Free Range Learning

I have recently become enamored with Flickr. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of photo-sharing websites out there, and I have previously used Snapfish to upload photos, e-mail them to friends, and have them printed at my local Target.  But I'm quickly becoming a Flickr nut.

I've known for a while about their Creative Commons search function, which has been wonderful (even for use in this blog). I have also often checked out Flickr's Interestingness page and, even though I wish they'd get rid of the extraneous syllable, there are definitely always wonderful photos posted there.

But what I've just recently discovered, and think is SO COOL, is Flickr's World Map. As a user, I can simply drag my photos onto the location where they were shot, instantly making them available to people searching for photos from a particular location (NOTE: you can control how public your own photos are). Searching for photos from a certain city is even cooler. The screen-shot below shows a quick search of Luther Seminary's neighborhood. It's a cool way to see how my neighbors have an eye for the beautiful right in my own backyard.