George Oates – alive and kicking
George Oates – alive and kicking
George Oates was/is the inspirational source behind the Flickr Commons, that part of the Flickr photo sharing site which is populated by cultural institutions who want to put public domain works into a common framework where people can annotate – add value, or just plain enjoy.
In the process she taught these institutions that radical trust wasn’t a therapy, but an attitude – which if grasped, would give them new ways of talking to and collaborating with the people formally known as the audience.
Flickr goes mad without mescalin
In a decsion, December 2008, which still stuns those who knew her work, including a whole bunch of key people from some of the biggest institutions – Flickr decided that George Oates should be one of the people they needed to let go. How they did that is still one of the best/worse case scenarios of how to seriously dent your brand with one dumb HR action.
George Oates – alive and kicking
But can you put the good guys down for long? Doesn’t look like it if this presentation to the UK Society of Archivists just over a week ago is anything to go by. Go make a coffee – pour some water – and/or treat yourself to whatever else comes with that. And just watch/read the gift of George Oates that just keeps on giving.
Flickr Commons now?
They tell me there is now a two year waiting list to join/participate in Flickr Commons – what gives? Does Flickr want to keep doing this? Anyone know?