Gotten intrigued first thing Monday
Over the weekend it came to my attention that certain web personalities were not exactly being responsible with their image, attitude and influence that they portray online. I'm not going to go into who exactly they are and what they've done wrong because I don't want to get involved in the entire fiasco - I'm twenty-something years old, these trivial dramas belong in high school, not otherwise. And that is my opinion on that matter.
What my Meow is about therefore is what [I believe] makes up a good web personality and to throw out some caution to think about before embarking into the vast world that is the internet.
How do you get started?
Being a web personality essentially means you create an image and personality that becomes well known throughout the internet. You might do this through a blog, twitter, youtube, blogtv, a website, so on. Most often you portray yourself or you amplify your personality in some way. So for example if you're really hyperactive then that will be the sole trait you portray online.
What traits make up a good personality?
● Be genuine: Don't give the internet world the entire nitty-gritty on yourself but generally being somewhat of a genuine person helps a lot especially if you connect with people on a large scale like through youtube. Going by an alias is fine, even choosing not to disclose your age but otherwise don't pretend to be someone you're not, it isn't the best way to make an impact with people.
● Being upbeat, positive and opinionated: Well, not necessarily in that order or all together. Also there are a lot more traits you can have that aren't those three! Just to give you a head start, I've noticed that people mostly enjoy upbeat personalities who have a sunny, happy-go-lucky sort of life that shows through whatever they have going online. Also, the more interesting you are and varied in your interests, the wider range of people you'll get through to.
● Keeping up appearances: By this, I don't mean you have to be drop dead gorgeous in order to make it out there online. No, that is really not true at all! What I mean is, give off a good example especially if you know you cater towards a younger circle. Be responsible, and at least give disclaimers!!!
What you should look out for?
● Make sure you don't violate any copyrights: Even if you're using a song in a video that is otherwise entirely content you've come up with, make sure you credit the song. There is a high risk of being sued or warned about copyright infringement - the law is tough these days!
● Prepare for criticism, rude remarks, know-it-all comments and all forms of negativity you can think of: Not everyone is going to love you, like you or even tolerate you but it doesn't mean it's a bad thing! The best way is to not be rude back, people have a right to say what they think and even if they say something entirely uncalled for don't retaliate since it'll cause a bigger mess! Be smart about the negativity and just let it pass, in the end people shouldn't even bother with you if they don't like you to begin with (: Oh, and always embrace constructive criticism - people give it as so you take it into consideration and can improve!
● The commitment: You're going to have to be really committed to your online life if you want it to get out there! Throwing out content on a daily basis is no easy feat but always remember that the people who absorb that content are going to want it to be consistent...after all, it is so easy for them to move on and find someone else who is doing the same thing you're doing!
By all means this entry isn't extensive nor is it something to live by but I just thought it would be interesting to address this issue. What do you think about web personalities? Do you think they ought to step up and be responsible about the image they portray?
