There is no way I could’ve ever lived in a time before this. I say this in the context of our world of technology, the Internets and especially online publishing. I’m too wise to think that the aforementioned are at the zenith. Far from it. There are advancements and technological applications we’re yet to dream of and actualize.
For now, I’ll restrict this post to why online publishing matters for individuals and the world. I was going to try and place everything separately but these two are connected in and I’d like to ’talk’ about them on this premise.
Though somewhat redundant, I do need to say this: we’re living in a time everyone can create and publish, with little sweat. Impact and or effectiveness in reach are a subject for another time. The point is, everyone can publish with ease…
By ‘online publishing’ I primarily speak of blogging and publishing through other media such as multimedia. I generally refer to releasing work to be consumed (by people) via the Internets.
I can’t help but write. Though I have spoken about why I write / blog here, I haven’t shared all reasons. Partly because I also don’t know completely why I write. It pains and gives me oxygen all at the same time: the picture of passion.
Online publishing matters, for me, as an individual because I have platforms and means to release my work to the world without anyone arm twisting me. I have the freedom to publish what I like, as I want. To borrow from Steve Biko, “I write what I like”, and, to contextualize, “I publish what I like”.
The old’ school, establishments, rather “the cult of gatekeepers” is losing the war. One of the things technology has done is allow everyone to decide what they will publish without being told.
This means that there are great works that some establishments, for instance book publishers, could have written off, that has a chance to see the light of day. To reach and touch lives. For the world it means that we have more options and different art forms to engage with.
Equal access for everyone to publish means that people get to be more creative and explore their “art” forms. Online publishing means that, to an extent, I can focus more on “creating” than wondering how to convince a man in suit seated behind a huge desk to ship my work on my behalf. I can do it myself.
For the world at large, online publishing puts creators and those who use their works in direct contact. This means that people can talk to creators / producers about what they create and how they are to interpret their work.
This means that the world is not at the mercy of some ‘slimy curators’. I have nothing against curators, I just love that online publishing helps me hear from the horses’ mouth.
Online publishing enables people to get their work to people they’d never been able to connect with in history. It eradicates the geographic divide. More people get to benefit.
We’re all are part of an ecosystem contribute and benefit from. We give and receive. We’re made richer through the privilege of being able to give. And we’re richer because we get to receive “product” that could’ve been easily out of reach for us.
The world has more color. More variety because everyone can publish.
We’ve all become heroes. The question is, “Will we all we wear our capes?” I dare to wear mine, what about you?