This reading outlines how technology has evolved over time to allow anyone to make media, as video cameras and editing software became more available to the public. Furthermore, people are able to distribute this media more effectively with use of the internet. Equipment has become so readily available, to the point where it is all condensed on the regular smartphone. One can shoot, edit and even upload and distribute from their pockets.

I was particularly interested with the line on page 54:

” Vacillating between democratic potentiality and superficial vulgarity.”

It really sums up the online community well, and sheds some light on the reason why although a world where we all create our own media and distribute it freely sounds great, to many it can also seem a bit superficial and low brow, simply because its on the internet. Many traditionalists have this idea that media online is not real media, and believe it is mostly made up of vulgar people who only post home movies of their cats and insult others. Yes, this area of the internet exists, but the internet also gives media makers the potential to publish their work freely.  It is both superficial vulgarity, and democratic potentiality.

The reading goes on to specify how YouTube, for example, has more of less succumbed to the superficiality, the serious and dedicated media makers are mostly drowned out by the enormous amount of babies, dogs, cats and marketing that is uploaded to the site. It’s not all bad though, like in the case of ‘geriatric1927’, many content creators still experience the community of YouTube strongly. While YouTube is still a great video sharing site due to its amount of users, i now understand why Adrian suggested we don’t use it to publish our work, particularly for this course, so i created a Vine instead. With a limit of 6 seconds to each video, i doubt advertisers and casual home-movie creators would give it the time of day.

Regardless of what platform he uses, ‘geriatric1927’ illustrates how media makers can emerge from anywhere, and how the online community has become a free distribution network and audience for these media makers.