![Robin Blandford [ ByteSurgery.com ]](http://www.bytesurgery.com/blog/wp-content/themes/starkers/images/blank.gif)
03/01/08 Text Rules OK. Video Lesser.
SUSSEX, UK (Team Geared Up) - Paul questions if visual online communication is the big opportunity in 2008, possibly in the form of Seesmic (being mooted as Video Twitter).
Why are we only now finding ways to communicate visually online? Why have webcam networks never become as revolutionary as blogging networks for example. We have moved from face-to-face to text and email, are only now sending serial videos to each other. Where is the real interaction? Is THAT the big opportunity in 2008?
Will video EVER take over from text? I say no, for the very same reason I don’t drop down to the local video library to rent a video on an informational topic. Information is best kept in text. It’s searchable, storable, & editable - I can quickly scan through it and I can jump to any point in the passage. The very best method for the ‘1 to many’ documentation and communication of information is text.
Watching video is for entertainment or to make a visual impact. Video chat is just that - chat 1 to 1. I don’t see how Seesmic will be any better. If I had to write a blog post, would I do it by speaking into my camera? No, only for novelty. The early adopters will love it but the reality is - if I had to listen (without the ability to scan quickly through for keywords) to my daily twitter stream it would be painful.
-Robin.
