A Flickr of Interest

I was talking with a friend last night via Facebook messaging about photography and where we share it. He's a fan of Flickr and I'm... not. I found it funny that he, a young fellow, likes Flickr while this old guy likes Instagram. I thought it was supposed to be the other way around!

I'm pretty social online, but I spend the majority of my social time on Facebook and Instagram. I'd like to like Flickr more, because there are some super talented rail photographers on there, both seasoned and up-and-coming, like George Pitarys, Matthew Robson, George Hamlin, Hal Reiser, Michael Berry, Phil Ross, Caleb Wentzell, Matt Landry, David Gray and Julien Boily.

Flickr on a desktop computer is OK. It's the mobile version that I don't like, and here's why. Maybe I'm just using it wrong...

Comment Nagging

When I see a photo I like, I usually click the "like" or "favourite" or whatever the "this is cool" button is on the site I'm viewing. When I really like it, I'll leave a comment. I think this is a good way to show the photographer that you really appreciate the photo.

On Flickr, like many other platforms, it will notify you whenever someone else comments on the photo after you. The difference with the mobile version of Flickr is that there seems to be no way to turn that off. On Facebook or Google+ you can disable further notifications easily from a mobile device, but there's no way that I can find to do that with the mobile Flickr. You have to remember which post is nagging you, then go to the desktop version and turn it off. Who's going to do that?

What ends up happening is that I don't comment on Flickr photos much, to avoid being nagged by the mobile version. That's a shame, because contributors deserve to get notice, and although my one comment isn't much, every little bit helps.

Multiple Photos in One Post

Like other platforms, Flickr allows you to post multiple photos in one post. The problem with Flickr on the desktop is that only one of them is really visible and the others are tiny thumbnails.

I'll use David Gray as an example, just because he happened to be near the top of my Flickr feed when I wrote this post. Check out his blog, Going Trackside, and his YouTube channel!

Here's a recent post of his on the desktop version (see it on Flickr).

Here if you click on the star icon like I did, you are liking the big photo. You can click on the other photo icons to see them. It works OK. The difference between this and Facebook is that you are liking the one photo, not the post of photos like Facebook. It's a difference in platforms, where Flickr is photo-centric and Facebook is post-centric.

Here's the mobile view of the same post.

The problem here is that there is no way to easily "like" the post or photo. You have to tap "View All 4 Photos", then you see all four photos, then you have to tap one of them, THEN like it, then back out again. Four additional actions.

Compare that to Instagram, where everything scrolls by in one feed. You see a photo, double-tap on the photo itself to Like, scroll on. It's super quick and easy to use.

Summary

I know it sounds like I'm whining, and I am, but I want to point out that mobile versions should be designed to be super quick and easy to use or people won't use them.

If you do use Flickr, I'm there as traingeek. :)

Tell me why you like Flickr and why I'm wrong...

PS - good article here: Good Riddance, Flickr

Tracking Trains by Twitter

We live in magical times. Technology has advanced railfanning so much compared to just 10 years ago. The widespread availability of quality digital cameras, email lists, Facebook groups, instant messaging and so forth allow railfans unparalleled access to near real-time images and information. Is a CN business train on the move? You'll find out... in time to go see it.

Now a company is bringing real-time train information to Twitter. Winnipeg-based MORR Transportation Consulting is using Twitter to broadcast when certain railway crossings are blocked in Winnipeg. This provides useful information to drivers planning their route so they can avoid congested railway crossings, which may be blocked for a long time. However, this information is useful for railfans too!

MORR has set up three Twitter accounts to broadcast crossing blockages:

1. @TrainInfoWPG tracks the Marion-Archibald and Cottonwood-Archibald crossings (CP Emerson subdivision mile 1.55 and ~3.17)
2. @TrainInfoWPG2 tracks the Shaftesbury-Sterling Lyon crossing (CN Rivers subdivision mile 6.27)
3. @TrainInfoWPG3 tracks the Bison-Pembina and McGillivray-Pembina crossings (CN Letellier subdivision ~mile 1.5 and ~2.8)

I trust you can see the usefulness of these tweets to railfans. The links above take you to the Twitter accounts, to Google Street Views of the crossings, and to my subdivision pages.

I watch #3 the most because it gives intelligence about when CN 532/533 are moving. If I see a tweet about a crossing of McGillivray, followed by a Bison crossing, I know it's CN 532 heading south to Emerson. However, if there is a McGillivray crossing but no Bison crossing, it's the Fort Garry local.

The original (aka #1) Twitter feed should give similar information for trains heading to Emerson. A Marion crossing followed by a Cottonwood crossing means the train is likely going to keep going all the way down to Emerson.

#2 really only says that there is a train on the Rivers subdivision (a direction would be nice!) but hey, if you're out at Diamond that would be useful information.

Their tweets keep saying "New information coming soon" so hopefully we railfans will get even more information!

UPDATE: As of November 10 2015 all three Twitter accounts have been deleted for unknown reasons.

Being Social

The Rocky Mountaineer in Kamloops, BC

Hi, just a quick update on my social networking scene. In general I am active on Facebook and Instagram, somewhat active on Google+, barely active on Twitter and I have a pulse on Flickr. I used to be a lot more active on G+ but I've found the interaction has diminished there somewhat. Facebook is great for railfan groups.

I'm really enjoying the train photos on Instagram. My post on Instagram for railfans is one of the most popular posts ever on my blog, amazingly enough!

I think Facebook has really taken over from the railfan mailing lists of yore. The RailsNB mailing list was deleted a few months ago because the Facebook group has become so popular.

Here are my statistics:

• Facebook page: 196 followers (hoping for 200 by the end of the month! Like me! :)
• Instagram: 328 followers (read more about Instagram)
• Google+: 21,759 followers (not a true measure of active followers)
• Twitter: 175 followers
• Flickr: 158 followers (go follow George Pitarys!)

I have a tumblr account as well but I'm not on there very much at all.

Here's a little secret. I'm not on Flickr or tumblr much but I post there all the time. How? I use the IFTTT service. This is a great service that basically allows you to create actions based on other actions you take. I have recipes there that repost my Instagram photos onto Flickr and tumblr, so they get updated with new photos with no additional effort on my part. Magic!

I suppose I also have accounts on tsū and ello but I hardly ever look at them, to be honest. Those social networks haven't really taken off.

So... where are you social? Comment below!

PS - notice the photo in this post, a sneak peek of upcoming content!

PPS - want to know how to get Instagram followers, ethically?