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Breaking down walls 1

The internet is a great barrier reducing machine. It removes hurdles from the path of most types of creativity. 

Some years ago when blogging was at its peak, it almost threatened to disrupt normal courses of reading. Normal courses were books, magazines - both of which were highly restrictive and had fairly high walls. So, the more connected ones got opportunities regardless of talent. When the talented ones did get opportunities and they mostly returned the favour by making the walls higher. In those days getting published in a newspaper was a big thing. Once blogging came about, anybody could become a writer. It also changed the way people consumed information by breaking down barriers and making the consumption of information a two way process. From blogs to twitter it was a short hop.

If it was not for the incessant blogging, there is no way I would have written daily and managed to eventually write my first book. If you are an aspiring writer, the time to start writing is now.

Photography was disrupted - from Digital cameras to sharing apps like Flickr to Picasa to Hipstamatic to Instagram and then further by the mobile camera whose resolution is getting better day by day. So, if you were a photographer, you had everything you wanted to work on your craft. And you better be out there if you want the word to spread.

Videos happened soon enough  and it broke the strangehold of the entry barriers to create video. No longer did you need a high end camera and equipment - anybody could become a videographer. And a further entry barrier as you had to be connected to a gatekeeper like a Television network in order to air your views. And if you had to make movies, it was an even bigger gate. 

Now, video proliferation has broken this barrier. So, if you are an aspiring journalist, go out with that camera and air your views. Many youtube channels have more viewers than television networks. And what of movie makers - the aspiring ones - the ones who make cool movies which are rejected by the studios and the network - well, again, you have platforms. 

Of course, the underlying aspect of it - data for all - is another big leveller - and that has been a great story in India courtesy Jio and the rest of the providers.

But the larger point is that technology and platforms are yours for the taking. I think this deserves a part II

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