You too, you tube
YouTube provides food for thought. At a 50,000 foot level, the idea that there is a site where you post videos and people can look at them, doesn't sound very appealing. But like many other Internet capabilities, the features are in the usage, not in the description. The best technology is often "best" because its users find new ways to employ it--often in a manner not thought of by the designers. Youtube is a good candidate for this model, because it's being used as an angsty sort of zeitgeist, where budding auteurs can post their flicks.
The funniest stuff is now on Youtube. I've seen several hilarious ones, most notably Chad Vader, day shift manager. It's even made instant celebrities, like Peter, a 79-year old British retiree, who makes videos and grumbles about little bits of life.
The future? It seems as if the next wave of the Internet will be almost instantaneous sharing of snippets of our lives. If they're interesting enough, people will watch them. If they're compelling enough, we will become a celebrity, for a little while.
Posted on August 15, 2006
