views
The Flickr Views HOWTO - A very insightful essay on the topic

Top 10 Tips for Getting Attention on Flickr - Thomas Hawks excellent discussion on increasing Flickr views

Increasing your Flickr Views: The Basics. - Alexia Cournoyer fascinating view on views - Part 1 - here, more is promise...

Feel free to drop in at my photostream - http://www.flickr.com/doug88888.

Solving the Rubik's cube

Have you ever wished that problems were just EASY to solve? That you didn't have to wrestle with the rights and wrongs involved with a conundrum. Just get the answer.

I think we all wish for that sometimes.

I made this Rubik's Cube to help me. The cube is solved with every twist of its face. Every turn is a solution. Every twist is satisfying. Everyone needs a White Rubik's cube some days.

What's yours?

First Blog - Fear!

I feel like I've come really late to this party, but hey, I've made it at last.

Not sure if this will work - so here goes.

Here's a shot from my Flickr account to illustrate how I feel about blogging currently.