Writing, er, blogging...

 ...reloaded!

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by PAM

Ah... I can't believe it's almost been a year since I last visited this private space of mine in the virtual world!  This 'side of the world used to be a blogging space... but now, it is predominantly a vlogging space.  Over the last two years, vlogging has become mainstream.  And why not?  It is quick to digest, more visual, and the audience need not flex their imagination too much.  It's all been worked out for them readily.  The vlogs are designed so that contents draw certain reactions from the audience.  Therefore, the reactions are expected... well, most of them, anyway.  As such, vlogging does conform better with what the world has become, following the advent of Industry 4.0.  The art of putting spotlight on one's self, one's interest and one's opinions and beliefs has become a second nature to everyone regardless of whether one's beliefs an opinions are right or wrong.  This is supported by the ever-evolving social media and the multitude of multi-media apps that are mostly based on data mining and data analytics - powerful tools that found their use in producing a parallel virtual universe for each individual.    

Basically, anybody with a smart phone and an opinion can vlog... as a vlogger need not learn the art and techniques of writing - a challenge that prevented many before from expressing opinions using amateur

Trying to survive the virtual world through
through Zoom Meet.

 journalism approach and in a non-ranting manner, too.  What the vlogger needs to learn well though is the art of using voice tones, intonations and speech pacing, visuals and audio, body language and the general blend of body language and speech to get the message across. In many cases, vloggers have these skills as natural "gifts", and all they need to do is bring them into the virtual world.  I am not sure how much of the vlog content is created by the vlogger, and how much is written by a content designer.  I guess it varies from one vlogger to another.  In any case, vlogging involves relevant virtual technologies for a very good production; and production has become a serious 'business' as it can fetch the vlogger a handsome sum, too.  Thankfully, many vlogs are very useful, and informative.  These are the kinds where the objective of the vlogger is not just to express an opinion to influence others, but to offer an expert's perspective on a topic, or to share honed talents and special interests with those who wish to improve their own talents and/or educate themselves in the same field of special interests.  To me, some of the most enjoyable vlogs are those in the entertainment and education fields. 

Have I embraced vlogging ?  Well, I do have a YouTube (YT) channel since 2011.  I have several videos posted, not in a vlog format... yet.  Who knows, when I finally take a Sabbatical Leave next Academic Year, I would have time to curate my YT channel, and merge this blog with it to create a blog-vlog composite.  I might throw in my Instagram in the mix, too.  That might just make me a legit netizen then. 

Oh, yes, the world has evolved so much in just one year... and it keeps evolving still.  Some aspects of the evolution followed the pre-pandemic trajectory, but we also saw how many aspects shot up to become the 'new normal'... and there is no turning back. We really can't stay contented where we are... or, maybe we can, too.  We just cannot expect to understand the world, and be understood by the world, if we chose to stay still.

At the moment, I am staying but not... still.

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