[News Analysis] Flickr co-founder hints at big plans ahead and explains sale to Yahoo
By Richard Koman - March 20, 2005
Some weeks ago, SiliconValleyWatcher confirmed rumors, first reported by news site GigaOm, that Yahoo! would acquire Flickr, the red-hot photo-sharing service. On Sunday Flickr announced it had sold to Yahoo for an undisclosed sum.
Flickr will almost certainly be integrated into Yahoo 360, the new personal publishing portal that Yahoo will roll out in an invitation-only beta on March 29. Yahoo insiders say that they are still working on how best to combine Flickr with its other media properties.
It's not hard to guess why Flickr chose to be acquired rather than raise a large round of VC money to take the company to the next level, a scenario in which they could easily lose control over the direction of the company. But why Yahoo? Flickr cofounder Caterina Fake explains on the Flickr blog:
The things that were important to us were: being open, building
innovative stuff and kicking ass. Were these people OUR people?
Yes. See the stuff Yahoo's announced recently (including, of
course,this)? They're evolving in really interesting ways --
and from our look inside, we know know that there's a lot more
coming.Yahoo won't be the Yahoo you've come to take for granted.
Competition (with that other company with two O's in its name)
has done great things for Yahoo. Dude.
That statement speaks volumes to the flipside question, why did Yahoo want Flickr instead of any of the other photosharing sites, many of which probably have better spreadsheets than Flickr? Simply, openness.
In an environment where they are competing against Google and Microsoft, openness is Yahoo's wedge issue. This was a theme that Marc Canter hammered at when I spoke with him at ETech: "Yahoo is No. 3," he said. "They have to go open."
Here's what Yahoo blogger Jeremy Zawodny posted on Sunday:
Combining [Flickr's] mix of tagging, communities, syndication, open APIs, and interactive UI with Yahoo's services and millions of users will lead to even more great stuff. ... [T]his isn't about just throwing millions of users at Flickr or bolting Flickr onto Yahoo! Photos. Think more deeply about it. There are many parts of Yahoo that will be Flickrized in the coming months. And with more resources available, Flickr itself will be able to grow like never before. ... There's obviously more good stuff in the works. For starters, just think about how we could Flickrize Yahoo! 360 (and it's not even out yet!).
By acquiring a photosharing service that owes its fantastic reputation to its open APIs and active developer community, Yahoo is signaling again that they will become the open source portal. By supporting RSS, launching Yahoo Developer Network and getting Flickr, Yahoo is looking like a very interesting company, something that hasn't been heard in the Valley for quite some time.
By Richard Koman - March 20, 2005 | Permalink
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Comments
Gunter Pfaff on Thought Leader Interview: Judy Estrin on the Innovation Gap in Silicon Valley and Beyond . . .
Hi - The article about innovation reminded me of the lack of it when we explored the production of tempeh (and we ended up with the only two patents since tempeh was made in the late 60's)
The problem we have faced since then with the media is with the control that big industry exerts and we have trouble getting exposure. When we contact soy related media and they discover we use "organic" beans, they find excuses not to publish since most of their support comes from the ag.chemical com
Don Baker on More Love Not Hate ... Launch a SPAM Grenade!
I think this is a bad idea
Tom Foremski on Foremski's Take: GOOG Browser Designed to Please Wall Street
Yes, merging the address bar and navigation are a point of concern. It is not just link farms based on mispellings that should be worried but all brand owners...
NoDomainsForSale on Foremski's Take: GOOG Browser Designed to Please Wall Street
The merging of the address bar and search bar gives Google too much control over navigation. It separates companies and website operators from their website addresses and brands.
Companies spend heavily to establish and maintain brands. Google has just imposed itself between consumers and businesses. Direct navigation has now become proprietary search, whereby Google uses its discretion to filter out web addresses and domains that it deems less relevant.
I object and I
David Ward on Who is Making the Most Money from Web 2.0?
The difference in TechCrunch50 and Demo is that Demo charges $18,500 for the company to present. TechCrunch50 does not charge the company, only the attendees.
Alan on Foremski's Take: GOOG Browser Designed to Please Wall Street
That's the most sensible blog post I have read so far on the subject.
Knut Holt on UPDATE:GOOG wants your website to do better
I might try it on one of my web-sites, even though I do not use Google adsense right now.
Busby on 7 Reasons Startups Should Not Take VC Funding - Advice from a Serial Entrepreneur
Good post if you get money early you will have to get most of the business to the VC's and will have to do what they say. Its better to build slowly and own more of your business after you are noticed the VC's may come to you this is when you'll get the best deal.
Dan on Searching for search on the iPhone - where is it?
I agree with the above limitations and may have another one...when I type a word and make a spelling mistake (big fingers) I can't seem to place the cursor in the middle of the word and correct the mistake. I have to place the cursor at the end of the word and delete back to the mistake and type again. This seems to be a huge waste of time and is functionality that should be included in a 'touch screen' iPhone Thoughts? Am I missing something?
Tom Foremski on Fridays with Foremski Coming in September...
Thanks Anna :-)
Anna Atwell on Fridays with Foremski Coming in September...
Tom-
Another reason to look forward to Fridays!
Sally Falkow on PRWatch: PR Firms That Don't Blog Yet Offer New/Social Media Practices
Hi Tom
I agree that a PR agency needs to know the tools before they can use them for clients.
I started blogging back in 2003 and I'm still going. I do well with teaching others to blog.
In frustration I developed a small newsroom with rss feeds in 2004 because I could not find one at that time that did exaclty what I wanted. Now PRESSfeed is used by companies and other agencies.
I have been interested in podcasting but had not done it much myself, so conse
Gerd Leonhard on Public Relations is Such a Sensitive Profession . . .
Tom, good post. You may enjoy my slideshow on the Future of PR, here: http://www.mediafuturist.com/2008/03/presentation-on.html - would love to have your feedback, too.
Andrew Finlayson on Innovation Journalism At Stanford - And Japan's Interest in Silicon Valley As Media Valley
Hope you had a good trip to Japan. I wonder if you have seen the website www.livenewscameras.com
Do you know of any Japanese networks that are streaming live news coverage?
Tom Foremski on We Have a Serious Innovation Deficit Says Silicon Valley Thought Leader Judy Estrin
Don, are you talking about innovation across sectors are just in the telco/Ribbit niche?
Don Thorson on We Have a Serious Innovation Deficit Says Silicon Valley Thought Leader Judy Estrin
Ms Estrin is not seeing what I'm seeing. I'm seeing an innovation rebirth happening on a scale as big as any ever seen in Silicon Valley. It's true it may not look the same as the others - may not be as visible on the surface or share the same characteristics or metrics as the others - but in terms of rapid and significant global impact, this wave will out do them all. No question.
Innovation is still accelerating and I think we are again at an inflection point. Hold on, the brakes a
Ryan G on Craigslist is being blocked by Cox Interactive - is this a net neutrality issue?
Pardon the pun, but I don't think that Cox would have the balls.
Luca Penati on Public Relations is Such a Sensitive Profession . . .
PR is not synonymous with “publicist”
http://www.techprnibbles.com/pr-is-not-synonymous-with-publicist/
tom Foremski on "Social" Product Pitches Ring False . . .
JL: Yes, that is exactly why I didn't want to use "Social media release" because it was clear that "Social Media" like "Green" was part of a current fad/fashion and thus worth staying away from. That's why I wanted "New media release" or just "media release" because these are neutral terms - they don't snag on our social fabric.
Although I found no supporters for my position I was very calm and centered because I knew I would be vindicated ;-)
And it turns out sooner than late
JL on "Social" Product Pitches Ring False . . .
Blame the marketers. Since when did "social" and "business" mix? This sounds similar to all the things that are labeled "green" this and "green" that...