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April 10, 2008 4:49 PM PDT

Attention Flickr video haters: Try a free doughnut

by Stephen Shankland

The We Demand Donuts group takes a jab at those who objected to Flickr's new video service.

The We Demand Donuts group takes a jab at those who objected to Flickr's new video service.

(Credit: Flickr)

First came Flickr video on Tuesday. Then came the anti-Flickr-video outcry on Wednesday. Now there's the anti-anti-Flickr-video outcry.

This last movement takes the highly facetious form of Flickr's new We Demand Donuts group. "If we get 20,000 people to join the group Flickr will be forced to give us free donuts!" the group's manifesto states. "Join the group and invite all your contacts. We will make this the biggest protest group on Flickr and force them to give us free donuts!"

There are some subtleties here, but given the timing, it's pretty clear that this group's raison d'etre can be translated as, "Give us a break, Flickr members who are signing petitions demanding that Flickr scrap its new video service."

More than 550 have joined so far. The No Video on Flickr group has more than 9,700.

Update 8:08 a.m. April 11: Flickr capitulated, at least on a geographically limited basis. "We at FlickrHQ have heard of your noble efforts and seek to answer your cries for justice," said Matthew Rothenberg, a Flickr employee, in the group's discussion board. He promised to buy doughnuts for Flickr members who meet up at a yet-to-be-determined San Francisco shop April 16.

Originally posted at Underexposed
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank.
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Watch the numbers quoted here
by ruzek April 10, 2008 5:33 PM PDT
I'm in the No Video on Flickr group, but I'm there to discuss why I LIKE video on Flickr and see why some don't. There are many other pro-video Flickrites subscribed as well so don't take that number as all opposed to it.
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# of Flickr Members Against Video So Far
by ruzek April 10, 2008 6:32 PM PDT
Actually, the number of people who've signed the petition for no video is around 2,300. Not a large number at this time compared to the millions on Flickr.
Fair point
by Shankland April 10, 2008 6:44 PM PDT
It's all pretty loosey-goosey anyway. As the next poster rightly observes, it's all a teensy fraction of Flickr's overall user base anyway.
The campaign has been a success!
by shhexycorin April 11, 2008 6:14 AM PDT
http://www.flickr.com/groups/wedemanddonuts/discuss/72157604480415555/

Houpla! Flickr is totally giving us donuts.
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