Zooomr: Catching Up With Flickr

Dear Reader,

Today I ran across a piece of news¹ in CNet News which talked about Zooomr, a photo sharing site, undergoing a revamp in order to offer its users the feature of selling their photos online.

A subsequent search on Google News revealed that the genius behind Zooomr is an 18 year old programming genius, Kris Tate.² The site was originally meant for personal friends of Tate but the blogosphere picked up on the service. The sudden spike in users brought down the servers. A subsequent cash injection from investor Ron Conway of USD$50,000 gave Tate the funds needed to convert the project into an entrepreneurial effort.³

Zooomr has a CEO, Thomas Hawk, who together with Kris Tate are aiming to turn the site into a stock photo enterprise. They estimate the world stock photography business to be valued at USD$2bil per annum.⁴ The plus point is that users can leave the transaction to be conducted automatically by Zooomr while snagging 90% of the profits.

Advantages

It may be prudent to note at this point some attractive features of Zooomr. This is a simple list:

1. Tag Map
   This application, basically an integration of Google Maps with Hello Bots, enables users browse a world map and check out photos from different regions and from different people. [link]



2. Zooomrtations
   This feature allows sounds to be attached to photographs. [link]



3. Multiple language
   Well, I don't know how else to express it, but the bar at the bottom allows for selection of the following languages:
   
   • Dansk
   • Deutsch
   • English (UK)
   • Español
   • Français
   • Italiano
   • Nederlands
   • Polski
   • Português (BR)
   • Slovenčina
   • Suomi
   • Svenska
   • Türkçe
   • Монгол
   • 中文 (簡體)
   • 中文 (繁體)
   • 日本語
   
   



4. Lightbox!
   This cool feature is derived from a certain Javascript project. Quite interesting to see it integrated into such a gallery, effectively rendering it Web 2.0/AJAX cool. [link]

Who knows, I may even try signing up for an account in due course. :)

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Notes

1. S. Shankland, Zooomr reverts while debugging upgrade, CNet News, 19th March 2007, accessed at http://news.com.com/2061-12572_3-6168529.html

2. D. Waters, Web 2.0 Wonders: Zooomr's Kris Tate, BBC News, 28th March 2007, accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6502611.stm
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.