ConText: Micro-fame

They can shrink everything nowadays. Yes, even fame has been made compact and easy to handle, thanks to the blogosphere. In this dazzling new world of blogs and social networks, everybody can be famous in their own little way, writes Kevin Courtney.

Is this the old "everyone will be famous for 15 minutes" thing?

Not exactly. Andy Warhol's prediction that all of us will enjoy our quarter of an hour in the limelight has indeed come to pass, but not in the way he would have dreamed. Yes, we will all be famous, but our fan base will be considerably smaller than Westlife's.

How do we achieve this micro-fame?

Let's say you do something cool, such as make a cheap camcorder version of Star Warsin your backyard, using household items as light sabres and getting your mates to play the characters. You're hardly going to break any Hollywood box-office records, but if you tell everyone on the web about your mini-space epic, chances are you're going to attract a loyal band of geeks who will hail you as an auteur of the magnitude of Kubrick - even though nobody outside of this rabid fan base will have a clue who you are.

Who would go to that much trouble?

Actually, a crowd called Backyard Productions has filmed two Star Warsspoofs in a garage in Lincolnshire, on sets created from bubble wrap, bottle tops and yogurt pots. The Empire Strikes Backyardand Star Wars: The Emperor's New Clonescost just a few thousand euro to make, but in the eyes of the films' fans, their maker, Darren Scales is a perfect George Lucas clone.

So he's a micro-celebrity then?

Exactly. With micro-fame you may have a smaller, more select fan base, but you still get the same level of adulation as a Spielberg, a Clooney or a Brangelina. In the blogosphere, things are so fragmented that it's hard for one person to become properly famous, but there's plenty of room for everyone to have a little plot of celebrity that's all their own. And - who knows? - micro-fame could grow into real fame if the conditions are right.

So who in Ireland is a micro-celeb?

Among blogoholics, Irish music blogger Nialler9 enjoys Bono-like levels of fame and worship. His blog, www.nialler9.com, is one of Ireland's most popular music websites, and fans gasp at Nialler9's ability to spot a new talent or identify a trend in music.

How do I get some of this micro-fame?

All you need is a small group of people to become intensely interested in what you have to say, or in the minutiae of your life, and hey presto - you're micro-famous. Just don't rely on your fan base to make you rich.

Try at work:

"Oh, wow, are you the Geekman23? My daughter is your biggest fan! Can I take your picture and put it up on Flickr?"

Try at home:

"Son, if I get one more phone call asking for Luke Skype-walker, I'm confiscating the computer."