By COURTNEY CARR
Staff Writer
Vine account: Courtney Carr
What it is:
According to Vine, it is a way to “create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see”. Basically, Vine is like Instagram, but allows you to share short videos instead of pictures. The purpose is to create a string of images that capture what you are seeing within seconds in a fun, creative, and easy way.
How it Works:
Like most applications, Vine creates your profile by connecting to either Twitter or your Facebook. After a profile is created, the user is free to create a series of short videos that are then stitched together – almost like a flip book. To film, the user presses their finger on the screen, and to stop filming simply lifts and begins to film the next image.
Pros:
It is a great way to show things you are doing, creating, or just something that you like. There is no labor intensive editing since the application does it all itself allowing a user to shoot and post their video in under a minute. Since the application links to either Twitter or Facebook, sharing what you are creating is easy to do without having to save it, then post it yourself.
Cons:
Since this application is just catching on, not a lot of people know what they are doing so the videos are either a hit or complete miss. Also, since it is just newly popular, not a lot of my friends have joined it yet, but everyday more and more people do join. Although a comical con, just be prepared for whatever pops up in the Vine feed. Sometimes a video pops up that is not what you are expecting and you can be caught off guard.
Is it Worth it:
I would definitely recommend this application as it is a fun and fresh idea. I like the aspect of being able to share some moments of my day without having to play with filters or think of something witty to post as a Facebook status. In my opinion, it is also a great way to keep in touch with friends from home and see what they see, wherever they may live, or whatever they may be doing.
Vine is available for free for iPhones, iTouch, and the iPad.
Safety tips:
Be careful of what you share – so basically do not draw a map to where you live and Vine it.
