(Getty)
While Facebook’s 10th Anniversary earlier this month was greeted with much fanfare, many tech fans didn’t realize that Flickr also hit a milestone this month. The image-sharing site turned 10 years old on February 10, 2014. Here are five fast facts to commemorate this milestone anniversary for Flickr.
1. Flickr Is Massive
Flickr turns 10 today, thanks for making Flickr awesome over the past decade! http://t.co/muEr1v9JIO pic.twitter.com/GGY6ld1xP5
— Flickr (@Flickr) February 10, 2014
According to TechCrunch, Flickr boasts “92 million users, spread across 63 countries, who contribute to almost 2 million groups and share around 1 million photos every day.”
That growth is impressive, especially considering the fact that in 2005, the user base was only about 1 million people.
2. Flickr Was a 2-Person Team
Happy 10th Birthday, @Flickr! Here's our all-time most popular Flickr image. http://t.co/fFz5onWs5X #Flickr10 pic.twitter.com/BdSfoV9K2K
— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) February 10, 2014
Back in the day, Flickr was the brainchild of just two people: Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake. In an interview with Inc., the couple revealed that the site’s name actually came from their friend, Ben. As Fake tells it:
“Ben was saying, ‘Oh, but it’s like, you know, like, kind of like if you see the flickering of the met averse…’ And we’re like, ‘flicker!’ We tried to get ‘flicker’ with an e, but the guy who had the Web domain wasn’t willing to give it up.”
3. Flickr Offers Physical Photos, Too
I was in the room ten years ago today, when Flickr was launched: http://t.co/foPJiwvc0B
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) February 10, 2014
Flickr launched a hardcover photo album service last fall. For about $35, users get up to 240 pages of photos shipped to them in about a week’s time. Flickr also offers posters, photo cards, prints, and calendars.
4. Flickr Wants Users to Help Them Celebrate
Celebrate Flickr’s 10th Birthday by adding your ten best shots to the #Flickr10 group. http://t.co/9hrxOsW697
— Flickr (@Flickr) February 10, 2014
On the official Flickr blog, the Flickr team asked for users to help them celebrate 10 years in business. Their plea reads as follows:
“All year long we’ll mark this milestone with contests and events around the world. To start, we invite you to share your favorite 10 photos of the last 10 years with us in the #Flickr10 group. We’ll keep the group open for the next two weeks and then select our favorite photos from the pool to publicize on FlickrBlog and through our profiles on Facebook and Twitter.”
5. Flickr Is Having a Renaissance
Today is Flickr's tenth anniversary. Here's my look look back at its rise, fall and revival. http://t.co/bSAhb6Cir3
— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken) February 10, 2014
In the TIME article “Flickr Turns 10: The Rise, Fall and Revival of a Photo-Sharing Community,” author Harry McCracken recalls a time when Flickr seemed to be on its way out. These days, however, the service seems to be undergoing a bit of renaissance. Between the terabyte of free photo storage now offered and the massive redesign of the site, Flickr seems poised to lead the way for photo fans for at least another decade.
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Flickr Celebrates 10 Years: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know