Flickr

I have been taking photographs off an on for about 35 years, but like many people I tend to look at them once or twice, maybe show them to a few friends or relatives, and then put them away. The social computing site Flickr has re-awakened my interest, and encouraged me to sort through my photos and start uploading them to the Web. It is satisfying when people mark some of my photos as "Favorites" but the site is also a good way to learn from others about how to take a good photograph.
Recently one of my colleagues uploaded a photo stiched together from several shots taken with the camera on his cell phone. Given the limitations of the equipment it is a surprisingly effective shot, and prompted me to try stitching together a sequence of three photos I took last year from a cruise ship off Taormina in Sicily. I was aware of photostitching before, but had not realised the possibilities until I saw some of the examples on Flickr. At the university where I work we are investigating the posibilities of using social networking techniques (such as those used most effectively on Flickr) in learning and teaching - I think the potential is enormous.