So often, researchers of the social web insist that blogging, microblogging, lifestreaming, social neworking, etc., have revolutionized the way that we (as people, citizens, netizens) live our lives and communicate. The means are simple. Text-, photo- or video-based online diaries act as lenses through which a worldwide audience can peer at us - and, better still - comment and react in real time. Perhaps their allure isn't even in their reflexivity, but stems ultimately from the access to a virtual soapbox to let loose at the world. Regardless, the end-products are far more varied, from the mundane to the powerful. Sometimes it is difficult for me conceptually to accept the leap from "blogging" to the qualitative changes that are often ascribed to it - greater freedom, social revolution, personal liberation.
Then there are some worthy examples. I like this "infographic" from the Vancouver Film School entitled Iran: A Nation of Bloggers, which details a burgeoning community of young Iranian bloggers. While short, the video is concise and profound as it contrasts oppression, hope, and revolution in Iran as a nation with the social significance of blogging as a conduit for change. The imagery is appropriate and smart, yet engaging and fluid, too. A great piece of student work.
"Iranian blogs," it suggests, "are the true voice of the next generation. They are nothing less than a revolution within the revolution".
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