It has been suggested to me that I have fallen behind the times; that text blogs are a thing of the past and the future lies with the video blog.
These blog entries that I write: reviews, opinion pieces or whatever they may be, the method suits me. A written narrative with photos where appropriate works for me whether I am writing or reading. When I’m reading other blogs I can go back over any part that requires further consideration. I can study photos for as long as I need.
The opposite, to my mind, which rarely works for me, is the video blog or review. The exception, I would say, is SBRE Brown who goes about his videos in a structured, disciplined way and has the vocabulary and experience to get his message over.
Most video blogs are not like that. The bloggers ramble and have no structure. Often they lack the linguistic ability to explain well. Some are self-indulgent. The medium, when poorly used, does not give the opportunity to easily spend more time on an aspect as a written work does.
You don’t know me and you will never be exposed to my accent or annoying mannerisms (though of course I probably have some written ones.) Distilling my opinions, such as they are, into text on a page removes many of the distracting incidentals that afflict the video blog.
The video blog potentially does have benefits. I’ve already quoted the example of Stephen Brown’s work. A pen can be shown from all possible angles which would take up too much space in a text/photo work. Aspects of repair ā when done properly ā can be better illustrated in a video. There was a period when I did consider it but I decided against it because I know I lack the necessary professionalism in that medium. I have written in one capacity or another all my life and I think it’s best to stick with what I know.
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Deb. Huzzah šš». Eloquently put . Your writing does not lack for video, it remains technically informative and is balanced perfectly by your personality. I find that to be a winning formula.
Thank you kindly, Rob.
please don’t change what works for you. I personally prefer the written word to video blogs….
It’s OK. I don’t plan to change.
I agree, a well written and documented piece is much more enjoyable. Maybe that’s why I like reading a book more than watching a movie??
I agree with you about book over movie!
certainly agree with the comments that many video blogs are often tiresome with their slowness of getting to the point and rather narcissistic ‘look at me aren’t I wonderful’ approach. It probably boils down to what people want from a blog, and getting the right balance of information and appeal can’t be easy. You are very individual Deborah, I don’t think we really want you to change:-)
Looking at the input on some current global forums where the membership runs to thousands, I sometimes find it hard to believe the pointless and lack of common sense content of many posts, but guess we must live with the diversity of human nature.
Video blogs can be vital when it comes to repair tutorials – but suspect they are already numerous enough.
Perhaps Deborah’s forte are those posts which display the range of a particular type of f.p. – the Pitman’s shorthand pens for example – and another group which I’d enjoy seeing since I collect them, would be the Mentmore and Platignum Visu-Inks and Ink-Locks.
Would be good also to see an increase in the number of respondents to Deborah’s writing – am sure there are more folk who could contribute with interest to the various topics.
I haven’t seen an ink-lock in a long time. I think I probably did write about one before – I certainly remember having one. The problem with repair videos is that there are one or two people out there ( no names, no pack drill) whose repair videos contain horribly bad practice. They’re fine if you know who to emulate and who to avoid – I’ve used them myself.
While well-produced and carefully-edited videos which demonstrate how to efficiently and safely perform tricky repairs on autos, washing machings, and even (much more rarely) fountain pens, are blessings of the Internet, they are rare. Most reviews, verbal blogs, and the like are pure self-indulgent dreck, and something which I hope will soon be taxed, as they have a terribly low information density.
I am a professional university lecturer, and known for generally giving tolerable, interesting talks. I’ve been called the best informal speaker on our campus, something which makes me nervous. For my first four or five years, I wrote everything out longhand, quite a task for technical science lectures, but never read a single line in class; today, I still rehearse them in my mind, plan my use of the board, and write out the difficult sections -not to read -ever- but to fix in my mind. And this is after 35 years! My professional talks at conferences are always well-attended, never read from notes, and owe so very much to a fun summer I spent in high school studying acting at the Yale School of Drama. My parents nipped that career in the bud!
Here, in my view, we have a wonderful collaboration going: you can write (quite well), and I can read (also quite well). Why ruin a beautiful arrangement? As long as our spouses don’t complain, let’s please keep meeting like this. It works so well.
I avoid pen videos unless they’re by SBRE Brown, who plans and excecutes his pieces well and talks sense. Some are truly, memorably awful. No names, no pack drill but G-a-d-i – or -r-n-m-a, if you prefer.
My husband, in the years that he had to do some public speaking – which he hated but was quite effective at – worked in the same way as you do.
I’m pleased to hear that I write quite well. I hope that’s an American quite rather than a British one.