Flickr: a first look at user behaviour in the context of photography as serious leisure

A.M.Cox, P.D. Clough and J. Marlow
Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello Street, Sheffield S1 4DP United Kingdom

Abstract
Introduction. The use of Flickr, a photo sharing Website, is examined in the context of amateur photography as a 'serious leisure' pursuit.
Method. Eleven telephone interviews were carried out with users of Flickr, using an open-ended interview schedule to explore use of the system within the context of the interviewees' photographic practices.
Analysis. Practices described are set against theoretical considerations from the literature, specifically the alternate paradigms of the photographic club and the photo magazine. Sontag's cultural critique of photography is an important, challenging reference point.

Results. The affordances of the system affect the satisfactions of hobby photography. Flickr creates moral dilemmas, such as whether to reciprocate comments or tag the photos of others. The system's appeal lies in its moral qualities as much as whether it is easy to use or performs functions efficiently. Flickr draws users into the hobby and so, like the camera club or the magazine, can be linked to the interests of industry. Yet it is too pessimistic to see it as simply a vehicle of consumerist culture; users expressed almost unqualified satisfaction with the system for its direct pleasures and learning opportunities.
Conclusions. The fluid social relations of Flickr potentially free the hobby from the rather restrictive codes and ordering of the photographic club.

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Evolution of the Internet AS-Level Ecosystem

Srinivas Shakkottai
Texas A&M University
College Station, USA

Marina Fomenkov
Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis - CAIDA
San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, San Diego

Ryan Koga
Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis - CAIDA
San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, San Diego

Dmitri Krioukov
Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis - CAIDA
San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, San Diego

kc claffy
Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis - CAIDA
San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, San Diego

Abstract. We present an analytically tractable model of Internet evolution at the level of Autonomous Systems (ASs). We call our model the multiclass preferential attachment (MPA) model. As its name suggests, it is based on preferential attachment. All of its parameters are measurable from available Internet topology data. Given the estimated values of these parameters, our analytic results predict a defnitive set of statistics characterizing the AS topology structure. These statistics are not part of model formulation. The MPA model thus closes the \measure-modelvalidate-predict" loop, and provides further evidence that preferential attachment is the main driving force behind Internet evolution.

Key words: Preferential attachment, Internet evolution, AS-level topology, Internet measurement

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