That may introduce a small amount of openness into the market, depending how many services implement each other’s APIs, but the only way to ensure broad interoperability is have an open *standard* (as opposed to API) for import/export.

Most users organize their photos on their local computer and neither Microsfot nor Apple is ever going to implement the Flickr APIs so the metadata makes it back to the file system. Neither are the dozens of desktop photo management applications going start coming bundled with web servers to online services can hook up to them. It’s just not a realistic approach.

On the other hand, ITPC is doing fairly well, and with some extensions to match the functionality of modern online services, it could be just the ticket.

Finally, there are all kinds of reasons *not* to use the API for this: it opens the provider of the API to all kinds of risks and requires more monitoring, oversight and protection of users’ data and privacy. A malicious third party can’t do any damage when importing exported data, but they can through the API.

However, this generosity is rightly directed at the end user.

I’ve read much about this Flickr / Zooomr debacle and have concluded that, in my humble opinion, it’s nothing but exploitation of this wave of generosity.

Giving away everything an end user could possibly desire in exchange for market penetration is one thing. Assisting rip-off ideas (come on, stop ignoring the fact that we can all see Zooomr is just that, even in name) is another bag of chips entirely.

so if they want to prevent their competition from access to their software, they have that god damn right just to do so. that is commericialism for you. its nothing personal - its just business :)

and just because there is that prevention in place in no way does that say that there is going to be an impact on the users and how they use the service in relation to other services available either.

if you ask me if flickr actually do give the go ahead for this then this in its self actually restricts and prohibits not only competition but innovation as well.

anyways, my message to flickr is to stand by your convictions and dont give any ground. you are right and just in this case and to give zooomr (crap name btw) access would be selling yourself short…

all that hard work and for what?

But now that people are catching up, they’re going to find it difficult to keep innovating to stay ahead, to keep their users… who now have no real reason to stay loyal to the brand as long as they can up-and-leave.

The logic here is all wrong.

Users should have their own APIs, a set of microformats for their data, and then use flickr/zoomr/whatevr to analyse and structure it.

Obviously, this isn’t going to happen anytime soon, as nobody can use their desktop as a webserver… but eventually when machines are turned on all the time, and we have massive pipes to push data down, this will become less of an issue.

But still, an interesting topic to follow, thanks for the post!