So here we are, venturing outside of mainstream media, or what we used to call mainstream and embracing the digital age. We all have varying experiences of the plethora of new online channels, but we are all utilising them either personally or for entertainment and reference each day, perhaps without realising. Their reach and penetration is growing almost unnoticed by the casual user. Daily I am aware how front page BBC news now links directly to a journalist blog as a finished article, including the public discussion that comes with each and every comment. How often have we searched for some information online and ended our journey on a Wikipedia page, or been sent an email redirecting us to one in a million YouTube videos, full of laughs or shocking content. Behind all this content are a growing number of diverse online identities, although the authenticity of these identities is beginning to blur just as much as their purpose and reason for being varies.My own experiences of the new MMS channels has been more as a reference, in fact to some degree my involvement has almost been voyeuristic during this explosion online, until this week I had no online identity myself but have spent many hours reading and watching others contributions. Perhaps this will change. To that end the creation of an identity was demanded and in my mind this was a single question, well two actually. What would I contribute online, and would I wish to remain anonymous?
These questions were difficult before I decided to focus on what I respected most from what I had seen online; the creative talent, the embracing of debate and a willingness to share. So in some unusually creative manner I too would voice an opinion on something in a not too distant future, time and weather permitting of course. My medium outside of this blog was to be YouTube, well something specifically visual. Having decided to create my own media channel I needed a logo, it was this word that gave my identity a direction, indentifying my content rather than me personally. So having glimpsed an idea and patiently awaited a few random sparks of imagination, eyedent™ was born.
Next I thought I should check its availability and make sure I would not be entering the digital age by jumping headlong into a virtual turf war that would almost certainly cost lives. Google reassured me that, apart from a multi-threading Daemon for Win95, my path was clear. Identity decided, personal avatar created, email and blogs registered I begin on a path promising enlightenment and much potential embarrassment.
