Flickr screws up sign in process | Hacker News Reader

Flickr screws up sign in process

7 pointsdefdac5 comments

When I first signed up to flickr I needed to create a yahoo-ID. The id I always use on the internet is "defdac", but it was taken - so I had to use "defdac2" instead.

Thusly, I have always signed in with my yahoo-ID "defdac2" to access my flickr PRO account "defdac".

Today I was forced to login again, and noticed they have upgraded their sign in process so you can use your facebook/google account.

I tried my "defdac2" Yahoo-ID as usual, but was prompted with an error message:

"Your DefDac2 Yahoo! ID uses the email address defdac@hotmail.com. That email address is already associated with the defdac account on Flickr.

If you are trying to access your defdac Flickr account, please sign in to Yahoo! again with your defdac Yahoo! ID."

.. Face palm ..

View on HN

When I got home after work I flipped up my browser and noticed that I was still logged in to flickr. I could see in my preferences that it said I was logged in with the Yahoo ID "defdac" (which is not mine). I then looked up the Yahoo ID account transfer page http://www.flickr.com/account/transfer/ and made a request to transfer my "defdac" flickr account to Yahoo ID "defdac2". It said "Um.. You are already signed in with Yahoo ID DefDac2..". I flipped back to the preferences in flickr and now it correctly states Yahoo ID "DefDac2" instead of Yahoo ID "defdac".

So I guess I fixed the problem myself. No reply from flickr staff yet.

You mentioned that you couldn't use "defdac" because it was taken, and then you mention you had a flickr Pro account using "defdac"?

Was it taken because YOU took it? It doesn't make sense.

Later you refer to the fact that the message said it shared the same email address. Couldn't you sign into the PRO account , change the email address, and log into your defdac2 account?

The flickr username is not the same as your yahoo username. They are linked, but can be different strings. You sign in to flickr using your yahoo username (ie, your @yahoo.com email address) but your flickr username is a completely different string.

The reason for this, I suppose, is that flickr was an independent entity, with its own user database, before being acquired by yahoo. It was long after the acquisition that yahoo insisted on linking it to your yahoo ID. Some will remember the brouhaha that caused.

So in effect you are locked out of your Flickr account?

Yepp. =(

Reply on news.ycombinator.com