Exactly. Now, this isn't to say that Google couldn't create new solutions to some of these problems, but I get the sense that at its core, Google+ isn't going to be about discoverability per se, but about, as you say, connect with people you already know.
Flickr's search is actually quite robust and amazing. I frequently use the Creative Commons archives for my work as a writer. It's a fantastic resource.
Flickr might be dying, dead or stagnant, but I don't think that its replacement will be a slightly rehashed Picasa. Instead, I'm guessing it will be some sort of new network design that is able to surface photos from multiple sites and accounts and identities.
Flickr's search is actually quite robust and amazing. I frequently use the Creative Commons archives for my work as a writer. It's a fantastic resource.
Flickr might be dying, dead or stagnant, but I don't think that its replacement will be a slightly rehashed Picasa. Instead, I'm guessing it will be some sort of new network design that is able to surface photos from multiple sites and accounts and identities.