The Age of the Micro Celebrity (that's you)

We live in an exciting age where the internet and social media have yielded a new type of fame. Blogs, fan pages, and Twitter accounts are the root cause of a status that I am going to call Micro Celebrity.

Not two decades ago the only way to achieve 'fame' was to break into the bastion of television or Film. You needed to do something significantly noteworthy to grant you some elbow room on the compact and crowded stage of public attention. Such fame was characterised by widespread recognition, fans hanging on every word spoken by our hero, and a pervading respect for whatever facet of human kind which they had so eloquently demonstrated.

However times have changed, and every few minutes, a Micro Celebrity is born. I am talking of course about those who have, sometimes unwittingly, built themselves a significant online presence and substantive following of the public who offer many of the hallmarks of success which I outlined above. Geeks are branded Gurus, the shy have become peacocks, and the sceptics have become sharers.

It is becoming an increasingly common facet of polite society to digest your life and inner monologue into a pithy media showcase. Students rocket to being celebrities (and sometimes millionaires) with viral online videos like songifys Charlie Sheen Winning. We have the infamous City Boy who became an overnight success with his columns giving an anonymous insider view of the London Money markets who now maintains a suitably intriguing website. Comic twitter pseudonyms such as @Queen_UK enjoy national following and thousands daily enjoy engaging 'Elizabeth Windsor' with jovial comments and exchanges.

So we have moved on from the purely A-grade domination of Celebrities seen in the 80's and 90's. We have even moved from our fetish for endless D-Listers in the Big Brother dominated years of the 00's. We have a new breed, and I think they might be the best one yet. Who better to idolise than someone of humble origins who simply has something genuinely interesting to offer? They promise delivery of value before having praise heaped upon them rather than leaving us cold like so many generic A-D list counterparts.

These individuals are also working examples of brilliant use of social media and the full power of internet blogging tools. A genuine bubbling enthusiasm for a topic provokes their conception, and the discerning eye of the connected public consciously selects them for a place in the internet hall of fame.

I recently read an article suggesting that social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogging sites etc. are in fact improving the collective publics ability to represent and share their character. Far from being a nerdy or antisocial persuit, sitting at your computer or smartphone can be extremely fulfilling. And what better boost to your confidence than putting your genuine character 'out-there' and it being broadly embraced by a wider community?

So we can all be Micro Celebrities (not always welcome as in the case of this besieged Australian woman). Many of you will know some already within your spheres of Work or University. They are people who have a kind of bubbling subtext to their presence from what they have been doing online. The real asset we have is the open and good-spirited community of sharing and communication which has developed. Long may it remain, just don't expect to get mega rich from being micro famous.

Are you a giver or a taker?

The internet is a wonderful thing, and it feels like we are presently realising a renaissance in the beauty of sharing information with each other, free of borders and restrictions (unless you live in China apparently http://tinyurl.com/67crvtk). There is a stupefying amount of content available to even the most pedestrian of internet surfers and with the ever increasing intelligence of search mechanisms it has never been easier to find what you need quickly and cheaply. Google are of course attempting to lead the way with their relentless aggregation of data and one-upmanship development strategies. The most recent addition to their portfolio being 'Google Recipies' (http://tinyurl.com/4zjbvsl) which intelligently scours the web to provide you with a novel idea for your next meal.


But where does all this content come from, and how is it possible that it is mostly free to the end user? Well the obvious answer is commercial gain from different sources. More often than not content is cunningly interleaved with a revenue stream, be it advertising or retail affiliation. It is just possible however that the Internet is driven by an even more prevalent human trait than a love of wealth. Many ordinary members of society lead a Clark-Kent like existence between their daily persona and their on-line presence. A prime example is Mr Robert Scoble, an ex-Microsoft Employee who now commands impressive power in the Global blogging scene (http://scobleizer.com/). Now I wouldn't seek to speculate on Mr Scoble's off-line existence, but something tells me it might be more of the Dungeons and Dragons variety rather than the Global trendsetter which he can quite rightly claim to be when at the helm of his blog. What drives many such people is an age-old desire to commit thoughts to (digital) paper and very often the "Contributors" of the web do so for the good of the Internet Public.


So we live in an age where information is largely free if you know where to look. But it all has a rather "Church fete" feeling about it don't you think? All to often the brow-beaten moderators of technical forums are used and abused by the great unwashed and left hanging once they have fulfilled their usefulness (https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/135499). The blogger's of this world rarely make much cash from their exploits but still devote a good deal of time to trying to write in a compelling manner when they are unlikely to ever meet most of their audiences. Now of course most of these pursuits are optional, but human goodwill is never limitless. How long will the rich mine of solutions, guides, forums, recipes, maps, and even Medical advice survive before it is plundered by the ever growing internet population? (myself being one of the worst culprits)


Well odds on we have got a while before an apocalyptic ceasing of all content creation, and it might never happen. But it does raise the question, what do you bring to the Internet Party? Are you a grinning free-loader who fills their pockets on the way out, or a diligent guest who brings all your own food, a bottle of Vintage Champagne and helps to clean up when everyone has gone home?


Image Credit: xkcd