I have wondered at the persistence of this group when YouTube has offered, for some time now, the ability to carry on a conversation in video instead of text. But it wouldn't be the same, would it? No. It wouldn't be. Because there is something unique about every communications medium and its effect on what is being communicated. And there is value in text-only correspondence. Is that heresy for a videoblogger? I don't think so.
I see a few advantages to text-based group discussions that I don't really want to give up. One is relative anonymity. People can contribute angry, contentious, argumentative posts to a text-only group discussion to which they might not feel comfortable attaching their faces. And that can be a good thing. It can invite people to tell us how they really feel and to hash things out. Video conversations, like live conversations, are ephemeral. They can lose direction more easily than written correspondence. Written communication can be searched more easily and is also easier to digest in quantity. Writing forces people to think in a way that speaking extemporaneously to a camera does not. Videotaped conversations tend to be a lot like conversations in a bar: they wander, they ramble, they include a lot of "aahhs" and "ummms" and great gaping pauses that can be insufferable unless being uttered by a lover in a passionate moment. Writing forces one to focus. Editing is easier with written communication. Are people really going to videotape themselves responding to a politically hot topic on this board, then go through their footage and edit for style, cogency and concision? That takes a lot more work then reading over a paragraph and cutting unnecessary sentances or correcting grammar and spelling. In short, I don't think this group should move over to YouTube and become a video based conversation group. I think something will be lost. It's probable that something will be gained, too, but on balance I don't think it'll be worth it. If you want to make a video, make a video. The creative impulse toward video making and vlogging does not have to supercede what goes on here. In fact it can't and won't. I know many vloggers are making video diaries and experimenting with video conversations. And that's great. My advocacy of the text-based discussion forum is not a repudiation of those efforts. It's an attempt to distinguish the relative advantages of a written medium over a video medium for the purpose for which this group was formed. Would you want your exclusive means of conveyance to be a car? Are there not situations in which a plane is better. Are there not places only a donkey or mule can take you? -David --- In [email protected], "J. Rhett Aultman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm also already on YouTube (freetimevlog), and I'd happily join any > groups going. I need that networking! :) > > -- > Rhett. > http://www.weatherlight.com/freetime > > Robyn Tippins wrote: > > >I'm on YouTube already, so if you set up a group and invite us I'd certainly > >join you. Of course, I'm a social networking whore. > > > > > > > >Robyn > > > > > > > >From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >On Behalf Of RODLI PEDERSON > >Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:44 PM > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: [videoblogging] Re: Videobloggers YouTube Group - Anyone > >Interested? > > > > > > > >sure i would join > > > >rodli > > > >--- In [email protected] > ><mailto:videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com> , "Patrick Cook" > ><patsvideoblog@> wrote: > > > > > >>Hi everyone: > >> > >>A thought occured to me a little while ago that if there was a group > >>that would probably be interested in a different kind of discussion > >>group, it would be this one. And YouTube would be the place for it. > >> > >>So my question to all of you how many of you would be interested in > >>such a group? > >> > >>What are the advantages you say? > >> > >>Well, the BIGGEST one would be that you would get to use your cam to > >>compose posts just like you use your email editor to post here. The > >>second of which is your fingers won't get worn out from all that > >>tapping as your voice would do that in talking for about 10 minutes or > >>so. Plus, we could use it to help support Josh just that much more. > >> > >>Lastly we'd also get acquainted and meet other vloggers from all walks > >>of life who, for one reason or another, simply prefer to do it only > >>via YouTube and/or other viral video sites. > >> > >>Anyhow, it was just an idea I had. > >> > >>Thoughts? Comments? Tar? Feathers? Flames? ALL OF THE ABOVE (Gulp!)? > >> > >>Cheers :D > >> > >>-- > >>Pat Cook > >>Denver, Colorado > >>WEBSITES - AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS (Now In Vlog Format!) - > >>http://asmywackedoutturns.blogspot.com/ > >>Pat's VideoCast - http://www.freewebtown.com/patsvideocast/ > >>Pat's Health & Medical Wonders VideoCast - > >>http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/ > >>DIVB-TV | The Dumbass Idiots VideoBlog - > >> > >> > >http://dumbassidiots.blogspot.com/ > > > > > >>MY LIVE CAM - http://patscam.camstreams.com/ > >>YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/ > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > >
