DDDs and the Presentation Phenomenon

Digital Documentation Devices (DDDs) have seen a steady rise within the past 3 to 5 years due to advances in mobile technology. And while this is positive in almost all fronts, people seem to have lost interest with living in the moment in awe and put greater emphasis on keeping an experience for sharing and self review.

In the recently concluded Architects Summit, we were often treated to performances in one form or another (cultural dances, sports, and whatnot); There is always a familiar sight to expect whenever these kinds of things are happening which is a flock of people, hands raised with a DDD of choice, taking footage and looking more in the screen of their device rather than the performance itself. The list has grown from digicams and camcorders to include high powered cellphone cameras, multimedia players, DSLRs, and, more recently, tablets (which is really the most awkward form of DDD to date).

The act in itself is not really the problem but the resulting video, which would more likely than not have some form of lag and shakiness, would eventually make it into the internet as a form of clutter. This is not to say that everyone who does these types of documentation will have the same negative yield but I’m guessing a good percentage of them will. This behavior is not the fault of the DDDs alone, storage has kept on supplementing it by providing smaller more efficient solutions with ever increasing capacities so even if one cannot put it up on the web for sharing, one could keep it for his/herself and eventually present it again ‘hopefully’; the alternative to which is being kept in storage for so long that eventually it will be the same digital clutter which might just be deleted for some odd reason of eating up drive space.

This phenomenon won’t stop or rather cannot be stopped any more, unless some gigantic EMP fries all of the devices and backups all at the same time everywhere in the world; a scene of science fiction which can just as easily become science fact. And while these acts have its own set of Pros and Cons, I would like to implore some to stop and think about what they’re eventually going to do with their footage and, unless it’s for some justifiable cause and he/she isn’t using a tablet (7in upwards screen), refrain from joining the flock. It would allow for better footage for those with greater cause and you won’t be considered an obstruction mostly.