So Google is attempting to make YouTube profitable with ads that overlay video content on the bottom of the screen for a short period. Upon first reading about this form of advertisement, I was skeptical; I absolutely hate the moving pop-up ads that appear at the bottom-right corner of the screen on some channels, promoting programs other than the one you're watching.
On the other hand, it is at least reassuring that it will only appear on content created by media companies that have licensed their videos to YouTube. Putting ads on Viewer Created Content (VC2) would be practically sacreligious. I'm pretty sure YouTube would not only lose its legitimacy with amateur content creators that way, but also with most viewers.Additionally, as mentioned in the NYTimes article (linked to the Title of this blog entry), this will hopefully convince more media companies to partner with YouTube to show their content. The populist nature of YouTube makes it the perfect medium with which to create buzz for programming. I think it's silly that there are people/companies who think that providing content online will cut away from regular viewership; I know I only get sucked into wanting to watch TV shows on a regular basis after watching them online, on DVD, or in any other format. It blows my mind that so many in the media business, whether it's television, print news, or whatever, seem so afraid of the Internet.
Andrew Keen, who was on the Colbert Report recently, is one of the idiots perpetuating the idea that the Internet is bad for art, culture, etc. As someone trying to make a living as a writer, I should be more sympathetic to that view than anyone. But he's not seeing the forest for the trees. He says Colbert is losing money from his show airing on YouTube; he also says he knows more about the Internet than Colbert. Both claims are ridiculous. Clearly, Stephen Colbert has harnessed the power of the Internet to promote his show and his right-wing persona better than any other celebrity. Just take, for instance, the fact that Colbert's speech at the White House Corresondent's Dinner was a No. 1 hit on iTunes, or that he single-handedly changed the population status of the African elephant on Wikipedia. His viewers have made him a sensation on the Internet, and more than likely, that has come full circle to earn him more viewership.
The point is, I think Andrew Keen is absolutely wrong about everything he says during this interview and that increased partnership between media companies and YouTube would be good for everyone.
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