Blogs were one of the most important softwares that started the idea of “Web 2.0″, the new era of communication and sharing of information. Some people started using blogs to share their thoughts and ideas, others use it for sharing information with the world, hence why they are also referred to as “citizen journalists.” Nowadays, people are using blogs to raise awareness of the issues that effect us all. It’s a powerful tool for global awareness.

Since then, blogging started to get more and more popular and developers started to make more developments to make a blog more of a multi-media sharing utility, that’s when vlogs were introduced.

Vlog stands for Video Blog, which is one of the more effective type of blogging, why? Well… think of it this way, what do you prefer, reading the newspaper, listening to the radio or watching the TV? Honestly, I prefer watching TV, because it brings you everything in motion with voice! You can see and heard everything that’s happening; emotions, views, people…etc.

Anyway, that’s a long introduction as it is, let’s get to the point: What do I need to get my own vlog? The answer is, almost nothing exept for a computer and a camera, you can use a webcam if you want a personal vlog, in your own room, or to record outdoors. You can use your cell phone if it has a built-in camera, but it’s better to have a digital camera for video quality.

All you have to do is get your camera, start recording what you want to put on your vlog, and if it’s not good enough or you want to add some effects and cut some of the parts out, you could use a video editor, such as “Windows Movie Maker” that comes with Windows XP and newer versions. Or you can search for some video editing software on the internet, you’ll find some good and free editors out there, here’s a list of some on Download.com

Well now after you got your video all you have to do is find a place to host it. You can host your videos on one of the Video-sharing sites such as Youtube, Google Videos, Metacafe, Lulu TV, the new Arabic website called Ikbis.com, or any of the many other choices available. The upside to this way is that you host your videos on a community website where people that don’t know you or your website can watch your videos, and you get your own “Channel” or Album, where people can watch all your videos.

After that, if you want, you can have a normal blog, either hosted free on one of the blog-hosting services, such as Blogger, or Wordpress, or you can get a hosting plan where you install a blogging software, so you could add comments, or make the video part of an article you are writing.

Blogging, Podcasting and Vlogging have changed the way that people get information, and it’s a new way where everyone can say whatever they want.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2007 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Audio, Blogging, General, Hosting, Internet, Media, Podcasting, Video, Vlogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.