Yahoo! told to Flickr right off

Yahoo! is facing a backlash from Flickr users following its purchase of the service in March after telling them it will now merge the two operations. In a clause in Flickr's FAQ, Yahoo! said it will "migrate" all independent account holders to its own network, requiring them to create a Yahoo! ID.

In response, a faction within the tight-knit photo community is protesting the forced move by threatening to abandon their accounts a day before the imposed deadline in 2006. Under the group name "Flick off" more than 640 photo site members are bemoaning the change and discussing a migration of their own.

"I'm definitely leaving Flickr when it becomes a Yahoo! service," wrote one member by the name of Matt. "I'm sure that Google will launch an all-out photo service sooner or later. Hopefully before Xmas."

Yahoo! did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its notice, Yahoo! did not disclose the exact date when it will transition Flickr members to the Yahoo! network.

The merging of networks isn't out of the ordinary, nor is the outcry from a grassroots web community that prided itself on independence from mainstream portals. But the opposition - and presumed defections - could prove to be a thorn in Yahoo!'s side as it seeks to grow its photo and social-networking community in the face of fierce competition.

Yahoo! bought Flickr shortly after it launched Yahoo! 360, a social network that combines a blogging tool, instant messaging, photo storage and sharing, and internet radio.