no.3 - the flickr creep

When I see that square expressionless Flickr head looking at me with his blank mouth and empty eyes, my heart sinks. If he is not adding me as a friend, he is asking to join the group that I started for my photography business. The little graphic looks benign. It's just a placeholder. It's the default icon that most users replace within minute of joining Flickr. But that face also hides a sinister secret.

When someone wants to join my group or add me as a friend, the logical thing is to check who is asking. That is when the trouble begins.

There is a chance he is just a normal person who forgot to add an icon. Not everyone is technically savvy. But mostly, when I see that creepy face, it is something far worse than negligence. When I click their icon, I am transported to their photos and I am left desperately wishing I had an emergency chemical eye-wash station nearby.

I am not a porn guy. Bad photography of genitals, boob jobs and drug addled actors doesn't appeal to me for some strange reason. Why the creepy Flickr guy wants to add me as his friend is a mystery. What would we possibly have to say to each other?

But the unpleasant truth of the matter is they are hoping to see more. More of whatever it is they find titillating. Or they enjoy the idea of making people ill with their photos.