James Riner

Although it only launched in 2005, [YouTube] quickly came to dominate online videos, with because of its straightforward interface and simple tools for sharing and embedding material

he web sensation YouTube seems like such a common part of the Internet today. With domains such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and Google, YouTube stands as one of the greats of the Pantheon of Internet Gods. Faithful subjects flock to these digital temples to commune and receive some of the best the Internet has to offer. When someone wants to see a popular video, or needs instruction on how to make something new; when instant video news is desired, or a good comedic sketch wants to be shared; when a lesson in school needs to be visibly demonstrated, or a historical clip wishes to be spread; many turn to the ever growing domain of YouTube for their video desires. YouTube is such a common part of our culture today. It is

used in schools, institutions and news media outlets; and people of a variety all of ages view it. It even invades our very speech. David Gauntlett in his book Making is Connecting points out that YouTube follows the same pattern that Google did: people today commonly use its name as a verb . If someone wants to find a desired video, one merely needs to YouTube it (5). YouTube is so ingrained in our society today that its hard to believe that the media site is only seven years old. Soon after its creation, YouTube grew exceptionally quick for its humble beginnings. Three former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim created YouTube in the summer of 2005. They wanted an easier and faster way of posting videos and sharing them with others online. They

YouTube is . . . a home for poets, engineers, medics, teachers, and a vast multitude of others, and the content is now an incredible array of material in diverse styles, on an enormous range of topics

launched their first video, Me at the Zoo, in June of that year, and since then there have been billions of videos posted (Hopkins). YouTube reached web popularity in a very short amount of time. David Gauntlett says, Although it only launched in 2005, [YouTube] quickly came to dominate online videos, with because of its straightforward interface and simple tools for sharing and embedding material (83). Within a year of its launch, Google bought out YouTube for $1.65 billion. Unfortunately though, according to Michael Strangelove , this buy out has yet to fully benefit Google.

Critics claim that Google grossly overpaid for YouTube and the site will never make a reasonable profit. Like any new Internet venture, its future is far from certain (6). Over the years, YouTubes audience base has grown and expanded very quickly. Starting with young amateurs and hopeful stars, the YouTube community has grown to include a large diversity of people posting and watching videos. Gauntlett says, Whilst early contributions to the site seemed to be mostly youthful skateboard stunts and amateur music videos, the range soon blossomed, and YouTube is now, of course, a home for

poets, engineers, medics, teachers, and a vast multitude of others, and the content is now an incredible array of material in diverse styles, on an enormous range of topics (89). It is this collection of amateur videos from a variety of people that define what YouTube is. David Guantlett points out that YouTubes tagline, Broadcast Yourself, points to the outward-facing, and possibly autobiographical, nature of the anticipated videos (93). However, Gauntlett argues that YouTube is not just about people on high egos, selfcentered on what they think. YouTube is not a one- way

conversation. YouTubes functionality encourages much more than mere individualized look at me self-exhibition; it actively encourages users to make comments, to subscribe, to give star ratings, to add friends, and send messages, and to make videos responding to other videos. Gauntlett sums it up by saying YouTube is more than a video, its a community (93). Michael Strangelove views YouTube in a very similar way. Strangelove says, YouTube is not merely an archive of moving images. It is much more than a fast-growing collection of millions of homemade videos. It is an intense emotional experience. YouTube is a social space. This virtual community reflects the cultural politics of the present times and thus is rife with both cooperation and conflict (4). YouTube can be is a place where issues can are be argued, causes can be are

supported, and messages can be are shared. Politicians, churches, businesses, schools, and most of all, individuals have utilized this powerful aspect of YouTube. What makes YouTube unique when compared to other amateur video platforms is its combination of amateur video and professional video media. Michael Strangelove explains this relationship. The attraction of YouTube is that it contains both commercial content what we see on television and at the theatre as well as non-commercial content. YouTube represents a deepening interrelationship between user-generated content such as amateur video and commercially produced content (7). This commercial aspect of YouTube is in fact the way the company stays afloat financially. YouTube makes the majority of its revenue by delivering audiences to advertisers (Strangelove 6). Unfortunately, this might be the underlying reason why YouTube is staying below the expectations of its owner,

Google. Strangelove shares, In 2009 YouTube was selling advertisements against no more that 9 per cent of video in the U.S. YouTubes advertising revenue was so lovelow that a May 2009 edition of Time magazine included YouTube among a list of the most colossal tech failures of the last decade (7). Despite these negative reviews and criticisms, Strangelove still feels, It is far too early to start writing YouTubes obituary (7 ). YouTube is more than a video, its a community