Why waste so much time laying thousands of words on a page, and conveying to your followers, the thoughts that haunt you, when you can simply press the recording button on your smartphone, and do it much faster and even simpler? This was the question of a vlogger from Romania, related to those who still choose "to live on a blog", and who refuse to waste their time on the keyboard... I have some answers to this question but, I will offer them to you, not her.
First of all, I choose to continue to be active on the blog, and not on a vlog, because I like to write. I've loved this since I was little, at one point I even dreamed of writing a book, and as long as I have functional fingers I will write, especially on this blog.
The second reason why I choose the blog, to the detriment of the vlog, is the fact that I like to write but also to read. Even though I don't read books as much as I did ten years ago, I still like to read, lately the materials consumed being mostly the articles here, and reading daily I feel the need to write so the two somehow tie together. Hence I am more inclined to open a word page, or an editing one on my blog, instead of hitting that record button on my smartphone's camera app. To sum up the two main reasons on why I blog, and don't vlog, it's because I like complicating things. Simple means boring for mine monkey mind...
A blog can contain a thousand faces, or people all around the world, vibrating in all sorts of colors, and chances are that you, as an author, will never appear in front of an audience, on that blog. However, there are cases where people pay to access the articles of famous bloggers and that means that words still sell. Instead, in the case of vlogs, in the vast majority of cases you are the one who plays "in each episode", a single main actor playing different parts, wearing pretty much the same make up, while when blogging you can change that make up quite often. Believe me, if you saw me every day, you would surely get bored of me.
I don't know if you've ever felt this, but I often get the impression that the posts I write are somehow palpable, that they have a consistency that I don't think a vlog will ever have. I believe, at the same time, that written, and then read, information remains much more easily imprinted in the reader's memory, and arouses more attention from them than a vlog can. Of course, these factors largely depend on the consumer of this type of content, but in my opinion, printed words are easier to imprint in memory.
Moreover, every time I write for a post, I feel that I am working on it, I feel that I am making an effort and that the effort will be rewarded. Both by you and by the neuro chemical system of my brain that never forgets to give me the dose of dopamine I need, after finishing each article, and this always varies depending on the effort made to write that article. Vlogging is much easier, and easy tasks don't reward its doer too much. At least not the way I see it.
It may seem strange to you, but many times when I write something to be posted I already feel a commitment and engagement from you, and sometimes I even imagine what questions might arise, other times answering them even before they are addressed. If I did a vlog I would feel much more alone and I would have the impression that I am talking to myself. I haven't posted any vlog so far, except for a few amateur footage on DTube a couple of times, but even the thought of speaking in front of a camera, without an audience or other people around me, discourages me.
I mentioned in the introduction that I like to write and read, and I learned this at an early age but, at the same time, I consider that a blog stimulates others to read as well. Even though most might be in almost the same situation as I am, reading books from cover to cover less and less by the year, the blog keeps reading alive, and that is very important, in my opinion. We already have a lot of things that work based on voice commands and autopilot, we will probably have cameras that will read us and allow us access to all kinds of locations, in a few decades technology will probably be able to read our thoughts, and answer us to the most hidden desires, so we need as many reasons to read as we can create in our try to avoid dehumanization at much as possible.
I did not write this post with the intention of demonstrating somehow why the blog would be superior to the vlog, because I have no reason to do so, I consider more that I did it to remind me why I choose to do this every day, why I want to do it for many years from now, what keeps me connected to the keyboard, and not to a recording button. I have no intention of creating a superior blogging image, and a lower vlogging one, or to dis vloggers.
The way I see it, vlogging will gain more and more users by the day, and nothing against that, it’s just that I don’t think it will do that for the detriment of bloggers. It's two different niches that we talk about, with two types of consumers that very often don't mix liquors. Chances are that you probably own a kindle, and that you have used it a lot but, that doesn't mean that people aren't still buying paper books. Same with audio books. There's a client for every product, I used to say quite often. There's a reader for every blog, and blogs won't die that soon. I know it...
Thanks for attention,
Adrian
I honestly hardly ever open vlogs here on the platform. Not sure if ever listen to the whole thing.
There is something in the written word that gets to you better. I think it is the image you create in your head after reading. It is what you see and feel or what you want it to look like after reading. So nobody pushes voice intonations, accents or mimics to you.
I actually cant imagine listening to audio books. And I do not own a kindle (though I am considering getting one just because of the possibilities) :)
Yes, that was what I was referring to. I also believe that somehow vlogs invite lazy consumers more than blogs do and don't stimulate imagination that much. I also have noticed that when I'm watching vlogs I feel that I can get more distracted than when I'm reading a blog.
It is easier, it is faster and more effortless I guess. So yea.. you can listen and do something else. But how much do actually hear?
It reminds me why I always prefer to read a book first and then watch a movie.
POSH:
Thanks. Much appreciated.
I am a writer by nature and prefer to read. Sure I like to watch certain YouTube channels, but those are a different entertainment choice for me.
Seems we are pretty much in tune with the matter. I watch youtube as well but sill consider that it will never replace blogging.
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My pleasure. Glad you appreciate it.
The first books I read were The Chronicles of Narnia. They were quickly followed by Lord of the Rings.
Now they've made movies from the works of both CSS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. I think Peter Jackson did an incredible job with Lord of the Rings. Still, they were nothing like the creations of my own imagination while reading the words of Tolkien.
That's why I'm a storyteller.
"Since the end is never told, we pay the teller off in gold in hopes he will come back. For he cannot be of mortal soul".
Hunter/Garcia - Terrapin Station - Grateful Dead
I don't even remember what my first book was. I guess The Prince and The Pauper, by Mark Twain, was my first book, read in Romanian of course. A great one that made me feel a bit like that Prince caught in the Pauper's family. I like story tellers because there's always a story to be told but not everyone can tell stories and magnetize one's attention. I am working on becoming such a person though. The only problem that I face for the moment is English not being my native language so I can't always say what my mind paints and make everyone sip my words but who knows... maybe some day...
You do fine with English. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Whatever you feel is missing in your English, it's not showing in your writing. There was a part of speech that wasn't quite right, but I do that all the time too. There are way too many in the language. It's easy to mix them up.
Which one? Never too late to lean you know :)
It might not even have been a mistake. Maybe you purposely chose to use "to the detriment of". I suppose your blogging does take away from vlogging because you don't participate in it.
I probably would have wrote "as opposed to" or "in lieu of".
I didn't :)). Thanks for the tips though. Have you tried vlogging, or do you prefer also to blog instead of vlog?
I did some video for a client to go along with blogs I had written for him. It's what he wanted so I did it, but I didn't like it. I think it came through in the vlogs as well. They weren't very well received. I much prefer writing. Ewka summed it up pretty well in her comment too.
Holy Cow! A kindred spirit.
I've never done a vlog, and haven't really been tempted. I once did a weekly live show to a few interested individuals on a platform that is long gone. A sort of 'independent voice of reason' type of show. I was uncomfortable with it, but it needed to be done.
I love to read and write, though both go in streaks for me. I read everything because I want to experience everything.
Don't give up on your book ideas. I published a book after I was 60. It's a niche book and now pays me about $1 per month. Obviously, I didn't do it for the money. I am also not reading or writing much right now because I am researching another book. I have no idea if it will actually happen, but I go on just the same. I have something to say...
Thanks for a great post on a subject near and dear to my heart.
Glad you appreciate the post, and it felt great to read your comment. Regarding the book, the fact is that I always had the idea but, not a subject for that book. I haven't died yet so I still have the time to find that story to write about. On the other hand I can consider this blog as my never ending book as well, pouring chapter after chapter on all sort of topics. I guess I would write more on the blog but, I'm no native English speaker and I realize my posts are not so appealing, and secondly I don't want to become a spammer. I'm simply flowing with the Hive wind.
Thanks for your beautiful comment. Really appreciate it a lot.
My Daughter is an excellent skier and a terrible snowboarder. When she goes to the mountain she always skies. Is one method of getting down the mountain better than the other?
I am a terrible blogger. I am getting better with practice. I am a much better speaker. I love to speak in public.
Why choose just one medium? I think I am going to do both, at the same time, withing the same post. I will then be able to improve several things at the same time. Seems more efficient huh... blah blah blag just some random thoughts
Not too many are able to do both well, in my opinion. I wouldn't for sure. Blogging suits me better and that's why I am more inclined to do it. I also feel that written words create a stronger memory.