Flickr.com is a free internet project that contains thousands of user submitted pictures. Everyone is allowed to create an account and upload pictures to this account. I´d like to give an overview on methods to search flickr effectively.
The article looks at web applications that enable you to search the site, at plugins for browsers and at external tools. Web applications and browser plugins clearly make the majority of search possibilities.
Web applications:
This one is the most obvious, flickr has a search option build in their starting page, simply enter a tag you would like to find and it displays the results as thumbnails with suggestions for related keywords. Pretty solid results and fast. They also have a advanced search. and a website that displays popular tags.
Enter a tag and associated tags are displayed.
Displays six random images every time the page is reloaded.
From the same website as the related tag browser, makes the images look like postcards.
They are hosting the flickr related tag browser, you enter a search term, click go and you see a thumbnailed results page with related tags forming a circle around them. Nice flash site.
Plugins, Extensions and Bookmarklets:
A Firefox extension that lets you browse your photostreams in the firefox sidebar.
Flickr Multi-Tag Search Bookmarklets
Search for any or all of the tags you enter using this fine bookmarklet.
Flickr search plugin for Firefox
This is a simple search plugin for your Firefox browser, that allows you to quickly search the public available Flickr tags.
Greasemonkey scripts
Great comprehensive listing of greasemonkey flickr scripts.
Mozilla Search Plugins for Flickr, find people, find tags, find groups and find help are available.
External Tools:
Flickr Auto Downloader
Download photos from specified user or interesting photos, specify size and location to save them. Neat freeware tool for windows.
Requires Net 2.0, specify a username, tool displays all images and option to download them.
Sourceforge project, photo mass downloader.
Requires net 1.1., changes your screensavers image with flickr images every 15 seconds.
Changes your wallpaper with photos from the flickr website using tags you specified.
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