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August 8, 2005

Profile - YouTube

Michael Arrington

63 comments »

Company: YouTube
Launched: early 2005
Location: Palo Alto, California

Overview:

YouTube is very much like flickr (profile), but for videos. You can upload videos in a number of different formats ( .AVI, .MOV, and .MPG ). Videos can be of any length, but must be less than 100 mb in total size. Editorial restrictions consist of no “nudity and your video must be appropriate for all audiences.” (link). For additional requirements, see their help page.

The service is completely free to users (publishers and viewers). YouTube converts video to a flash format, and therefore upload and playback is extremely fast. In our tests, videos uploaded significantly faster than in other services.

YouTube is also a sharing network. You can add friends who are also member of the network, and email any video to anyone. YouTube also provides easy to use copy/paste code for emailing and posting on a website. You can also tag your videos, which results in bunching in a very similar way as flickr. Overall, the service is excellent.

The service has recently been launched but seems to have quite a few users who have posted lots of content. Our absolute favorite is Matt Dances around the World. It shows an ex-programmer who’s travelling the world and dancing at famous locations - it’s awesome and very popular on the site. Other favorites are this and this (that’s me in the red shirt. ok, not) (how do people do this?).

I suspect YouTube will be quickly acquired and/or duplicated. We love it.

Additional Links: SurfersSurf, SolutionWatch, 23Corner, Technoogle, Jason Pearce (note the comments), MochiBot, HyperGuru

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Monday, August 8th, 2005 at 11:51 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Trackbacks/Pings (Trackback URL)

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  9. TechCrunch » TechCrunch on Slashdot

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  11. Jason Prini .com » Free video hosting: YouTube vs. Google video

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  13. A geek’s description of Youtube at Welcome to YouTubeGames.com!

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  15. Blog Traffic #5: SEO for Dumies (Dummies is trademarked) at Okdork.com

    August 4th, 2006 at 12:48 am

  16. Techcrunch » Blog Archive » Google Has Acquired YouTube

    October 9th, 2006 at 2:09 pm

  17. TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » 速報! GoogleがYouTubeを買収

    October 9th, 2006 at 3:44 pm

  18. Google Has Acquired YouTube « Yubby Blogworks

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Comments

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  1. Paul Sweeney

    August 9th, 2005 at 6:14 am

    Yip. Agree. This you tube thing is great. This thing will be huge.

    Someone should look at building in a good taxonomy/ search capability into the thing though, perhaps some kind of rating / recommendation system….

    P

  2. Abe

    August 9th, 2005 at 7:07 am

    Good find. This space will be heating up in the next 6-12 months. I am sure of it.

    YouTube seems to have a great head start. Let’s see if they can continue their momentum.

  3. Seth Reed

    August 9th, 2005 at 12:21 pm

    how is YouTube “Web 2.0″? as far as I can tell, there is no way to get an RSS of my videos, and there is little to no use of AJAX.

    overall, it’s a very nice site, but I feel that the almost scary Terms of Service (read section 6) will keep most “content innovators” away.

    it would behoove YouTube to add support for the Creative Commons, as competitor Blip.tv does.

  4. Michael Arrington

    August 10th, 2005 at 8:50 am

    Hi Seth,

    To me, a key part of “web 2.0″ is the ability to share information. We look at YouTube as blogging, with video. The tagging aspect is also a great way to help people search/find/obtain the information.

    I haven’t read their T&Cs…Will do now. What’s in section 6 that worries you?

    Mike

  5. Steve

    August 10th, 2005 at 6:31 pm

    Hi. I’m one of the guys behind YouTutube.

    We produce RSS feeds for recently added and top viewed. We provide dynamic RSS feeds for all tags, so you can subscribe to a feed for any new content that matches certain tag words. We also provide RSS feeds for users so you can subscribe to RSS feeds for users that you know to provide interesting content.

    Along the “web 2.0″ theme, we also provide an open, XML API interface for third party developers to integrate YouTube in their application.

    Are tags “web 2.0″? The primary way videos are tied together are through tags.

    We are adopting a Creative Commons T&C this week.

  6. Steve

    August 11th, 2005 at 4:16 am

    The Terms of Use has been updated to remove the clause regarding YouTube’s ownership of the rights on uploaded videos. This right is being returned to the owners of the videos.

    Thanks.

  7. Michael Arrington

    August 11th, 2005 at 7:13 am

    Steve,

    Smart move. Thank you for letting us know.

    Mike

  8. Fuzzy

    August 14th, 2005 at 8:54 am

    BlogMatrix offers video, audio storage and blogging services, it’s cheap and easy to use.

  9. Michelle

    August 19th, 2005 at 2:44 pm

    YouTube is a great site to get lost in and I thing far better than Vimeo. I heard a rumor that one of the founders of YouTube is Jim Clark’s son-in-law. If that’s the case, sign me up for IPO!

  10. Alex

    January 12th, 2006 at 12:49 pm

    Hi! I agree I thought YouTube was great, that is until I found out about Revver.com. The same concept as YouTube, its a free, easy video hosting site BUT you get PAID when you post videos! You cant beat it- check it out. http://www.revver.com

  11. Yo ma

    January 17th, 2006 at 9:33 am

    Youtube helps some student to have laughs and do something after they finish they work.

  12. sweetinocent

    January 26th, 2006 at 9:42 am

    tHAT WAS MY COMMENT UP THERE LINDA ^

  13. kelly

    February 15th, 2006 at 9:22 am

    I feel you man …I started to wacth the show too, but I soon found out YOUTUBE won’t work

  14. Elohim

    February 21st, 2006 at 4:36 pm

    Youtube is cool, I got mine to work…But I prefer Democracy TV. Boingboing just posted about it today, but I have been using it for months. Plus they have added some features recently so it’s alot better. Plus, its OS so you can hack it, and share it. Please share your opinion/thoughts by commenting on my website. I have just written an article about it.

  15. Bob

    February 28th, 2006 at 1:39 am

    I really love YouTube except for when I can’t get it to work. Are there any competitors or sites that offer similar services

  16. BigJohnny

    April 5th, 2006 at 3:26 pm

    you guys area a bunch of poofs go ffuuuuukc your selvez

  17. anthony

    April 13th, 2006 at 7:27 am

    please unblock youtube cuase its not a bad website

  18. non cool kidd

    April 21st, 2006 at 3:40 pm

    i really DO hope they unblock youtube so that we can watch it started with a kiss in school. zhu shu is SO HOTT :]

  19. non cool kidd

    April 21st, 2006 at 3:40 pm

    zhi shu*

  20. non cool kidd

    April 21st, 2006 at 3:41 pm

    **UNTIL YOUTUBE ISN’T BLOCKED ANYMORE FROM SCHOOL..
    FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO WATCH IT CAN GO TO ISWAK.BLOGSPOT.COM (:

  21. marc

    April 25th, 2006 at 12:32 am

    i have recently tried to log onto youtube to watch a friends video but a netscape block has been administered, categorizing youtube as a sex site.
    why?

  22. Sam

    May 14th, 2006 at 6:20 pm

    You can go to http://home.comcast.net/~dase818 to get there. It’s cool to because the site doesn’t have the word proxy on it so it won’t be picked up by the block…

  23. JOSE

    May 24th, 2006 at 8:32 am

    I LOE YOUTUBE BUT MY F*CKING SCHOOL BLOCK IT OUT UNBLOCK PLZ

  24. Hacxx

    May 26th, 2006 at 3:45 am

    Unblock YOUTUBE via “fresh” proxies at http://surf.eu.kz

    To save videos from YOUTUBE check this tutorial:
    http://warehouse.co.nr/how_to_.....be.com.htm

  25. Jon

    May 26th, 2006 at 3:47 am

    Bypass filters at http://surf.eu.kz

    Save videos from YOUTUBE:
    http://warehouse.co.nr/how_to_.....be.com.htm

  26. JJ

    June 13th, 2006 at 3:05 am

    Hey a much better site than YouTube is Veoh.com!
    They also allow ‘Adult’ content like in porn and there is no limit on what you upload or download! If interested check it out and remember to turn the ‘Content Filter’ OFF in your profile settings so that you have access to ALL videos posted!

  27. Jon Wu

    July 14th, 2006 at 5:59 pm

    That’s a nice marketing attempt by some intern at Veoh. But I think the Internet has decided that YouTube rules, and Veoh sucks. Sorry man! Better find another summer job next year.

  28. Al

    August 1st, 2006 at 7:53 pm

    Down with youTube! They always put forward a friendly fresh image. Not so! they are building a bunch of nasty bureaucrats. I spent many hours building up a list of favourites. Many hours. Today I went to YouTube and my list is gone. I had never joined because I don’t have the equipment to post. Instead of my favourites I just got a join-up screen. no warning that my list would disappear. No niceness. Just a nasty bureaucratic action on behalf of YouTube.

    al

  29. Masahiro

    August 30th, 2006 at 12:58 am

    I love YouTube. Because I can share my video and upload it on my site easily while I am in Japan. And I care that YouTube has copyright problem of videos.

  30. clarence

    September 4th, 2006 at 2:47 am

    i have seen alot of sex videos in youtube… not that i want to watch it but i just saw them… and also some people upload lisenced anime or shows in tv… i think that’s why they blocked youtube… but that’s not a very good reason since youtube can delete those videos… i hope that they unblock youtube…

    hey guys can i ask a question? why are there many youtube sites… there is http://www.youtube.com
    and there is also
    http://www3.youtube.com ….
    who made the other youtube sites?
    did the youtube made it because the previous ones they made was blocke?

  31. clarence

    September 4th, 2006 at 2:53 am

    i love youtube… u can watch anime in this site so u don’t have to buy an anime cable…

  32. jammerz horror

    September 6th, 2006 at 4:01 am

    i’m afraid to click on the link that you are providing here cuz it may have a virus. so who are the ‘official guys’ here to answer queries or comments?????????

  33. zebster

    September 19th, 2006 at 5:49 am

    yes i love u tube how i get passewd the skool browser blocker?

  34. TheGuy

    October 9th, 2006 at 3:59 pm

    I bet you this website will be acquired by Google some time in the future.

  35. Video

    October 10th, 2006 at 12:13 pm

    haha very funny - i hope google dont edit the embed ssystem.

    http://www.videocustard.com

  36. Search Engines WEB

    October 29th, 2006 at 10:36 pm

    Can you believe it has only been one year since this article

    according to Jawed - the slashdot article that occurred the week after this - is what started the ball rolling - before that they were not getting popular

    _____________________________________

    http://slashdot.org/article.pl.....14/1320217

    Just for History - this is the slashdot article - he claims permanently changed their fortunes (aug 2005)

  37. Startups.in/India

    October 30th, 2006 at 11:37 am

    “I suspect YouTube will be quickly acquired and/or duplicated. We love it.”
    Cool. :)

  38. nalts

    November 9th, 2006 at 4:38 pm

    Yeah, right. Someone acquire YouTube? Puleeze. What’s next? A market cap of 1.6 billion?

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