What is so great about Instagram?

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G

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
It seems to be an app that make digital pictures look like they were taken with a crappy film camera, and also makes it easy to post them to facebook, right?
Is that it?
Why are people so happy about the crappy pictures?
Is it really worth a billion dollars?
Again, I am baffled by the thing the hoopleheads seem to love.
It is like when the mp3 players came out and I thought they were amazing, but they did not seem to catch on with folks. Then 3 years later, Apple makes an iPod and people think it is the greatest thing in the world and a NEW invention!?
 
M

Munky

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2005
9,372
0
76
It's great at making people think their no-talent pictures are turned into a masterpiece by adding cheesy effects. That's about it. Seeing all the butchered phonecam snapshots on flickr is enough to make your eyes hurt.
 
nOOky

nOOky

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,205
2,251
136
I have been wondering the same thing. It's not too hard to tap my photo currently, and upload it to FB. I don't need to add any effects, so I don't get the point. I'm not their target audience I guess.
 
foghorn67

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
I like it. Most of my friends love it.

You don't have to use the filters. Most don't. They will use another app to edit it.
IG is about the sharing. Not the filters.
 
P

Puddle Jumper

Platinum Member
Nov 4, 2009
2,835
1
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foghorn67 said:
I like it. Most of my friends love it.

You don't have to use the filters. Most don't. They will use another app to edit it.
IG is about the sharing. Not the filters.
Click to expand...

What value does it provide for sharing? the stock camera app on my phone already supports sharing images via any relevant social network or service.
 
QueBert

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,915
1,114
126
foghorn67 said:
I like it. Most of my friends love it.

You don't have to use the filters. Most don't. They will use another app to edit it.
IG is about the sharing. Not the filters.
Click to expand...

this it's great for sharing, there isn't another photo sharing community that's better imho. I have 50 pics on my account and none have any sort of effects.
 
Last edited:
foghorn67

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
Puddle Jumper said:
What value does it provide for sharing? the stock camera app on my phone already supports sharing images via any relevant social network or service.
Click to expand...

It's another social way to discover new photographers or other hobbies.
The hash tags make it easy.
I can search #sunrise to get just that. I don't have to associate with them or see their duck mouth face. Or search through messy Twitter feeds.
I found a kick ass film emulator for Lightroom this way.
(not holga or Diana b.s.)
 
M

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
8,415
7,593
136
glen said:
Is it really worth a billion dollars?
Click to expand...

I heard that they were paid with pre-IPO Facebook stock, which has since dropped below the IPO value. So really they paid 1 billion maybe dollars, which are only worth about $750 million today.

Someone even suggested that they paid so much for Instagram in order to add credibility to the initial stock valuation. Clever move if it's true. Also funny because it screwed a lot of the wall street insiders.
 
Imp

Imp

Lifer
Feb 8, 2000
18,828
184
106
A newspaper I read or Psychology Today - I forget - wrote an article about social media and shit.

It's the "nostalgia" factor, apparently. Remember when you opened up your parents' photo albums and went through their crusty, faded, screwy colored pictures? I don't, but people apparently like that. Now you get to have the same craptastic photos to add "importance" to your life...

Concerning why Facebook paid so much: another article said it was to buy out the competition, rather than actually acquire tech. Facebook is a photo repository, Instagram is a photo repository... can't have two if you want to be "the" photo place.
 
K

kyrax12

Platinum Member
May 21, 2010
2,416
2
81
It is a good APP because it lets you browser through a huge database of pictures uploaded by a variety of people.

There are porno, white girls..etc..

Do it when you want to fap or if you are on the go and just looking to kill some time.
 
C

Chops McGandhi

Member
Jan 23, 2006
167
0
76
It's kinda one of those things that is really terrible in theory but great in practice. But on the other hand, if none of your friends use it, it sucks.
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
I don't see the appeal myself, I already have a fantastic built in camera app, plus a few others I grabbed from Play that do all the filters Instagram does but better. And sharing to FB/Twitter/sms/email/everything else is a touch or two away.

Shortly after the Android version came out though, 4 out of 5 pictures in my Twitter feed are Instagram pics. Shitty filters and all. :(
 
R

runawayprisoner

Platinum Member
Apr 2, 2008
2,496
0
76
Three things:

1) Pretty interface. Even the icon looks prettier than MOST Android and iOS camera app icons I have seen. It draws people in.

2) Simple operation. Snap a photo, apply filter (or not), share. 3 steps, Likely 3 taps. No need to switch from Camera app to Gallery app and so on...

3) Facebook bought it.

I personally don't see the appeal of #3, though it was given as a legitimate reason when I made the inquiries. #1 is a major issue for most apps both on Android and iOS alike. Some camera apps (including stock ones on many devices) look like some kid in a basement put them all together within a few minutes. #2 is also a huge issue with some camera apps. Especially Android... where there are just way too many options to consider when all I want is to just take a friggin' shot.
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
i fucking hate it. its a hipster thing or something.

why can't you just share to facebook/twitter/G+?

I hate the hipster filters, and I'm willing to accept it, but it's annoying when they have a whole separate system of following people. Do we need YET another social network? Why couldn't it just be a camera app...
 
G

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
1. hooplehead

A member of the ignorant masses; an uneducated commoner; an idiot.


A word popularized by HBO's Deadwood

Try not to use big words-- it confuses the hoopleheads.
 
QueBert

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,915
1,114
126
DLeRium said:
i fucking hate it. its a hipster thing or something.

why can't you just share to facebook/twitter/G+?

I hate the hipster filters, and I'm willing to accept it, but it's annoying when they have a whole separate system of following people. Do we need YET another social network? Why couldn't it just be a camera app...
Click to expand...

Because some of us want to share photos but not have to do so on Facebook or Twitter. Instagram's exactly what I want, it's pictures without all the other bullshit. FB has a lot of useless feature shit to me, I don't want to see "play this game" I don't want to get invited to events, I don't want to read what a person had for lunch. As far as picture sharing goes it's far better than Flickr or any other photo site I've used. I'll never have a FB account, so I'm glad IG around as it gives me an outlet to share my pics.
 
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