flikr links that go to yahoo login page?

August 8, 2009 8:14 AM

Ever since flikr became part of yahoo I've noticed that some links to flikr photos go directly to the photo in question while others that appear to be formed exactly the same way, www.flikr.com/(username)/(number), take me instead to a "sign in to Yahoo" login form. What's the difference?

For example, in apollo's askme from earlier today the flikr link in the outside question, "Here's a link to the picture", goes directly to the picture while the "clearer view of the back of the car" link in the more inside portion takes me instead to login.yahoo.com.

Is this a user setting on flikr? The two photos are owned by different flikr users. Has the second user restricted access to logged-in yahoo IDs for some reason? No, it doesn't appear to be that, I can view drjeff's photos by going first to www.flikr.com and then searching for drjeff's photo sets without encountering any login prompt. What else might account for the difference? I see it reliably in either Firefox or IE. I myself have no flikr account. I do have a yahoo account which I signed up for ages ago to use yahoo mail as a spamcatcher address, but I am not currently logged in at yahoo (I cleared cookies and restarted Firefox to be sure of that.)

Right now I'm looking for a photo/graphics sharing site to use, and flikr is an obvious choice, but if it's going to randomly try to coerce viewers into getting a yahoo account instead of displaying my image then it doesn't make the first cut.

Thanks very much!

posted by jfuller to computers & internet (6 comments total)

You can set permissions levels on Flickr pretty granularly. The second photo, for me, doesn't go to a Yahoo login page it goes to a warning that says "This photo is private. Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo." and I am already logged in to Flickr. My guess is that drjeff made that photo visible to friends/family only and people who are not in that set of contacts on Flickr can't see it either. Flickr doesn't know if you are a friend/family until you've logged in. So non-users see the "please log in" message and users see the "you can't see this anyhow" message.

It's a little more clear from the inside but you can have photos on flickr, make them available to people and not have to deal with people getting a login screen. You can even, in a limited fashion have photos not be totally public and give certain people ways to access them [via this guest pass system that works pretty well] and they still don't have to log in.
posted by jessamyn at 8:24 AM on August 8

I can view drjeff's photos by going first to www.flikr.com and then searching for drjeff's photo sets without encountering any login prompt.

As jessamyn says, you can't see this photo though.
posted by smackfu at 8:29 AM on August 8

OK, that explains it very clearly. Thank you, jessamyn.
posted by jfuller at 8:58 AM on August 8

If you're still considering other sites, take a look at SmugMug.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 1:10 PM on August 8

As a useful aside for those new to Flickr - often some searches in Google will bring up photos in Flickr, but not always. If you're looking for someone who, for example, took a photo of your license plate, or makes a certain type of craft (example, Day of the Dead scultures), or what the old neighborhood you used to live in looks like today (make sure to click the "recent" search option) or wonder what an area you read about in a news article actually looks like (ex, Ichauway plantation owned by Coke CEO) - all have brought up info for me on Flickr (not always useful), and I didn't always find the same images for on other search engines. I've been able to identify plants and trees, as well as insect types as well. It's been handy - and at worst an interesting time waster.

And I think the same search engine that I see as a member can be used without getting an account.
(I swear, I don't work for Flickr. I'm just fond of it!)
posted by batgrlHG at 4:06 PM on August 10

Oh but I should add (to be fair) that SmugMug has great services as well, and we use them to post husband's stock photos on.

I think I'm more into Flickr due to it being a more of a social website (I've found a lot of local photographers who've inspired me), and from what I've seen of SmugMug it has a lot more serious photographers. (I'm more the casual sort.) But it has a really nice service for getting prints and products with your photos on them - we've been pleased with the quality of what we ordered from them. I'm thinking we'll be doing a lot of Christmas presents thanks to SmugMug.
posted by batgrlHG at 4:11 PM on August 10