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Flickr, updating Roland Barthes

From:     Eva
Category: Life
Date:     09 November 2006
Time:     01:44 PM

Review:

Everything is picturesque, the world is a beautiful colourful place. Birthdays are special, sunsets are glorious. The world of Flickr 
is stunning. Everybody is a photographer and archivist of daily life – of the best bits at least. The Great Family of Man, rites of 
passage, highlights of the passing seasons - all the most special moments that make us glad to be alive - captured. Bloody babies 
with umbilical cords still attached are pulled out and up for the awaiting photographer. We can comment on the photos, share 
recipes, identify common interests. For a while now we’ve been snapping everything with our new digital cameras and finally with 
camera phones with decent resolution. What were all of these photos for, up ‘til now? We needed an audience, a sense of 
purpose and classification. Enter Flickr. Computer entertainment at the next level. Our amateur efforts are more interesting than 
telly. The world is certainly getting smaller, especially now that the Geomap has arrived. More accurately, the countries who’s 
populations have disposable incomes are getting smaller, and the places they like to visit. I like Flickr, everyone is happy. Even 
the Groups dedicated to dysfunction have seem to have a harmonic consistency. I uploaded my photos to Flickr and they look 
better there than on my own website. I’ve become obsessed by getting comments even though I don’t comment on anyone else’s 
photos. I’ve joined every Flickr Group I can think of. I’m jealous of everyone else’s photographs and the ideas out there for Sets 
and Groups could make perfect conceptual artworks. I especially like all the Evening Standard slogan posters compiled, not to 
mention Stick Men in Peril. So many beautiful people sharing beautiful moments. I’m going to carry my camera with me 
everywhere I go. I’m going to upload all my beautiful photos to show the world that I’m one of the beautiful people.


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