I’m curious how long Vine will be around now that Instagram has video capabilities? In my opinion, Vine’s major mistake was not developing an Android app when it first launched. It could have really owned the video market on both phones, but by the time Android users could get the app–which only worked with later versions of Android–Instagram made its announcement shortly thereafter.
Tag: Instagram
A different filter for Instagram
I always have to preface these types of posts with this statement: my feelings towards social media and technology vary greatly when talking about personal versus business use.
It’s fair to say I can be rather dismissive when it comes to the latest and greatest technology, gadgets, and all around high tech offerings. Not because of some arbitrary feelings of nostalgia, but rather, it’s my need to avoid pointless fads. (I can say with pride I escaped the pitfall of MySpace.)
A few months ago I wrote a fairly pretentious and completely judgmental post about the phone app and social media site Instagram. Now I rejected joining long enough but, being that I work in social media, I wasn’t able to avoid it for too long. So I broke down and started my new life with Instagram. But if you are expecting this post to be a complete retraction to my less than enthusiastic evaluation, you will be sorely disappointed.
I will say, now I see the filters are amusing and how truly creative people can use the medium in ways that will impress even the most cynical of photography snobs. With all my reservations, I finally get that it is just plain and simple fun, even if you use the app to document your entire caloric and caffeine intake for the day. (It’s still annoying but I guess I can forgive it.)
What I won’t concede about is the necessity of a site in and of its self. Using it on your phone is one thing but to trying to connect on a computer is useless. You have to use an outside site, like Webstagram, which I don’t get. And the best mediums to showcase your pictures are still Facebook and Twitter. So I still have a separate site is pointless.
So at the end of the day my views might have softened towards Instagram but I am definitely not a convert. But let’s be real for a second; I’m just salty no one wants to follow me and all the pictures I post of beers at the terrace.
An Instagram worth a thousand words
Some might assume that the news of Instagram’s Android debut being delayed would disappoint my nerdy, amateur photographer self. They would be wrong.
The social media site and app does seem to fit with my compulsive need to take and share pictures. And I am excluded from joining because I actively refuse to join the cult of Apple. But I am not particularly disappointed by the delay nor am I completely sold on Instagram’s potential for something beyond a photo sharing site.
My first hesitation is about the app and it’s fairly petty and more than a little pretentious. With the ability to filter every picture into an “artistic” shot, I worry about oversaturation and a lack of ability to discern between a truly great picture and a picture that just mimics something truly great. While I support art for the masses, I don’t think all pictures are created equal even if they are created by the same filter. I mean, how many color distorted photos of cups of coffee or someone’s lunch are truly great pictures? Or how many do we really need for that matter?
But my second, and more valid, concern about Instagram is the need of its own social media site. You can upload your Instagram photos to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. It’s the redundancy of existing sites that has me concerned. Obviously, for personal use it doesn’t matter as much but for marketing it might. Other social media sites were able to find a unique niche for businesses that elevate them as a branding tool. While businesses are using Instagram and using it well, I am not sure the site itself is a necessity.
I guess I am a little curious for the Android version to be released. But not to join, instead I’m interested to see if my Instagram-apprehension is well-founded or not. Though, I am willing to place bets that in a few months I’ll back track on everything I just said. And then you will be able to enjoy all the vintage looking pictures of coffee cups I can upload.