Using the Flickr API to Make DeleteMe Uncensored Even Better, Photoratr

One of my favorite places on the internet, and really the only place that I hang out regularly on Flickr is in the group DeleteMe Uncensored. DeleteMe Uncensored is a group on Flickr where users submit their photographs into a pool and then other group members vote on them along with a short comment. If a photo gets 10 “saves” before 10 “deletes” it is then saved into a group portfolio of photographs called “The Lightbox.” If you want to see what I feel is some of the best photography on Flickr check out The Lightbox.

One of the things about DeleteMe Uncensored though that has always been troublesome for some, is that when you vote on a photo you are often influenced by either whose photo it is or by votes and comments that others have made on the photo. You might really like a photo but because it’s already been voted to delete8 without any saves you might be influenced to vote delete9.

In an effort to make the DeleteMe Uncensored game a little more interesting, Mike Wiacek has built http://photoratr.appspot.com/. What this site does is it takes all of the photos to be voted on in the DeleteMe Uncensored pool and presents them to you in medium sized view all on one page and lets you vote on them without seeing either whose they are or what the current vote count is. By presenting photos for voting this way it creates a more objective way to play the game. This is a tremendous improvement in my opinion and a great example of ways that people can customize Flickr better for their own needs by using the Flickr API.

This page also makes voting on photos in the DeleteMe Uncensored pool a bit easier as well. The only problem is that it in fact makes it almost too easy to leave quick comments on flickr and so sometimes if you are using the site too fast you’ll run up against a flickr imposed comment limit through the API.

All in all though I think the page is really cool. It will definitely be a tool that I use when voting for photos in DeleteMe Uncensored. Thanks for building it Mike!

By the way, DeleteMe Uncensored is not for everyone. The idea of the game is that comments and critiques of your photo can be brutal. People can say anything that they want about your photo — and oftentimes they do. The group is an 18+ group on Flickr and you may find nude imagery in the pool at times. Also, both comments on photos and especially comments in the group forum may not be for you if you are easily offended. If you prefer an uncensored environment though to engage in conversation with other photographers and like the game you might want to check it out. Please make sure you read the rules before joining if you do.