THE MASS EXODUS of talent from Yahoo continues apace, as the founders of popular photo-sharing site Flickr quit the Silicon Valley heartbreaker.

Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield, co-founders (and spouses) will both be shot of the company by the time the month was out. Fake left quietly, whilst Butterfield resigned with a leaked memo that is befitting for a man of his legendary eccentricity.

This from the memo:

"As you know, tin is in my blood. For generations my family has worked with this most useful of metals. When I joined Yahoo! back in '21, it was a sheet-tin concern of great momentum, growth and innovation... Since the late 80s, as the general manufacturing, oil exploration & refining, logistics, and hotel & casino divisions rose to prominence, I have felt somewhat sidelined... I have tried to roll with the times, but nary a sheet of tin has rolled of our own production lines in over 30 years!"

Yes, really.

No word on what either of them are off to do - they seem to be joining the growing number of Yahoos leaving first and finding jobs later as Yang's insane regime of irreverence moves into its second year.

Flickr is Yahoo's only photo uploading and sharing portal, since it dropped Yahoo photos last year in favour of the newer, hipper service. More details from bonkers Butterfield here. µ