More than 20,000 people are pissed off enough to join a group, have passive-aggressive discussions, and make lolcat-style protest pictures tagged NoVideo. There are also a few petitions going around requesting that Flickr remove the video feature and keep the site as a photography and photographer-focused community.

I really don’t understand. I’ve been a Flickr user since the very beginning–since before Flickr Pro Accounts were even available for purchase. I love Flickr’s ease of use, the community aspect of group pools and discussions, and the way I can interact with pictures from my friends and family. I think the addition of video is a great new feature–it’s not meant to be a YouTube clone for the latest in Internet video memes.

Videos are limited to 90 seconds, which is just long enough for a baby’s first steps, the highlights from a wedding dance, or a moment captured at a party. Videos can now sit alongside photo collections to help tell the story in a way still pictures cannot. What’s so wrong with that, fellow Flickrers?

I’m interested to see how Flickr responds. My hope is that they won’t cave and remove Flickr video completely, but I do understand that if people decide to be more active about controlling the situation, Flickr stands to lose a lot of business. I would like to see a way that users could opt-out of video if they really want to, although I really don’t see why that would even be necessary. If you don’t like a feature, just don’t use it. If you’re so opposed to a video being in someone’s photostream, just don’t click on it. Flickr, don’t let the haters win.