I’ve just uploaded all (5000+) my family photos onto Flickr. I’ve used my real name and I was going to set privacy on the photostream to friends and family once the uploading has finished. I have noticed that some of the photo’s have been viewed and someone has contacted me (through Flickr) asking if she(?) can use a photo of my daughter. Have I stuffed up? Is it normal for people to look at other people’s pictures? I’m a bit worried I have made things a bit too open and I’ve put me kids at risk.

Firstly not everyone online is a wiredo

Secondly in the organise section you can set it all to friends & family

sorted

Depending on how you upload them, they’ll either be uploaded with your default privacy setting or you’ll have the option to set the privacy setting as you upload. If you’ve uploaded first and your default setting is public they’ll be visible for a while. They’ll vanish as soon as you change the settings.

It’s most likely that someone has noticed one of your pics in the recent uploads on the front page of flickr.

If they have asked your permission then its likely they are OK

as above check your settings, its very easy to leave photos OPEN to one and all.

mikewsmith – Member

Firstly not everyone online here is a wiredo

Is it common for people to leave everything open?

I wouldn’t upload pictures of my family for public viewing.

All my pics are open viewing. I don’t upload stuff I don’t want folk to see

95% is open and available. Some of relatives kids and stuff ain’t, just following their lead on that

I don’t upload stuff I don’t want folk to see

Same here, why would you?

95% is open and available. Some of relatives kids and stuff ain’t

Same here

Many reasons to upload photos you don’t want people to see:

1) to share with members of your family which you can configure within Flickr.

2) to display on websites of my choosing as hotlinked images but not to appear on my photostream

3) for backup purposes. I pay for a pro flickr account and I like the fact that I have an offsite backup of my private photos

It doesn’t matter what is “normal”. What matters is what you and your family are comfortable. If you or your daughter/wife/whoever is uncomfortable with the entire intwerbs being able to view/download your pictures, then apply appropriate privacy settings.

I’m not feeling comfortable… applying security right now. People are adding me as contacts who I don’t know, is that normal?

Surfr, I am doing it for reasons 1 & 3, could you explain what you meant in point 2…

2) to display on websites of my choosing as hotlinked images but not to appear on my photostream

Can I link to a photo an make it so anyone can see it, but they can’t see details about me? How do you do that?

If you want somewhere to store/host photos just get yourself a WordPress account. You can set it up in full-on blog format and add text/video/whatever, or just use the media storage to create image URLs that you can use to insert images on forums.

Is a photo sharing site really for you?

bit worried I have made things a bit too open and I’ve put me kids at risk.

Im not quite sure how your kids would actually be at risk, unless you put your address on, but yes you might be uncomfortable at who is looking at your pics. Just set the security right before uploading next time. I have a few photos on Flickr that i restrict viewing, mainly ones i dont think would appeal to general viewers and are only really on so friends/familly can see (such as all the boring holiday photos)

OK this URL works for me only

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfr/5010808227/

but the photo is still able to be displayed on other websites if I want to. like so:

using the URL of the jpg:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5010808227_b20a3c9987_z.jpg

you get this URL by going to the All Sizes page and right clicking on the image in the size of your choosing.

People are adding me as contacts who I don’t know, is that normal?

Yes it’s a community based photo sharing website. Based around the idea that you can share comment and look at other peoples photos in networks or in private groups. The clue is on the front page

I have a lot of people I have never met as a contact and plenty that I have (Like George who worked there at the beginning and knew my gf)

Keep what is private private but share the rest people appreciate good pics, geotag them so they show up in searches and check out the licensing options to allow (or not) other people to use pics.

I’d also recommend not believing Daily Mail type scare stories about people hacking your bank account or stealing your children down the phone line.

Thanks for that Surfr, that’s handy (Nice watch BTW).

I’ve tried doing the All Sizes thing, but the link has my name in it! Am I doing something wrong, or by specifying a photostream URL when I set up the account will I always have my name in the links?

are you right clicking on the image? not the size links above the image.

For friends/family pics on Flickr, I set them to private (i.e. me only) then you can generate a “guest pass” for the set. You can put that link in an email and send it out – people going via that URL see them without needing an account or to log in, etc but anyone just browsing around won’t.

Thanks for that Simon, that’s perfect for what I’m after.

Can you create a “guest pass” for a collection or do you have to generate one for each of the sets in that collection ?

I’d also recommend not believing Daily Mail type scare stories about people hacking your bank account or stealing your children down the phone line.

What, you mean the internet might actually be relatively safe? *faints*

But seriously, it’s a photo sharing site. I guess in order to share, people must be able to look at them. Thankfully, the Flickr guys aren’t so paranoid that the default is private.

[paranoia] Maybe they’re setting Flickr up so they can steal your children [/paranoia]