Blade 376
Miles Dyer, aka Blade 376, is 22 and from South East England. Since posting his first video blog in 2006, he has attracted over 24,000 subscribers and garnered almost 600,000 visits to his YouTube channel.
I guess we all like to think we have something interesting to say, that our particular viewpoint offers a unique look at the human experience.
It's not always like that, of course.
But, Blade's story is really the story of how quick, easy video blogging technology and vibrant social networks can amplify one person's journey into something of significance and value for tens of thousands of people.
Blade is essentially making a self-shot documentary of his life - in real time. And due to the collaborative nature of the internet, his life is subject to analysis and comment on a daily basis. But, far from this being restrictive and inhibiting, it appears to have liberated him.
The support he enjoys as a result of his video blogging has empowered him to become an active participant in society; campaigning for charities (like The Teens' Speech), planning gatherings and lecturing at universities.
Inevitably, traditional media has come courting. It will be interesting to see how Blade embraces it. My instinct is that he feels most comfortable online and that he has an irrevocable connection with his audience. No matter what his future holds, I don't see him giving up on them, or them giving up on him.
A thriving relationship built on honesty, inspiration, connectedness and belief is something we can all learn from.
