One rather unlikely word that has recently entered the language is ‘blog’, a shortened form of ‘web log’. A blog is a diary on the Internet by the person writing it – the ‘blogger’ — who presumably expects other people to read it. It is ironic that modern technology is being used to new life into such an old-fashioned form as the personal journal. And now, as the technology behind video cameras is making them easier to use, we have the video log, or ‘vlog’. Vlogging does not require highly sophisticated equipment: a digital video camera, a high-speed Internet connection and a host are all that is needed. Vloggers can put anything that their fancy onto their personal website. Some vloggers have no ambitions other than to show films they have shot while on holiday in exotic places.
However, vlogs can also more ambitious purposes. For instance, amateur film-makers who want to make a name for themselves might publish their work on the Internet, eager to receive advice or criticism. And increasingly, vlogs are being used to political and social issues that are not newsworthy enough to coverage by the mass media. It is still too early to predict whether vlogging will ever off in a major way or if it is just a passing fad, but its is only now becoming apparent.