I first want to say that I *get* Flickr. I have been tempted to use it to share photos. I even kind of like the idea of a 24/7 global slideshow in which we are all voyeurs and exhibitionists. But Flickr is lame.
I'm afraid that if such "web 2.0" services become as widely adopted as it seems they might, that the Internet will cease to be the exciting gambling-and-porn-filled wasteland that we love and will suffer the same "tragedy of the commons" fate that befell dear old Las Vegas. When an exciting tool like Flickr becomes the plaything of millions upon millions of boring and uninteresting people -- that is, goes mainstream -- it just ruins it for the people who seek the edge. In my book, dumbed down is just plain dumb.
