Instagram: 15-seconds to Hell
As of late last week Instagram went video. From that day on my feed has been bombarded with sucky videos of people learning how to use this feature. Not that I'm complaining, I think it's normal for people to experiment first with a new product to figure out how it can be best used. I'm complaining because it can go up to 15 seconds long. And I'm complaining because it's in Instagram!
You see the consumer behavior dictates that when you give them this amount of free stuff they always, always take all of it. So if Instagram thought they'd give users 15 seconds for them to use up to that amount, they're wrong in thinking people know how to ration and edit their work. Where I'm getting with this rant is that almost all the videos in my stream is 15 seconds of utter rubbish.
The Idea of Instagram
If you can remember Instagram became famous during the time when the rest of the world was raving on about DSLRs with huge megapixels and super sensors. It was the time when hipsters thought Lomography was cooler because it was more original and authentic. It was the time when some selected few would crack the casings of their plastic film cameras for that light leak effect.
Instagram was the digital version of exactly that low quality filtered trend. That's why they gave us square crops ala - Diana, fake tilt-shifts and silly filters. What followed was the group of users attracted to this simplicity and faux authenticity (the irony, I know).
The Video
Then video came about and it was, instead, high quality and actually proper with image stabilizers and all that. This is confusing. On one hand this company championed old-school, and now they give state-of-the-art video shooting. Of course they try to keep their identity by giving you a host of renamed filters, but that's not the point here.
My thought? Animated GIF. Yes, Tumblr and Google+ have been the platform for animated GIFs for ages now but what is important here is Instagram keeping true to their identity and single purpose. Animated GIFs are essentially stitched up photos running on a loop to give that movement effect like really old cartoon clips. I think that would suit Instagram so much more.
Advertisements, I hear?
When you scroll down your Facebook News Feed now you will be treated with 'Suggested Posts' which are actually advertisements invading the main column which was supposed to be reserved for your friends' posts. Imagine then that your Instagram feed will be filled with 15-second videos, with sound, of advertisements you don't give a damn about.
I understand that Facebook needs to make money off of this expensive investment, but I suggest they only publish advertisements of brands the users are following. Knowing Facebook that won't happen. The result, extreme hate.
Birds of a Feather
Flock together. Specifically away from Instagram. Sure they will attract a new group of users curious about what Instagram and their video are all about, but previously die-hard users will get so annoyed by this choking of their streams that they will leave. Then Instagram will become something other than what it intended to be when they first started. Sounds familiar? This happens not only with the likes of Facebook but every other company pressured by a group of Board members only interested in returns. Problem is this is the start of the demise of almost every company. They need to constantly revisit their purpose in order to not stray.
Dear Instagram: You will be missed.
