Web Directions Year round learning for product, design and engineering professionals

My first response is that I like the way Flickr are doing this. In a move which is lightweight, simple, restrained and humble, pro users can now upload video clips up to 90 seconds long.

I like it because I think it’s going to foster something different to most of what happens on Youtube these days. My feeling is that Flickr’s loyal users will start using the service to upload and share little slices of their life with their friends, and the world at large. And it’s the 90 second time limit that will encourage this. Sure, so much of the commercial content on Youtube probably is less than 90 seconds long, but there’s something about the overwhelming presence of all those 9 minute Simpsons and Family Guy clips and highly produced music videos that overwhelms and intimidates and discourages me from uploading my humble little clip of a cool cafe I found in Bangkok. I just don’t feel like I’m part of something bigger on Youtube.

90 seconds says to me “keep it light, keep it low tech, be silly”. For example, The Fridgets Pool.

Intrigued to see what happens here as such a major feature is set before a massive, loyal, participatory, contributory community.