This week the topic is ‘online social networks’ and for the home assignment I decided to go with two photo sharing social networks: Flickr and Instagram. Perhaps you’re familiar with the both of them, but it could be you’ve never heard of Flickr or you don’t know what it actually is. I doubt if anyone is not familiar with Instagram.
Both networks are used for photo sharing, either for amateuristic or professional photographers. They’re both social networks, because users are able to make a profile, add a profile photo and add contacts or follow other users. However, Flickr is mainly used through their website (though they have an application) and Instagram is actually an application which you use on your smartphone. Both networks allow you to upload photos, although Flickr has a lot more options.
Flickr has been there for over a decade and has 87 million users and stores 8 billion photos, whereas Instagram is created in 2010 and has 150 million users, almost twice as much. Instagram may be more popular, however, a lot of non-photographers use it too. Flickr is a rather professional network with serious photographers, and therefore the community is smaller.
