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I guess valueing Facebook at $15 billion is a bit too much, too, then? That's what Microsoft valued Facebook at when it bought a less than 2% share....

I can see why Youtube is worth what it is - the flow of information is so consistent and phenomenal...I guess no matter what, it's going to be worth a lot

Youtube is also like the fascination people have with blogs, it is a way to get your ideas, opinions, views, and anything else that you, yourself, produce out into the world. Youtube lets you publish for the world to see!

That is unbelievable that google is making that much money a year. What did people do before Google was invented, I guess I can not even imaigine a life with out Google anymore. No body even thinks to use a paperback dictionary or go to the libarey to find information, not when you have such an easy resource like Google ready at all times.

I could never sell Google short. Google is my go to website for EVERYTHING. I use google to search at least twice a day. I use Gmail as my second source of e-mail. I use Google calendar to keep myself organized. I now use Googleblog for one of my classes. I even use the scholarly journal search engine. It's convenient and i always find what I'm looking for.

This is rediculous. I do not know why everyone is making such a big deal about a cat falling alseep. Yeah the cat is cute but still to be watched 2 million times in just two weeks....what are people doing on their time off!?!

I find it interesting to see what some people spend their money on. $1.62 billion could be used for so many more productive things and could help so many people in need, yet they spend it on a video of a cat?

I thought this video was adorable and I'm not even a fan of cats. It's nice to watch something that wasn't rehearsed and is just naturally entertaining. This video is what I call short and sweet.

I dont see why someone can say if you are not blogging you do not exist. People have other things to do. Some people enjoy technology and blogging and posting and others dont. Just because someone doesnt like to blog doesnt mean they are not living. Maybe they are more private or scared to post informtion.

I think that facts are amazing about how many people are watching these videos. 65,000 videos is crazy I dont see how people can keep up with adding videos or even just watching them on their spare time.

it is funny because as all of these are ;isted, i remember watching them...youtube has become so integrated into my daily life...

This comedian preformed this dance at the class of 2011 freshman orientation! He was hilarious and told us to check out his website AND search him on youtube.

I think this video is brilliant because it's original, entertaining, and shows real talent. Videos like this one is worth sharing but you have to sort through hundreds and hundreds of pointless ones to come across one worth your time.

I think this is a very interesting video, When watching this clip it looks like the room is spinnig back and forth. I have also noticed that he doesn't wear very bright colors and he never smiles.

This is odd. I don't understand the point of do this. I cannot believe that it was viewed by that many people in six weeks. Why would someone find this cool, I find it weird.

I think this is interesting to see but the question remains in my head: where do people find the time to do this?

I agree that this is horrifying and cruel, but I'm not sure about the hilarious part. I literally cringed for most of the video and had to turn it off after a minute or two. The look on that poor guy's face! It's amazing to see what kind of videos are posted, and I can't even imagine what it must be like to be the person millions of people have laughed at mercilessly.

I agree that this is horrifying and cruel, but I'm not sure about the hilarious part. I literally cringed while watching it, and had to turn it off after a minute or two. The look on that poor guy's face! It's amazing to see the kinds of videos people post. I can't even imagine being the person that millions of people watch and laugh at mercilessly.

This is why people step on the train of you tube. They want to make something out of them self by stepping out into the world and I mean the whole wide world. Maybe they think something bigger and better will come out of the video or posting.

I only watch videos that are pointed out to me on YouTube, but I never just go searching for videos. This one was hysterical. I have to admit I laughed aloud when I saw it. But then when I think about it, why does someone take the time to make these videos and post them? Yes it's funny, but you definitely have way too much time on your hands to make silly videos like these.

I know this video was featured on VH1 as one of the most famous youtube phenomenons.

I completely disagree. I have not posted a thing on youtube or virtually anywhere except for this classroom module but I still exist, and the world isn't going to end just because I don't post.

I found these statements very though provoking. It was previously thought that to exist you needed to make your presence known to mainly those people around you but now with the changing technology has it become necessary to make yourself known to millions of other people you may never directly talk to or meet?

That is truly ashame. The more he read or attempted to read, the redder his ears became. I like to laugh at people just as much as the next person and, quite honestly, sometimes even more. I can appreciate being irreverent, but this was just too painful to watch. I hope his parents don't ever get to watch this or view the mean spirited comments.

I am pretty horrified that they let him suffer like that, especially after you realize he isn't doing too well after the first minute.

I personally did not find this to be hilarious at all. I felt so bad for the guy but it's admirable that he continued with it (knowing that he messed up and wasn't doing well). In situations like these, I put myself in the other person's shoes, which I think everyone should do, and then I bet they wouldn't be laughing.

Funny, entertaining and I can understand why it has gotten 35 million views. I thought is was especially funny when he paid homage to the Brady Bunch!

This video definitely brought me back to the days of my middle school dances. However, what is even more hilarious is how many of these dances I still saw recently at my cousins sweet sixteen.

It's funny that they referenced this particular video. I actually met Judson Laipply, we booked him for freshman orientation this past summer. His act was awesome and really captivated the audience. I also remember hims specifically addressing the fact that you could find this video on youtube and directing the freshman to the site.

I just made a comment about how I saw him at freshman orientation! Then I read this comment, we said the same thing!

It's about time that Hollywood and the media elite realize that they do not have the monopoly on video-entertainment. You-Tube provides a great outlet for amateur singers, comedians, writers, and interactive storytellers. It's all part of the technological evolution, which is a force that appears to be unstoppable.

Interesting. I think he aged well in six years! The same eye contact, same facial expression, and the gloom and doom music were weird. I don't there there was enough contrast in the environment to appreciate the subtle changes.

I really saw no point for this video. I've seen videos similar to this one that show women during their gestation period with the same concept, a picture is taken once a day everyday. That at least would be a cute keepsake for the parents and child but this video has no purpose, I kept watching it, hoping it would get to a point but it never did.

Isn't this what most of YouTube is? People, particularly young adults flooding sites like Youtube with obnoxious videos of themselves singing and dancing - sometimes both? I should know...I'm on there.

I couldn't help but laugh histerically at this video because I know how it feels to be put in the spotlight and freeze all of a sudden. I was in my first pageant my senior year of high school and when I went up for the question, I didn't understand it, so I just kind of stood there, stared at the person who asked me, couldn't make my mouth move and just walked away. Looking back it was hysterical, but at the time I was mortified. This poor guy, he's doing good, he just needs to boost his confidence! He's so stressed!

I absolutely love this line! It reminds me of the original idea for YouTube and its use. Despite it now being commonly used in educational settings, let's face it - many still use YouTube simply for fun, for sharing, and for expression.

This sentence really sums up what has led to the success of YouTube. It has revolutionize the way that people think and act. We are a "YouTube" society. We love posting our own videos and watching videos that others post. We use it for entertainment purposes and educational purposes. YouTube has become a major part of many people's lives all over the world.

It is astounding to actually sit down and think about how much of a "You Tube" country we've become. I, like many others around the world, have probably spent hours in my lifetime searching and exploring videos on You Tube. It is becoming almost a second nature where we have grown to "just go to You Tube" or "just have to see this video." It is really changing our lives.

In thinking about how much video-sharing has become mainstream, one could compare it to blogging. Just a short while ago, blogging was this 'new' thing for teenagers and young adults, that eventually became a common practice (just look at how many people have a Myspace even, let alone sites dedicated just to blog posting). I think now video-sharing is taking this same path, with more and more people finding it commonplace.

In 2006, Time magazine named YOU as their person of the year. This was in reference to the online boom of sharing, whether through social networks, blogs, or videos. The article talked about the new generation of computer users and their reasons for wanting to share their personal moments so freely. I am still wary of putting everything out there, but I do have pictures on MySpace.

I think I typed over someone else's comment. I am jgirl0910, not Kimmerz

Youtube.com is enabling everyone to gain their 15 minutes of fame. You don't have to be on television anymore, you just need a camera and internet access and you could become a celebrity.

I agree with this statement. We are living in a world where we are quite self-centered. You Tube, MySpace, and Facebook provide great examples. We love to post pictures of ourselves for others to see and share with others "how great the party was last weekend". Really, if you think about it, the Internet does provide many with a moment in the spotlight. Even large companies are aware of this by using You Tube videos for advertising purposes. They are much cheaper than paying actors or people to come up with commercial ideas and scripts. Instead, they can underpay people on You Tube to make a much greater profit, without the people even realizing it. They're just happy that their video is on TV.

same idea with blogging....we want people to read our ideas and see us as humans....we get affirmation from their posts about us

This relates to the readings we did for Tuesday, too, specifically "We Are the Web." I'm curious what the sample population was. Considering how many people have blogs, YouTube accounts, webpages, and accounts on other subject-specific websites, I would think 38% was rather low. I wonder if they surveyed peope in general, or people using the Web.

This made me think of the recent switch of political advertisements and commercials shown on tv to now being formatted and constructed to be soley used for youtube and geared towards the youtube audience. Recently, Obama created a video that has received millions of views on youtube and in my opinion it is one of the most influential and most well made political advertisements I've ever seen

Plus, it's excruciating! I felt so bad for him that I just wanted to turn the thing off! It has to be so embarrassing! But instead of eventually forgetting about it--or hoping you can forget about it--YouTube makes it public! It makes embarrassing moments that much more horrifying, and I can't understand how people can get such pleasure out of someone else's pain. It's kind of like a visual gossip center on the web, and though some postings are completely innocent (like the sleeping kitty), others are just plain cruel.

This seems like it would be something that would be very stupid to do I would like to know who some of the people are that viewed this to ask them why!

I think youtube IS worth a lot of money. Why? Cheap entertainment.... it's ridiculous but it is true

I think this is why Youtube is very alluring to kids and teens. The idea of fame really gets to them. I've seen it personally, and I worry that it is dangerous for them... But the allure of fame is one we can't fight easily against

I just hope this isn't inappropriate...

THAT is just scary. What ever happened to "I THINK therefore I am"?!!! Why is it we need to exist to random people that don't exist in our consciousness in order to BE SOMEBODY? It's silly and stupid.

Maybe I am behind the times, but exactly how does a free website become profitable? Is it just advertising, or is there another way to make money?

I need help understanding how YouTube makes its profits. I know advertising, but is there another source of income?

This is funny because I just added this to my other blog. I love this guy's moves! He almost does the Fresh Prince of Bel Air dances better than Will and Carlton.

I feel so bad for this poor guy. It goes from bad to worse. I know what its like to get tongue-tied but the trick is to stay calm. The moment he felt embarrassed he just messed up more and more. Poor guy.

I'm not sure I would go as far as to claim this. Yes, video-sharing and such is and will continue to have a major impact; however, I think watching TV has become too much of a social force with the general American population to say that it is on the brink of ending. New innovations, such as YouTube, may become popular quickly but this does not mean socially-ingrained innovations, such as the 'blue light' of TV, will disappear quickly.

I am not sure I would go as far as to claim this.

This is so funny. And he really got all the dance moves right! I was actually surprised that he could dance that well.

Ithought this would have been more interesting if the background would have told a story, kind of like a personality stuck in time in his surroudings. Especially since his expression never changed, it might have added a little more for me than just watching his hair change.

So adorable... even comical (I was dying laughing) But also proves how far youtube has come to where we can post the most ridiculous videos online.

Just as any writer submits work to be published, Youtube can be seen as the 21 century's publishing through video. It is about making yourseld known and sharing your creativity with others. However, not all videos deserve to be credited as creative and meaningful.

This sort of evokes the idea of the machine and the person and how they are one in some ways. The idea that we teach the machine. I also find the idea that you must post to exist in the world. Do we really need to post all our ideas on the internet in order to have an identity?

Wow. This was hard to watch! I feel bad for him...but it looks like he did not prepare at all and actually should not continue on in the sportscasting world.

I wouldn't call this "mesmerizing", but it was creative. It reminded me of a scene in the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

I wouldn't say this video is "mesmerizing", but it is entertaining. I reminds me of a scene in the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

This was adorable. Everyone should watch "The Mean Kitty Song" video because it is really funny. Anyone who has ever had a kitten will appreciate this video.

This was adorable. Anyone that has ever had a kitten should also watch the YouTube video called "The Mean Kitty Song".

I found this song to be "fetching" also. I have seen other youtube videos with this song playing.

I thought this Romanian pop song is "weirdly fetching" and I have seen many videos with people lipsyncing to it.

True! I like YouTube...I find it very entertaining.

I think YouTube is a great entertainment site. It is interesting to see what people can come up with.

"Therefore you are" in the "computer world"...this does not mean that you do not exist in the "real world".

This relates to the digital world, but this does not mean that one does not exist outside of that world. This is where I think people are getting confused with what reality really is.

This was probably the worst video I've ever seen. I can not believe 3 million people actually watched it. How boring. I tried to think of how it would be if I were to take a photo everyday and I think I would actually try to look good for each one and maybe switch up hairstyles and makeup.

HAHA...That video was actually funny. I actually saw this one before. I don't watch many you tube videos so I was surprised to see one in this article that I have seen before. I have always wondered do people get paid if their video gets viewed a certain amount of times?

I didn't even know what a blog was until last semester when I had to do them for Intro to Advertising... according to Mr. Rishad Tobaccowala I didnt exist. Maybe I still dont exist in his eyes because I have never posted anything on Youtube, I barely watch the videos. I can not believe how serious people are these days about the internet. IDK maybe I am missing something....but reality is not inside the computer.

I can see way it received nearly 35 million views. It is hysterical. I can remember dancing to these songs and making a fool out of myself. It was great fun.

I can understand why it received nearly 35 million views. I think it is hysterically funny. I can remember dancing to these same songs and making a complete fool of myself. I loved it.

I can understand why "evolution of dance" has gotten nearly 35 million views in six months. It is hysterically funny. I remember dancing to these same songs. I acted like an idiot and loved every minute of it.

Everyone longs for their moment in the limelight, their two minutes of fame. It reminds me of the people who try out for "American Idol." They do it for a chance to be on TV. They don't care if they sound horrible. They are like the guy in the "Muma Muma video.

Everyone is looking for their two minutes of fame. It reminds me of the people who try out for "American Idol," they have no talent. They just want to be noticed, like the guy on the "Muma Muma" video.

Everyone is looking for their 2 minutes of fame. It reminds me of the people who try out for the TV show, "American Idol,"they have no talent. They just want to view themselves on TV. The guy on the "Muma Muma video probably did it for his small minutes of fame.

This part about anonymous life made me think about Sherry Turke's article, "Who am We?" and the idea that people use anonymity as a disguise. People can be something they are not and take on a whole new identity, whether in a blog or a game.

I think videos like this are good for the internet. They are a form of entertainment and can amuse you. I don't think that it is misleading in anway.

I think videos liek this are good for the internet because they are used as entertainment. I don't think that they are misleading in anyway.

I personally don't have a problem with youtube making money. I think it is a great source of entertainment and it doesn't mislead viewers as much as other sites. It is all up to the poster. If you post a video on youtube it is your credability. Its like anyone discovering a new invention, I say good for them. It was a good idea and many people enjoy using the site.

It is interesting to see how our entertainment spectrum has changed. Technology has evolved and now allows us to watch videos and tap into the lives of others. Sometimes i sit back and think how my grandmother and dad felt when the telvision first came out. What were they thinking when they could view all sorts of stories. Are their feelings anything different that what we feeling after we watch our youtube videos.

When I watched this, I couldn't help but think of the scene in "Napoleon Dynamite." Still, I thought it was pretty interesting how he really did show a kind of chronological "evolution of dance."

The whole idea of "being somebody" on YouTube brought to mind those six girls and two boys in Florida who attacked another girl on video. When I first read that news story, I was appalled by their behavior and curious as to whether the concept of Internet fame had desensitized them to their deplorable actions.

I have been watching Sportscenter since I was born. This is by the far the worse commentating job I've ever seen. He was only a freshman but come on! They left him out to dry, it should have been stopped after the "dynamite" comment.

My cousin showed me this awhile ago. It is really funny but I have to give respect to the guy...he can dance. Elvis and MC Hammer would be proud.

Youtube is the best website ever created. If my friends and I are bored Youtube is always there with ridiculously funny clips to keep our amusement for hours.

I get that this is cute. I will grant that. But what is the point? I don't understand why so many people watch this video. At least the Numa Numa guy is entertaining.

Ok, this guy is really creepy. Who thinks to take a picture of themself everday for 6 years. Who has that much free time and dedication. More importantly, who thinks this is interesting? I think it is a great idea for a child to chronicle growth, but this is weird.

Just like blogs have made writers publishers, YouTube has made the average person a film maker. Think about, everyone looks for their 15 minutes of fame. YouTube grants them access to the entire world. I'd say that gives them more than 15 minutes.

There are plenty of people, myself included, who have this creative side. This need or desire to "make" something meaningful. For me, it is to write. Most of us don't think we have an outlet for our creativity because, afterall, we are not gifted writers, film makers, and thespians. YouTube gives us an outlet to express ourselves. I believe that is why YouTube and, for that matter, blogs, have taken on a life of their own. It is a catalyst for creativity for the every day person.

This seems kind of deceptive, in my opinion, especially when they realized what might be against them. On the one hand, it's wrong to make people think you are what you aren't when there is no way to note the fact it is ficiton, yet on the other hand, I don't know if they ever would've gotten the start they did without taking the steps they took.

I like this whole idea of making your own TV show on the Web. It makes me wonder if TV will be renamed and some acronym for computer show will replace it. Podcasts? Is that what they are? If some one can tell me, let me know!

this sounds like half of the people on youtube, talking into the camera and wishing someone would listen....similar to bloggers.

Being that he was beat as a kid you would think that he would have made his character cool and not awkward a geeky. This would be a way he could escape what happen to him.

This shows that eventhough he did not sell any of his scripts at first that he did not quit.

This just goes to show that you need to be aware of who your audience is in order to get your message (or in this case, your creation) out for the public to view.

If this "show" is the future of television, I won't need to invest in a TV or cable anymore because I think this is ridiculous and not entertaining.

The more I read the more interesting it sound, it is to bad they could not have just admitted from the beginning that they are just trying to get a web tv type show. People would still watch if it was interesting enough.

People want something they can relate to and many teenagers have family problems.

By not telling the audience whether this character was real or not, everyone automatically assumed that she was real. Maybe it was just realistic casting. This is like an online mockumentary but instead of being viewed by a small group of followers gained an enormous following almost instaneously.

Yes making 500 dollars a week is okay for a 27 year old, but I would personally hate the fact that I'd have to keep my identity hidden all the time, and couldn't tell anyone what was really going on, that has to get stressful.

This is so old hollywood. During the filming of Gone With The Wind, the studio forced Vivien Leigh to live separate from her husband to continue the illusion of her being a single eligible southern belle. Also, many of the studios knew then and still use the practice now of setting up known gay actors with romances to throw the public off. I think the studios care more about this than the public does now, but the practice still goes on to this day.

Brillant! Getting the community sucked into the plot is big, but getting the community to start speculating about the plot is even bigger. When people start speculating, a dialogue occurs and from that dialogue the speculation spreads like a virus, which in turn promotes more interest in Bree and more viewers to follow the story.

Who cares whether she was real or not. The purpose of watching the videos is for entertainment and to get in on the new wave of storytelling.

it is interesting that people would get to the point that they would correspond with her. I can understand why if they thought she was real, but after that, I'd think to continue would be strange

I think when people find a connection with someone, real or imagined, it gets in touch with something inside of them that reaches out. This maybe is the whole point of cyberspace, to reach outside of who we are and try to connect on a difference level

This is a good point. I never thought about how youtube videos are basically in the hands of its viewers

Yes many of the YouTube videos show what work and what doesnt work according to how good the video is.

It's amazing how addicting things like this are. Even though people have already viewed the "episode," they return to it. Maybe they're hoping to find out more about her? Perhaps it became part of the investigation into who she is. To me, it's a little reminiscent of releasing DVD versions of television shows.

This attention as I mentioned before can be both positive and negative. It raises concerns

The character and the actress need to separate. It's dangerous when the two become fused.

This was the only aspect that threw me off from thinking it was real.

This just goes to show how the idea of privacy has changed in a technology-oriented society. As Vaidhyanathan talks about in his article, we can always be tracked somehow given the technologies we use daily.

This idea of always being tracked just makes me nervous. I am such a private person when it comes to certain things. I will tell you 90% of my life story, but that last 10% is mine. I think about that about that alot in relation to all of the sites that I belong to and subscribe too. They probably have more information on me than my own mother knows and there really is no way to exist without it.

people like the idea that they are watching reality, hence the fascination with dating shows and reality tv. they feel closer to the characters and the experience. we feel a need for shared experiences.

people like the idea that they are experiencing reality. we liked the shared experiences with others...it makes us feel more human to witness them occurring in someone else's life.

it is amazing that people get so involved and look so far into this. when i go on youtube, i am looking up a music video, i don't latch onto a series.....are there more like this on youtube?

Who actually has the time to watch something that intently and notice the SKU number on background items in a video? that borders on obsession

Reading up until this point, I kept thinking how creepy the creators were. Now I'm thinking they played into their target audience very well. They were able to create online videos that attracted such a faithful audience (possibly crazy with too much time on their hands as well, but nonetheless) willing to go over every detail.

Just goes to show you what you can accomplish with a well dressed set. Iam still so fascinated by the public's love for stuff like this. I guess it brings out the voyeurism in all of us in what many consider a safe outlet.

it seems crazy that he would give up a career, any career let alone being a surgeon, to start an unpaid youtube series. what was in it for him?

Although, I am not really for what these men did, I do give them credit. They took a risk, and it proved to be revolutionary for both the Internet and You Tube. It changed the way that many people view, You Tube. They created a story which captured the lives of many audience members. This must have been a great feeling when they realized that their story was changing the world.

This is so war of the worlds. People assuming that what they are seeing and hearing is real because they are seeing is depicted as real. If this was on ast teeno'clock on a Thursday night we would not assume the same thing.

This is interesting, because the Internet does allow the audience to interact with the content presented. In the Lonelygirl's story, viewers were able to present all types of ideas and feelings. This, in turn, allowed them to feel connected emotionally, much more than if they watched a reality television show. This is what they believed to be a "real" person who cared about their imput and feedback.

This is a great way to keep people comming back alway make them wonder what is going to happen next.

This is something that I would have a problem with I could not stay home that much. Plus i would want to tell everyone.

Now this is ridiculous. Did she not see she is losing her life to this? Come on, she's a young adult and if she plays this character on a Youtube video she has to stay home in the dark and not have a life? This is totally ridiculous! Where are her parents in all of this? Her friends? What's going on here?

It is a good thing that his father gave him the money because if not she would have started to work at Fridays and they could not have used her in the series.

This shows that you can never really escape from things there is always a trail.

That's about the most unusual proposition available for an actress, isn't it? It's kind of hard to believe she even agreed to it at first, especially since she wasn't even paid! And even once she was, she couldn't tell? Her career changed her lifestyle, though not in the way it usually tends to for celebrities.

Again, demonstrating how convenient Youtube it. As Americans, we want instant gratification.

Sure it worked, it plays out like a soap opera. Look how many years Erica Kane from "All My Children" survived on TV. People love the suspense and drama that unfolds in the world of others

This should make the Internet users more cognicient that nothing is ever ireally private. You need to be aware, if it is out there, anyone can gain acess to your infomation.

This is what worries me about all of this "free say" and "free expression" online. These websites are making it very easy for others to copy or steal ideas, sometimes without the true creator's knowledge. Currently, there really aren't any copyright laws about this, because no one really knows what to do about these problems.

This is quite true. We love to talk about what's going on in Hollywood, on reality shows, and the Internet. It gives us something to talk about, something to relate to with each other. With the Internet, we are able to actually show others what we are talking about.

This is interesting to think about. These "themed" and tagged sites do offer problems for advertising companies. Because thousands of new videos are being posted on You Tube, it is often hard to control and monitor what is posted.

True. Entertainment on the web is vastly different than what is found on television, especially when specific channels can boast specific content. Advertisers might not be aware of what it is they are working with when using YouTube. They like to syncronize ads with content of similarity; if you don't know the content, you don't know if the ad is appropriate for the respective viewer.

I do not think that if i was an advertiser i would associate myself with these things. They are uselly things that turn people away.

As much I would hope that advertisers would not associate with these types of things, I am not so sure they would shy away. Look at what airs now on reality TV shows. Eventually, if the general public doesn't act in an uproar over something, I think the advertisers will latch on.

I know there is a lot of risk when advertisers associate themselves with violence, porn, etc... but the truth is, is that is what sells and gets the most attention. People don't wanna hear boring, everyday issues. They want drama, and lots of it. So, if that means incorporating violence, hate, or God, then I bet they will.

This is true people will stick with what they know and are comfotable with.

This is very true when something gets really popular everone wants to see it even if they do not injoy it.

While this is true, I also think a lot of people want others to see them. The notion of people wanting to have their 15 minutes of fame should probably not be overlooked when talking about why YouTube is here to stay.

I think this is really true. But I also think that in some ways it is beginning to delute certain genres. Everyone thinks they can make a movie now and the fact that you can make a digital movie doesn't mean it was worth making. Director's like Scorsese spend years honing their crafts and this instantaneous everyone is a star atttitude dimishes artists like this. And i must admit, i will watch the stuff on Youtube for hours at a time, but i never see these clips as anywhere near the quality of a seasoned film maker.

These videos could produce very specialized advertising. Those that would pose these types of videos can be targeted by morally ambigious advertisers for very specific products or services. That is scary.

I know there is a lot of risk when advertisers associate themselves with violence, porn, etc... but the truth is, is that is what sells and gets the most attention. People don't wanna hear boring, everyday issues. They want drama, and lots of it. So, if that means incorporating violence, hate, or God, then I bet they will.

Is this really true though? A few paragraphs before, the article talks about the futile attempts to remove copyrighted material from YouTube. If the users are okay with posting videos that result in copyright infringement, are we really to be believe that there is not a good number of people trying (and probably succeeding, at least on some level) to post violent, pornographic, obscene, etc videos on the site. If I were an advertiser, I'd be very hesitant to post my product where the users are "policing their own space".

I'm not sure what advertisers will do about this. However, I do believe that someone will be able to find a way to reasolve this issue. There is no way that a cat food company would let their product be associated with animal cruelty.

Everything has to be about money. No wonder it will take them so long to figure something out, even if it is really important, because one mess up could cost them billions. I hate that our world revolves around money!!

Youtube isn't going anywhere, it really has only JUST begun. It will advnce just as technology keeps advancing and could someday replace television altogether. Or maybe something better than Youtube could come along?

Again, I feel that this comes back to the concept of community. True, we sit at computers by ourselves, and it is a lonely or individual act. However, the need to feel a part of something while we're engaging in this personal act shows how much people enjoy being a part of something.

Which is why Youtube is so convenient; we DO long to discuss things and engage. Youtube is just another way to do that and it makes discussion it easier.

Which seems like a logical and smart action.

I like it when there are member ratings on items. I do not see any harm in it. It would help other viewers and it would help the advertisers. It would be the viewer's choice to participate.

This sounds like an interesting compromise. It still allows for creativity and no legal toes are stepped on. The only thing I would worry about is the details on the "split of ad revenue".

It is what all mass media banks on. Our human nature and our desire to laugh at someone or to question or speculate about something, like who is going to be the next on "Survivor" to win a million dollars.

I think until customrs object, advertisers will associate themselves with whatever is going to sales. We have seen over and over in other media such as TV and radio that an advertiser will pull something when there is a public outcry. Where is there barometer before that? I think it''s in their pockets and their bank accounts.

Humans love ANYTHING that gives us something to talk about. Youtube sparks conversations. What is cool about it is if someone hasn't seen a certain video, it is so easy to look up. The viewer can go back and view it whenever.

I've never heard of Soapbox. Among my group of friends, YouTube is pretty much entrenched in their lives, for now. Which isn't to say if something better comes along they wouldn't immediately switch. I'm just saying that it can't be too much competition if I have never even heard the phrase uttered.

This point caught my attention. I used to coach competition cheerleading, and for a mix of sound effects, voice overs, sound clips, and songs it would cost over $300 to be mixed by a DJ. As far I am aware, a portion of that had to go to paying for the license to the songs. That's a significant sum of money for 8th graders to jump around to for four months, and yet some things can just be put up without regulation online.

I didn't think it was that funny, and I felt really bad for the kid, because he was clearly nervous. Even worse now, because of this YouTube video, thousads of people a week can watch him stammer and stumble his way through this sports cast, and he probably had no say in the video being put up, which is one of the problems with YouTube. Some of the video's are self posted, and others are put up by friends (for example) who thinks its funny to embarass their friend. I've seen it happen.

"LOL"- This reading is filled with the new slang of the 21 century. Who would have thought that a figure of spech, such as this one, would end up in a published article.