I was just looking at the title of my first blog “A blog about blogging and other social media”, when it suddenly struck me that my “great” idea to have “a blog about blogging” isn’t much different than Cosmo Kramer’s (Seinfeld) idea to write a coffee table book about coffee tables.

I’d planned to write today’s blog about the use of video in social networking, so when I had the Kramer revelation, I decided that it was only fitting for me to showcase the video clip where Kramer conceives his idea.  I went to youtube.com, blinkx.com, searchvideo.com, furl.com, revver.com – you name a video site, I couldn’t find the clip I was looking for.  The best I was able to come up with was the above link to wikipedia and another site with the script to the episode: number 074.

The script isn’t what I was looking for.  I wanted to show the video – complete with all of Kramer’s mannerisms and dramatic pause.  This brings me to my point – written word is great, but video is often more descriptive.  If you’ve seen the Seinfeld episode that I’m talking about, click on the above link, search for “coffee table” and read the script. You’ll see what I mean.  If you haven’t seen the episode and you read the part of the script that I’m talking about, you’ll probably have one of those moments we’ve all had before where someone tries to tell you a funny story that doesn’t sound all that funny and ends with “guess you had to be there”, and we’ll both feel like we’re “bowling alone”.

The beauty of video integration with social media is that it gives people one more piece of information, allowing multiple people to “see” the exact same thing and encouraging a more common shared experience.  Written word alone doesn’t do that to the same extent.  Take, as an example, one of the most interesting forms of social media / social networking: on-line dating (sites like match.com, eharmony.com, okcupid.com, plentyoffish.com, etc.).  Users complain that it is impossible for users to gauge chemistry without seeing someone in person.  People are more than their picture and written word.  While, no one that I know wants to see a video of someone talking un-naturally into a camera, someday, users may have the ability to upload videos of themselves doing things they enjoy (playing sports, acting, talking to friends at a social occasion, etc.).  Or, you may see the enablement video chat.  Either way, video has the potential to be used in new ways.

Hmmm… All this talk of video is making me think about how I don’t want just anyone accessing videos of me on-line.   More of my ideas on video (and privacy) in social media in my next blog.