flickr note

Small Flickr note. Went to log in this afternoon and instinctively reached for the Win key (to launch an app), instead of the alt-tab combo (to reach for the nearest browser). Those who have spent any amount of time there will recognize the instinct; Flickr is an application (or insert appropriate terminology here) that feels like a "place" instead of a site that acts like a "service." A destination instead of a tool; to be experienced instead of being used. (Of couse Flickr has its roots, literally, in Game Neverending, so the place-ness is part of its lineage...)

Question: Flickr.now begs to be run in full-screen mode; if Flickr.tomorrow is more of a companion app (like an IM client), how would the user mode change?

Comments

[Matt]

I was telling stewart how after just a few minutes of flickr use, I kept finding myself right-clicking on usernames to talk to folks to get more info since it felt so app-like. But it just gives a dumb flash info thing that can't be trapped by a flash app (too bad).

[Anil]

I definitely run flickr full-screen, but the mode-switch between HTML config and Flash use is tripping me more and more. (Not to mention that friending or acquainting someone is too hard.) Obviously, beta and work-in-progress and all those other caveats apply, but I wonder what this means for other apps.

What would Outlook's mess of option tabs look like as a collection of HTML pages? And can I have a standalone app so that flickr at least behaves consistently with the rest of my apps?

[jkottke]

This is one of the reasons I dislike Flash on the Web. Flash apps are not quite applications but not quite Web pages either. Using Flickr, I kept closing the browser window with Cmd-W when I meant to close a photo within Flickr, losing all my chats in the process. I imagine Flash can trap that keystroke, but that's not an ideal solution either.

[michael]

has anyone mucked about with central? does it get around this app / non-app issue? or is there still a container application that traps all the "important" mouse actions / keystrokes?

[Anil]

Central feels a lot like Watson or Sherlock. Many apps living in harmony within one frame.

[Peter]

I definitely run flickr full-screen, but the mode-switch between HTML config and Flash use is tripping me more and more. (Not to mention that friending or acquainting someone is too hard.) Obviously, beta and work-in-progress and all those other caveats apply, but I wonder what this means for other apps.

[striatic]

i tend to run flickr in the first tab of firefox, so i don't really treat it like a standalone app.

on the other hand, i have to second {third, fourth?} the sentiments regarding right click .. after all this time using flickr i still try to right click it on occasion.