The World of Video Blogging

The possibilities for blogging keep expanding, with the latest stage of development being video blogging. This takes blog entries to a whole new level, beyond the static text-based type, or even posts with some photos and other graphics, into a much more dynamic and immediate realm. Blog posts come alive in a whole new way, and establish the blogger as an intermediary between the formerly divided spheres of text and video.

With a video blog entry, the primary means of communication is the video itself rather than the written word, although text will label or augment what the viewer sees, and can certainly be used within the video itself. But in many respects, this type of blog works the same as one that is mainly text-based. It is viewable on a regular blog page, will be updated regularly, and still involves the creator choosing what information or opinions to convey. Much of the structure on the website is also the same, with viewers given space for comments and interaction.

There is even blogging software designed explicitly for video blogging, in the same way that software was created for blogging with text. This is important, especially for newcomers who have digital cameras or camcorders and can capture the raw video footage, but are inexperienced in how to edit or post it properly. With the help of this software, a blogger can post clips of a useful length (usually 1-3 minutes long), and add titles, text, sound and music. The software even helps the person upload the final file to the blog itself.

Creating a video blog still isn't as easy as a text-based blog however, so people also need to be aware of some potential downsides to setting up a blog for this type of medium. Just capturing and storing the clips requires many resources. The camera equipment needs to be good enough to create video that won't embarrass the creator (or, for that matter, the viewers). Presumably the blogger will want to retain a copy of anything that is uploaded to the blog, and that will require storage space.

And since video files are not small, they may create a conflict between the blogger and their internet service provider. Just uploading these clips takes a lot of bandwidth, and some ISPs object to this high demand on their networks and subsequently put limits on people's bandwidth usage. A blogger may be restricted, therefore, by what broadband connections are available and affordable.

But this is unlikely to deter those intent on video blogging. Already it has infiltrated classrooms, where teachers encourage students to create projects using a blog with video clips, or educators use such blogs in their own teaching. Individuals who dislike the flat, two-dimensional medium of text for resumes or reports have begun creating personal portfolios with video blogs. Bloggers and viewers are discovering that this kind of blog enriches and expands the ways they communicate with the world.