Blog your clinical photos

Bell Raj Eapen

 ATLAS Star Medical Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Correspondence Address:
Bell Raj Eapen
Atlas Star Medical Centre, P.O. Box 112392, Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Sir,

I read with interest the article by Kamel Boulos.[1] The article lucidly describes the efficient ways of ′finding the right image online,′ which is the prime concern for dermatologists.

Sophisticated digital cameras have become an essential part of many dermatologists′ armamentarium. Hence the next important concern is how to efficiently share one′s digital photographs. Clinical photographs, directly from the camera, will be huge and need to be optimized for web use. Though many software products are available for this task, image optimization is a difficult job for a dermatologist. Though clinical image libraries like DermAtlas[2] accept contributions, it is difficult to add a personal touch to the postings. Hence sharing of images is mostly done through e-mail, which is possible only with people you know.

A perfect answer to all these image-sharing problems is Blog, which is the short form for weblog. A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is ′blogging′ and someone who keeps a blog is a ′blogger′. Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Many sites offer free blog.[3]

Posting a clinical photo from your digital camera directly to your blog after optimization and adding your comments is simplified to the touch of a button by a product called picasa offered free by Google.[4] If you want to post a note without image, it can even be done directly from Microsoft ® Word, once you install a plug-in.[5]

Blog is a concept becoming popular day by day and with the ease brought about by picasa , it is probably the most efficient and effective way of storing, sharing and discussing clinical images.

1.	Kamel, Boulos MN. Map of dermatology: Web image browser for differential diagnosis in dermatology. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2006;72:72-4. [Google Scholar]
2.	Dermatlas: Dermatology Image Address. Last updated: 2nd February 2006. http://dermatlas.org/derm/ Last accessed: 4th February 2006. [Google Scholar]
3.	Blogger. http://www.blogger.com/start. Last accessed: 4th February 2006. [Google Scholar]
4.	Picasa. http://picasa.google.com/ Last accessed: 4th February 2006. [Google Scholar]
5.	Blogger for Word. http://buzz.blogger.com/bloggerforword.html Last accessed: 4th February 2006. [Google Scholar]