Sunday, January 28, 2007

Video Breeding Ground

Some websites on the internet have a specific audience who they are aiming their site towards. For scientific papers, only scientists in the same field would understand the paper thus that is their audience. Performer’s sites aim for their fans, and a college website speaks to students, teachers, and alumni. All have a way of talking, a jargon that only people interested in the topic would know. These sites, however, are not universal. They speak to only a select group. While these sites are needed www.youtube.com fits another mold entirely.

Like My Space and even search engines in general, You Tube is a site for people in all cultures, backgrounds and nationalities, as long as they speak English. It relates to the young, middle aged, and older generations. You Tube in for anyone who likes to see videos of all kinds, and all who enjoy making them as well. I have found music videos of Patsy Cline, Roger Whitaker, and other older singers that my mom loves, and she is in her fifties. My boss at Riverside Mortgage uses You Tube to keep in contact with other colleagues she works with. So this site is not just for those having fun, but for the business world as well.

Those in business don’t necessarily have to be in a 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. job, however. Plenty of people who display videos on You Tube are trying to showcase their talents for the minute possibility of being discovered and hired for a job. Looking through some of the videos myself, I have seen young children playing musical instruments and numerous wannabe singers. Some have actually been noticed, whether they are extremely good or extremely bad. What matters is if they can stand out. Some who stand out are actually serious about making it in the movie industry. I have heard of a few success stories, people receiving contracts. This is no surprise since the numbers of videos presently on You Tube are probably in the hundred thousands or more.

These videos are currently being produced and watched all over the world and in all time zones. Many people have events, pastimes, and lives which they want to share with the world for some odd reason, and those who have the means i.e. cameras, computer software, knowledge to so this, will. I am part of the other crowd who enjoys watching the videos but do not feel so inclined to share or spend time making them. I can’t say that it is a particular good use of my time, but for others it can be required and educational, depending on what you choose to watch.

Whatever people watch or include in the videos this site is meant to bring all kinds of people together, give opportunities, and perhaps create some change in the creator’s pockets. As so many videos exist on You Tube, it would be very hard to miss the message. People can interpret this site in any way they want as there are no particular guidelines on how to use it. It is a site for lovers of many forms of media and subjects and contains a vast amount of treasures and junk alike. I personally think some of the most viewed videos are worst, but that is for you to decide.

No comments: