A Thank You Note to my Readers…

Is this really my last blog post? It seems like I’ll wake up next week and realize I have one more topic to go, but until then, I will blissfully ignore those feelings to write my reflection of the semester.

When I chose my technologies, I decided to start with a topic I knew next to nothing about: Podcasting. You are now looking at the proud subscriber of 15 podcasts, who refreshes Podcast Addict every Thursday, just in Case Serial Season 2 becomes available. I ended up genuinely enjoying podcasts and writing about them, especially for educational uses.

The second semester, I took on vlogging. As a long-time fan of vlogbrothers and other Youtubers, I thought I could easily pop out a post every week.

Wrong.

As I stretched myself to get down to the educational uses, I found that vlogging is very much the same as it was a few years ago. No one is innovating the world of blogging right now. I did find a lot of really cool vlogs, but in the end, I went back to my old friends, John and Hank Green.

The biggest reward, just like vlogging or podcasting is the community that formed around these blogs. I know what it’s like to have no idea what to write about. I know what it’s like to look at your calendar, realize it’s Thursday and you haven’t blogged. I know what it’s like to go back to your blog a week later and find a typo EVERYONE ELSE saw. I bet you do too. I bet we all know how nice the comment sections can be (shockingly).

What kept me going the most was knowing that at the end of the semester I would have a consistent project, that I had gradually worked on, finding something new and creative to write about each week.

Before you all move on to your teaching jobs, design jobs, or remaining IDE classes, I wanted to share something from John Green that motivates me every time I read it.

…which is from the vlog: The Gift of Gary Busey (it’s just as interesting as the title suggests).

I don’t know if I’ll continue blogging, but whatever I make in the future will be creative, innovative, and just a little bit inspired by the vlogbrothers.

The Project for Awesome 2015

When I started writing about vlogging, I had originally planned to post about making your own vlog. I googled a bit, and without making a vlog myself, there was not much I could convey to you that you couldn’t find on your own, internet-savvy readers.

Then, what you would do with it? Post it on Youtube, and social media if you had the confidence. Get a few likes, laugh about it in a few years when it shows up on Timehop.

What if I told you your vlog could reach many interested people and forward a cause you believe in? That is why today, I want to tell all of you about the Project for Awesome, held December 11-12, 2015.

What is the project for awesome?

The Project for Awesome (P4A) is an annual event hosted in part by Youtube and in part by Hank and John Green, who started it in 2007 as a way to, in their words, “decrease worldsuck.” After amassing a significant amount of followers through their original Brotherhood 2.0 project, the Green brothers wanted a way to harness the power of the nerdfighter community. (What’s a “nerdfighter”? read my first post on vlogs here).

Since then, the project has only grown and garnered the attention of fellow vloggers, celebrities, major charities, and even Youtube itself. P4A was also given an official date, being held on the second Friday/Saturday of December. Last year (2014) the project raised a total of $1,200,000 for charities worldwide!

How does the Project for Awesome work?

There are three major parts to the P4A.

Videos: People from around create a 2-4 minute video about a cause or organization meaningful to them and upload it to the Project for Awesome website as well as Youtube. Viewers can vote for whichever videos they like best or feel are most deserving.

Fundraising: Many “perks” will be offered through the P4A Indiegogo campaign. Perks are exclusive items offered only through donations to the P4A campaign. Perks include anything from signed merchandise to pre-released albums and movies from your favorite Youtube personalities. Last year, John Green auctioned off a major prop from his recent blockbuster, The Fault in our Stars.

All funds raised in the first half of P4A will be donated to charities chosen by Hank and John, Save the Children and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Funds raised in the second half will go to the top ten charities, as voted by viewers.

Live: For 48 hours, John, Hank, and surprise guests will host a livestream (think: 1980’s telethon) where they will feature new videos, announce new perks, and do whatever else you can do for 48 hours straight.

Still have questions? Check out the P4A website.

Who is involved in the Project for Awesome?

Anyone who is passionate about decreasing world suck and has a Youtube connection!

This involves this week’s vloggers, Rhett and Link, here in their P4A 2011 video for Malaria No More.

You may remember Rhett & Link from their Podcast I mentioned earlier in the semester, Ear Biscuits. The two actually started off as a vlogging duo, who left their corporate jobs to become internet comedians. It paid off- their net worth is estimated at $7 million. Their channel consists of silly songs and sketches, and their spin-off channel, Good Mythical Morning, is your daily morning show, courtesy of Youtube.

This involves you too!

How can I get involved?

Simply by participating in any way you can, you are helping to decrease worldsuck. Tune in to the livestream on December 11^th and 12^th, buy a perk or two (Christmas is coming up quickly), and if you don’t have much cash to spare, simply liking, rating, and watching videos puts them to the forefront of Youtube. Vote for the charities you feel most passionate about, or even make your own P4A video. Get your friends and students involved as well.

Project for Awesome is a day for vloggers and fans to unite for a cause, to prove that the internet is filled with wonderful people who can make a difference.

So, what’s your video about? Happy vlogging!