Vlog
A vlog is a weblog which uses video as its primary presentation format. It is primarily a medium for distributing video content.
Vlog posts are usually accompanied by text, image, and additional meta data to provide a context or overview for the video.
Vlogs or videoblogs are created by vloggers or videobloggers, while the act itself is referred to as vlogging or videoblogging.
Definitions
Vloggers themselves have discussed definitions regularly since 2004, but can't seem to agree on one.
Several manifestos, most delivered as video, have tried to address the question of definition:
- Michael Verdi's Vlog Anarchy, where he states that by defining what a vlog is, we're taking away the innovation of and equity access to the medium.
- Adrian Miles, in his paper Media Rich versus Rich Media, where he states that with blogs being highly granular, a vlog or videoblog by definition must also be highly granular.
There is a small but growing number of vloggers, who are turning the Internet into a medium in which people are communicating audiovisually with personal video posts, networking through the audiovisual, and creating programming and content not controlled by major broadcasting networks and cable outlets. RSS feeds with enclosures are used to bypass the traditional distribution systems of this mainstream media, delivering video content to various aggregation clients and web sites. These practices are revolutionizing online communication.
Video can also be uploaded to a moblog, however these tend to be shorter unedited clips, usually from a video capable camera phone. Moblogs with video, while not typically recognised as such, are also technically vlogs.
History
- June 2004 - Peter Van Dijck and Jay Dedman start the Yahoo Videoblogging Group.
- December 2004 - The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster highlighted video on blogs for the mainstream media, when dozens of amateur videos of the devastaton were posted by bloggers around the world.
See also
- Steve Mann who is arguably the first video blogger who calls them glogs (cyborg logs).
- SMIL is a multimedia playlist format used both offline and on the web.
External links
- Yahoo Videoblogging Group -- The unofficial home of videoblogging discussion
- Videoblogging.info -- The web site maintained by the videobloggers on the Yahoo email group
- About.com Web Logs -- Short Intro and Definition of vlogs/vidblogs/vogs
- The Age article talking about vlogs
- VloggerCon 2005 -- Inaugural conference for videobloggers, held in January 2005
- Videoblogging Week 2005 -- An International Event - March 27th - April 2nd: 27 videobloggers, 7 days
Tools
- ANT - RSS video aggregator and media player
- Freevlog.org - How to vlog
- Mefeedia.com - Internet video aggregator world
- Vlogdir.com - Videoblog Directory
- Participatory Culture - Project to build an easy-to-use, cross-platform, open-source video publishing system ("Broadcast Machine") and video player ("DTV").
Genres
Personal
Many vlogs are personal. Some recount activities that happened that day. Others seek to document events that may be of interest to that person's audience. (For examples, visit Vlogdir and category "Personal")
News
Some vlogs cover news events.
Collaborative (also collective or group)
Some vlogs have a collaborative nature.
Political
Some vlogs discuss political issues.
3rd Party Collections
Some vlogs collect videos from 3rd parties.
Behind The Scenes
Some vlogs show the backstage activity of film production.
Tutorial
Some vlogs give advice, demonstrations, how-to's, and tutorials.
Religious
Some vlogs discuss religious topics.
Magazine Type or Lifestyles
Some vlogs take the magazine or lifestyle approach.