Yahoos

Wow, a lot of drama going on at the yahoo videoblogging group this weekend. Andrew and Michael Verdi seem to be having a bit of a showdown.

If people really knew Andrew, they would know he would never say "I think personal videobloggers are valuable" if he didn't mean it. It's not just something he uses to buffer whatever statement he makes next. He truly believes it. As do I. He likes to critique and discuss and push the envelope and sometimes those discussions turn heated and ugly. That's too bad, because it clouds his true intent.

It's not a secret that both Andrew and I happen to prefer shows. That's just our taste. That's why we say we'd love to see more of them. There is a difference between what you consider valuable and valid and what you prefer. We recognize, respect, and watch the vlogs of personal videobloggers.

What is sad is that not everyone in this community can give us the same respect in return. Even if you don't like us, which is totally fine, just let us do our thing. I don't get why, for whatever reason, there are people on the yahoo list (a small group of people, but an agressive bunch) that have attacked us from Day 1. We came into the group like any other two people new to vlogging, asking for advice and support and we got downright verbally abused by 3-4 of the list's loudest citizens.

My only wish is for us all to be able to exist in harmony. Why is that so hard? There are infinite possibilities for vlogs and aren't we lucky that the internet can house them all?

Last May I was quoted in this AP Article as saying: "We wanted to have a creative video blog that would be palatable. A lot of the video blogs out there are by someone in their bedroom, half-awake. Mainstream America is not gonna want to watch that. We wanted to get people watching stuff online, to get people interested in this new medium."

I standby this statement. I do not believe that most personal vloggers will ever have a large mainstream (mainstream meaning people who don't blog, podcast, videoblog) audience. Maybe it's possible, one day, and I would hope for that, but I don't see it as likely. This DOES NOT mean I believe everyone wants a large audience. That's clearly not the case. And it does not mean I think that everyone should do what we are doing with Rocketboom.

Below is my original post from the Yahoo Videoblogging list archives regarding the "palatable" quote:

I don't expect mainstream america to be interested in Amanda UnBoomed,
at least not right now. I'm not convinced that most of America is
interested in that kind of content-- yet. Amanda UnBoomed is my
project that I work on whenever I have time and for my own amusement.

Like Josh said, the audiences for Amanda UnBoomed and Rocketboom are
obviously very different. You are talking about two very different
things. UnBoomed is niche (mainly my viewers are other videobloggers
and my friends and family), while Rocketboom is more mainstream.

I think personal videoblogs are interesting, Ryan, including yours.
But I do feel that mainstream (mainstream meaning people who are not
involved with all these new forms of expression: blogs, podcasts,
vlogs) folks have a difficult time wrapping their heads around
personal videoblogs-- at least at this early point in this medium's
existence. My hope is that this will change.

Rocketboom can help to facilitate that change by bridging the gap
between TV and videoblogs. It's a starting point for a lot of people
when they first try to get into this medium. And it's a format that
they are familiar with because of TV. My hope with Rocketboom is
that when people new to videoblogging watch it, it will inspire them
to watch all types of other videoblogs. I want people other than
bloggers, podcasters, and other videobloggers to watch videoblogs.