Mobile Blogging and Why It Doesn’t Work Now - But Will Work in the Next 3 Years
Yesterday, I gave a talk to some folks in the blogging community in the Philippines. After talking about blog networks and professional blogging, a few came up to the podium to ask what I thought of mobile blogging, or “moblogging” - a term used to describe posting blog entries using a mobile phone.
Though it is true that blogging from a cellphone hasn’t gained critical mass, there are other reasons why this isn’t being widely done:
1. It’s too dangerous. Imagine taking a picture of your friends in the park and uploading it via 3G via a third pary service. Then a car hits you whilst you aren’t looking. Byebye!
2. It’s too expensive. Call and SMS rates are being closely monitored by the general public.
3. Why blog now when you can wait later when you get home to download your content? It’s easier and much more comfortable. Besides, you aren’t a journalist with a deadline.
I believe though that in a few years time, mobile blogging will form part and parcel of the content creation industry. This is because cameraphones are now portable media devices that can record audio and video and connect to the Internet. Companies should find a way to make the transition of posting content online less cumbersome, thanks to a very limited user interface on the phone. This makes sense from a business and technology perspective, as the only way to go is UP! Prime movers here would be a monetization option and the ability to make posting easier and cheaper. These are really the factors needed in making a business grow.
This is already starting, with Twitter re-inventing the way we blog, allowing us to update our home page with 144 characters or less per minute.
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3 opinions for Mobile Blogging and Why It Doesn’t Work Now - But Will Work in the Next 3 Years
nightfox
Apr 15, 2007 at 5:31 pm
yup, and some 3G rates charge per kB instead of minutes! you can just imagine how expensive to upload an image and verify if it was posted correctly. but as wifi’s somewhat taking the edge on mobile phones, why not? if the mobile device has a good interface for HTML editing, then i think it’s a win-win for the consumers.
Mike @ Emerging Earth
Apr 15, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Japanese celebrities love mobile photoblogging. Maybe it’s cultural, too.
Jayvee
Apr 16, 2007 at 3:19 am
mike,
but that’s because japan is on a different planet :)
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