#vlogging

Today I’m doing a different style of post today. I get asked every now and then, why would I choose to both blog and vlog? Normally there is one medium you stick to. So I thought I would talk to you guys about it.

Vlogging

It can be a bit of an internal battle, trying to figure out, do I get out the tripod, make myself presentable to sit down and film? But videos don’t just end there. You have to…

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Support small businesses! My review/haul of the Etsy shop ABlackStar.

Rememberthis?

Yeah, I sold it. Great and yet small compact intro camera if you want something like the GoPro but cheaper and with lesser features. On top of that, its lens fogged up way too often when in certain weather conditions, the battery was some shit and the app was a bit buggy. Plus, I didn’t use it that much and it lacked a screen so taking pictures/videos became annoying when I didn’t have the battery/time to hook up my smart phone to the camera to see the picture.

In return, I upgraded and grabbed myself a GoPro for the deal was something I couldn’t miss. The company I worked for over the summer had some amazing discounts so I had to take advantage of it before I left for school. Went ahead and purchased the GoPro HERO 5 which is originally $400 , but came up to $300 with my discount and so far I love it!

First all there’s a screen! Also, I can change the view type on the camera from like wide to narrow. I can see how many recording time/photos I have on my SD card, its also recognize voice commands. Also, the interface is simple and intuitive. Along with that, its waterproof! No need to place a housing around it anymore!

A bit expensive? Yes! A bit outside on what I planned on what I was gonna spend but I am happy! Next mission, upgrade my Canon!

I almost never look at the blog but I seem to get an email alert about a question that asks something along these lines every other day so fuck it.

Factor 1: How good looking are you?

Do people stare into your eyes the way ancient mariners looked into a gigantic whirlpool that was dragging them to their inevitable drowning?

Has a Hollywood starlet ever cried in the bathroom after meeting you at a party?

Factor 2: How’s your self esteem?

Can you stand every single aspect of your appearance, personality and speech being criticised by someone who lives half the world away?

This goes doubly for girls, who get the kind of fucked up abuse that would make even a hardened 4chan user vomit onto their laptop.

Factor 3: How much free time and cash do you have?

Do you have the money to sustain a hobby that will take up the same amount of time and a hell of a lot more personal investment than a full time job but offers none of the same returns?

Factor 4: How patient / persistent a person are you?

Can you handle being ignored for possibly years as you build up a bank of videos that will absorb a significant proportion of your time and energy day after day, probably while someone who records their cat taking a dump into their neighbours swimming pool gets millions of views and international media attention?

Factor 5: Can you do something better than everyone with 5000+ plus subscribers does that thing?

There are no new niches, all the niches are colonised; accept it.

Factor 6: Can you cope with being constantly shat on by a faceless corporate entity who’s sole goal concerning YouTube seems to be trying to redesign the website in a way that further undercuts the people who live their lives on it?

Factor 7: The factor to end all factors, do you own a time machine that can transport you back to the years 2006-mid 2009?

Cause otherwise it’s pretty much not gonna happen.

Sometimes it takes a while for the law to catch up with advances in technology and the the changes in culture that accompany those advances.

Especially if those changes only apply to a small percentage of the population.

Like, you know, YouTubers.

Vlogging and driving is something that’s been briefly and occasionally talked about for a couple of years now on road trip videos and in comment sections.

Daily Vloggers

Most of the people who do vlog and drive -at least on a regular basis- are within the spectrum of daily vloggers or people who have a daily vlogger channel in addition to a main channel.

Viewers are often taken along for the ride instead of the vlogger sitting down at the end of the day and recounting their experience. It’s seen as a more interesting way to present the story, saves time and is an aide to those with poor memory for detail.

Texting

If there’s one thing that vlogging and driving is even remotely comparable to it’s driving while texting. Both text based communication and easily portable digital recording devices saw their advent at around the same time.

“I think it’s just as bad as texting, texting has caused many accidents and you see the commercials. I see people, you know they’re driving in their car, holding their camera in their hand over here and I mean they’re looking back at it driving and you’re not focused on the road. what’s going on?”

It’s been argued that if using a recording device while driving were as prevalent as sending a text while driving that it would also be banned.

Speculating about it doesn't really help anyone.

For now at least it’s legal, although anyone using their phone as a camera shouldn’t be too surprised if they get pulled over and the cop isn’t in the mood to learn about new media.

Some YouTuber’s who vlog and drive have adopted dashboard and windshield mounts which much like hands free kits allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

Again, though, a lot still depends on the individual. Someone who constantly glances at the camera is going to be paying less attention than someone who keeps their attention on the road and simply speaks as they drive.

Doing that kind of raises the question of why you’re bothering to do it in the first place. It would seem that producing a video like that would be pretty unentertaining.

Attention 

What’s really the issue here is the amount attention that it takes away from the road, something that’s generally unclear and depends on the person doing it.

The driver must both remain focused on the road while engaging their audience. Even if it’s just telling people what you had for breakfast that seems like a bit of a stretch; let alone doing something that requires a large amount of thought.

Anything that takes the drivers attention away from the road is surely a risk. Whether that’s informing your subscribers about a give away or changing the station on your car radio.

Regardless of that risk it seems that vlogging and driving is unlikely to become a legal concern unless it becomes far more widespread or a high profile accident sparks a public outcry.

In the absence of hard data that proves once and for all how dangerous it is, if at all, the debate will continue.