In case you haven’t heard, there is currently a mass exodus from Instagram in the wake of their Terms of Service debacle. Folks can’t seem to delete their accounts fast enough, and frankly I support and respect that decision. I was poised to do the same. I’m fortunate to have this platform with Juxt where I can share my personal reactions and elaborate on why I decided to limit my sharing as a content creator on IG and why I won’t be deleting my account.
When I first joined Instagram in October 2010, it was a fun way to interact with my family and friends and I was immediately hooked. As I became more active and networked through the growing community, it became clear that Instagram The Platform and mobile photography were becoming part of my life. I never expected to develop true friendships as a result of my involvement on IG, or that I would witness so much creativity on a daily basis, or that I would eventually become part of an international community, or that I would uncover this personal passion for mobile photography… all because I downloaded one insignificant (at the time) iPhone app out of millions.
I’d like to pause here and mention that I come from the “fear the internet stalker” generation. We were the first to be scared straight when it came to interacting with strangers online. The idea of meeting a stranger I’d met through an iPhone app, and then wandering around taking photos together… well that sounds like a movie of the week waiting to happen, right? It’s the prelude to a Reader’s Digest ‘Drama In Real Life.’
Something happened to me through all the time I spent posting and liking and commenting and laughing and inside-joke-making and new editing app excitement and late night insomnia fueled debates; I made some really awesome new friends. And I wanted to meet some of them. I felt like I knew them, because I had been seeing their worlds through their eyes for so long.
So, about a year ago when I was asked to become a co-manIGer of Instagramers Seattle, I actually jumped at the chance. Here I was eager to meet and organize groups of complete strangers so they could wander together taking photos with their mobile phones. What had Instagram done to me? Well, it turned out to be one of the best and most rewarding things I’ve done yet. I’ve met so many talented, kind, genuine, hilarious, weirdly wonderful individuals that live right here in my backyard. We photowalk together and we laugh and we compare apps and accessories and sometimes it’s awkward and sometimes 10 of us take the exact same photo, but we encourage each other and it’s inspiring and we just have a really great time. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. And I’m keeping my IG account open for now… because of it.
I announced on my IG feed earlier this week that I intended to delete my photos as a result of the TOS. Lucky for me, I’ve always sent a backup copy of my posts to Flickr (which as an artist, I happily pay for) so my photostream is intact there. What I still need to figure out is how to archive all of my precious IG comment history (any suggestions, please share in the comments!) before I delete this journal spanning two years of my life; years of meaningful conversations that I’m not willing to give up just yet. And no, I don’t actually believe Instagram has any interest in selling my photographs. I’m no celebrity. But on principal, the statement I’m making is “Instagram doesn’t own my work. I own my work. You fucked up.” Period. So my photos are going to disappear from Instagram. What isn’t going to disappear is my involvement with the IGers Seattle community.
IGers Seattle 1st Birthday Party (September 2012)
Will I continue sharing my original work on Instagram? Nope. All the back-pedaling and legalese in the world isn’t going to earn back my respect. And to be clear, my emotional attachment to Instagram The Platform dissolved months ago, even before the Facebook sellout. I am no longer the user Instagram is targeting. One look at the Popular… I mean Discover page… and it’s clear that Instagram Facebook isn’t where I belong anymore. Between the spammers and the never ending follow-for-followers… it’s just not as fun as it used to be.
I actually owe the Instagram/Facebook legal team a debt of thanks; their underestimation of what users will tolerate and the resulting shitstorm inspired me to reevaluate a lot of things. I’m excited to branch out with new fervor into the photography community beyond Instagram. Instagram The Platform opened a door for me to develop friendships and become part of a community, and for that I am grateful. But that doesn’t mean it can’t continue in spite of Instagram The Facebook Commodity. Individuals gravitate towards the community that speaks to them, and I feel confident that my community exists far beyond the Instagram app. When you build a community, and that community is strong enough, it will survive even after you burn its house down.
The contradictory nature of my stance isn’t lost on me: announcing my abandonment of Instagram The Platform and in the same breath professing my allegiance to our IGers Seattle group. But why shouldn’t we use Instagram as a vehicle for our benefit? They don’t have any qualms about using us for their benefit. At this point, it’s business; I’m going to continue with the business of managing our community that still operates in the Instagram/Facebook machine.
I’m going to continue interacting with my international friends who’ve decided to stick around IG, just in a different way. And I’ll continue developing new relationships through platforms like Juxt and EyeEm and Flickr, and continue bringing together our local group of mobile photo nerds across these platforms because I love it, because we’ve become a weird unlikely family and because it means something to us. My motivation, and I think all of our motivation at IGers Seattle, remains; to bring people together in person to share and laugh, to geek out over these ridiculously awesome mobile devices we hold in our hands and the beautiful pictures we make with them.
IGers Seattle at Discovery Park (December 2012)
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Very well written, and articulates much of what I’ve been thinking.
See you on all the other platforms.
@Donnnic
Thanks very much, Don. I appreciate it.
I agree with Don. I’ve felt much the same way you have, although the lawyer in me has spent more time railing against the company for the rules they’ve created and the supposed fallback (which isn’t much better).
So, to create a positive solution, how’s about establishing a photographic community that isn’t platform dependant? Juxt is a decent way to go with that, just like Rebels United.
Well written and true on so many levels, Rachel. Instagram was a significant spring board for the mobile photo movement and so many people, but the community aspect is bigger than the platform. Nearly a year ago, I began to see IG as limiting, a virtual bubble. Much like the Seattle crew, getting into public space to show and collaborate became a big goal of mine. Moving forward, regardless of the ToS “failure”, communities and relationships will be forged further in tighter groups with common missions and interests. IG is too vast and impractical for do much more than what we’ve already been experiencing since inception anyway.
Really great read here, Rachel. Not only do I respect the decision, I completely agree with you. Good job for standing up for principles!
Ryan, that means a lot to me. Thank you, and thanks for reading!
Well said Rachel! I absolutely adore you and love your words.
Thanks for reading, T! xox
Wholeheartedly agree. It is what it is and we just make the best of it under the circumstances. I have started deleting photos already but because of their limits it’s taking forever. All my photos are backed up on iPhoto so no worries there.
Igers Seattle will stay strong and we’ll continue doing our thing!
See ya on the 29th : )
xo
Thanks, B. 2013 is ahead and who knows where we’ll be headed! xox
Well said with so many points that I have been feeling myself. I’m sure that many of the friendships I’ve made will be ones that will last unlike our friendships with apps.
I really felt this piece. It’s what I’ve been feeling as well… I’ve been missing the old IG before all this fb mess. I remember we took over the pop page the 1st time fb tried to buy IG with thanks to the creators for not selling out… It’s changed so much & those terms… Not only your photos but your likeness as well they wanted to have control of.
After reading your post, I understand your decision to stop posting your photos to Instagram.
I have a completely different view on the whole ‘TOS’ debacle on Instagram. I am a ‘hobbyist’ at best and my photographs are only taken for fun. That’s why I joined IG in the first place. Just for fun. So I don’t care about the TOS and feel its unlikely they wlll affect me.
I will still continue to post my original work there and will not be leaving. I just don’t feel it’s necessary for me.
I will miss you and other friends who made the decision to stop posting.
Oh, thanks for writing Jo! I really appreciate it. Makes me appreciate that we can stay in touch through this Juxt community even more. xox
Superbly stated, Rachel. I’ve felt the same for a long time now, and the recent kerfuffles have solidified my stance. I’ll still use Instagram, and I’m thrilled to have discovered so much because of it, as you describe. But there are more rewarding networks out there. Great point you make about the popular/explore page. Um… yeah. Not really into exploring any of that, thanks.
Thank you for writing, Richard. I’m glad it resonated with you. I’m going to paint my nails and take a picture just for you… 😉
Yea, that was great. And I completely agree with all you said. This latest thing with IG was just the push I needed to leave, it’s been building for months and their latest bullshit was the straw that broke the camels back. See ya on Flickr and Eye’Em!
And beyond, Mike! It’s on in 2013, my friend. Cheers!
– r