Comments on: The hazards of letting people use your flickr photos

By: dailycraft

dailycraft — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I’m in the same boat as you. I really don’t want to stop people from using my pictures… I just get weary when they use them in articles such as:

http://pittsburgh.metblogs.com/archives/2007/02/how_not_to_breed_nerds.phtml

or the one that really upset me:
http://www.librarystuff.net/2007/10/04/progress-on-my-librarian-embroidery/

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:42:00 +0000

Cell phones probably can’t be effectively disallowed, though they do present a problem in and of themselves, apart from how people are using them. They have ringtones, for one – some of them fairly loud and obnoxious. Also, while there are exceptions, people do tend to speak louder on the phone. Isn’t this familiar: “Hello? (pause) I’m at the library! THE LIBRARY!” etc.

I wouldn’t be in favor of outlawing a technology that someone might depend upon, or that could be critical in an emergency, but I also want to preserve a quiet area; cell phones, and the people who use them, are not always easy to deal with.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:38:00 +0000

I don't think that the use of the photo implies your agreeing with the use it is put to, but I'd agree this is a very interesting issue.

I convinced a faculty member at my college to release a bunch of photos he took under a CC license, and made pains to point out to him that his photos of China could conceivably be used by an anti-Chinese hate group, and he would have no recourse (assuming they held up the license).

I'd say that MediaShift should have linked back to the Flickr photo page rather than this blog, because just linking to this blog doesn't make it clear that the photo has a CC license.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:05:00 +0000

Nah, go ahead and leave the link as it is. I suppose I'd rather have people read my blog than just go look at my photos anyway.

As for the cell phones in libraries issue, those of us who oppose banning them feel that those who favor banning them are trying to ban a technology to solve a behavioral problem. If you allowing talking in the library (as most libraries do these days with "quiet areas" being the exception, not the rule) then you should allow cell phones.

If someone is being loud and/or obnoxious then they should be asked to stop with escalating punishment. This should occur if the person is on a cell phone or not. The person is the problem, not the cell phone.

The concept that libraries are meant to be "quiet zones for contemplation" is, sadly for some, a dated concept. Go into your local public library and see. Granted, it is generally quieter than your average Barnes & Noble, but librarians no longer sushes anyone who speaks above a whisper.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:40:00 +0000

Interesting post, Michael. I’ve written extensively about Flickr and Creative Commons photo use:
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/10/digging_deepercreative_commons.html
Though I didn’t cover this instance, where a photo is used under the rules but the context is not to the photographer’s liking. I’m happy to change the link to your Flickr page if you want.

I still don’t understand why cell phone use should be allowed in libraries. To me, libraries are meant to be quiet zones for contemplation, not places for loud conversations with people in other places.