Class YouTubers

Here we are!

And there we go!

Politics Today

New new media has changed the way campaigns are run today. Candidates now have the ability to target specific segments through a number of different media instead of just using mass communication. They can target a large segment of the population with Facebook, Twitter, they can blog about their campaign experience and upload YouTube videos to keep their voters entertained and informed. Instead of spending a large sum of money on a spot on a major TV news outlet, they can create a speech from the comfort of their home, or on the road even, and upload it to YouTube. They can tape interviews with voters at different locations to answer questions in a less formal environment and give a down to earth appeal.

But, new new media can also be very damaging to a campaign. If some unknown truth about the candidate is revealed, it will spread like wildfire throughout the Internet. This would call for serious damage control both through the use of social media as well as conventional mass media. So, I see new new media as being extremely helpful for the public in terms of election. Not only do we have the potential to feel significantly more connected to our candidates, but there is also an ease with which the majority of society can learn about past scandals if they happen to come up during the election period (or after).

However, we must always be careful not to believe anything too quickly and always check stories against other sources. Although the truth has the ability to spread rapidly across the Internet, so do lies.

Obama and Digital Media for his 2008 Campaign

Revolutionizing Politics

It is interesting to see how much of an impact new new media is having on government, politics and law, one of the most reluctant groups to accept to new technologies as Dr. Levinson says. The Obama administration used tons of new new media, never used before, throughout the campaign, including a campaign video made specifically to air on YouTube. An actual presidential debate was streamed via CNN and YouTube, bringing new media more attention in the presidential race. The administration continues to use all kinds of media everyday. It is fascinating how these new methods, like blogs on the the whitehouse.gov website, facebook pages, etc. allow the people to have more of a say and an opinion ever before. I remember writing letters to the president in grade school that the teacher would pack up all together and mail to the white house. I don't remember if we ever got responses, but I'm sure if we did it was similar to the one Dr. Levinson's wife got back. Lookingback it doesn't seem like this method was very effective. Not only is it easier to write an email or a blog post or a facebook comment, but it is also easier for white house administrators to read them and take what they say into consideration. I think new new media has revolutionized politics for the better. It will be interesting to see what types of new new media will be used in the next election and to see if it has any interesting effects.

I Flat Out Hate Twitter

I wish I could write a few sentences detailing the many benefits of such a seamless connectivity, as many of us will and should, but I really cannot. For me, Twitters deficiencies far outweigh the benefits, so much so that they are the only things I can think about. Don't believe me? Here are the current trending topics as of 1:30 p.m. this afternoon here in the heart of America: the internet.

#happy17thbdaybiebs , #isbetterthan , #guttbye , Jensen Ackles ,

Jane Russell , Ana Maria Braga , Justin Drew Bieber , Rubén González , FCAT , TAKS

I don't know whether to blame Youtube or Twitter for Justin Biebers career.

I randomly copy & pasted some tweets:

OMGTeenQuotez I think im afraid to be happy because whenever you do get too happy, something bad always happens

Very useful instruction for the maintenance of teen depression from media outlet OMGTeenQuotez.

Heres a strange one:

From 'The Social Network' to 'Citizen Kane', plenty of great movies have been losers at the Oscars.

Thats from Time Magazine, too. With so many advertisements, so to speak, for links to companies websites in the interest of their site traffic, it makes you wonder what you're really doing on Twitter. That Tweet is an advertisement for an article which has an advertisement, all of which are paid for with your eyeballs.

Did you see that?

Anybody notice how Christina Aguilera messed up the National Anthem at the Superbowl? If you missed it or just didn't notice it, feel free to go check out the video. In instances like this, I almost feel bad that YouTube has provided a way for people anywhere in the world to see mistakes like this at anytime they like from almost any location. But then again, it's the beauty of new media.

YouTube allows us to instantly replay clips from an incredible database of films, TV shows, you name it. The first video I ever saw was of a Family Guy episode where the Kool-Aid man busts into court room yelling, "Oh Yeahhhh." This clip was what brought me to the show, and I have enjoyed it ever since, but without YouTube, who knows how long it would have taken me (if ever) to start watching it.

YouTube is also a great academic tool. My teachers constantly use it in class whether it is for informational purposes, a quick laugh, examples to supper their lectures, or because other websites' clips don't work. Some students find it easier to learn via example instead of reading words off of paper, and YouTube provides this for students. Why read a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. when you can watch it online and see his passion? Personally, I'd rather watch it. YouTube can be used to teach a vast array of things, including how to tie a tie.

YouTube for social change. Social media as a whole is what can get our country moving forward and really working to create change, but YouTube can be especially powerful. Non-profits could use this free medium to create short clips exemplifying what needs to be done and how people can help, and then further embedding these clips in their blogs, Facebook pages, etc. Showing viewers the problem the non-profit is working to alleviate can greatly increase awareness. Yes, they use commercials as a means of marketing now, but people tune out of commercials and prefer to have control over what ads they see. But, if people are already reading a non-profits blog, chances are they are going to want to see what the video entails. Furthermore, if a school held a serious protest and it was uploaded to YouTube, I would assume that the video would spread like wildfire and hopefully, if the cause was just and meaningful enough, would lead to more action. I strongly believe we could change our futures by using YouTube as a means of communicating. It's not just words on a screen or piece of paper. It's a movement, recorded, and one that can be played over and over again from now until, well, it could be forever I suppose. Obama used new new media to communicate with the younger voters, why wouldn't we use it to communicate with him?

YouTube Success Story: Justin Bieber

I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us have heard of teen pop sensation Justin Bieber. His face and trademark hair are everywhere, from countless magazine covers to television programs, and his catchy (often annoying) tunes are heard on every popular radio station throughout the country. He is possibly one of the most well-known people in the U.S. (and the world for that matter) right now. But if we go back to 2008, we all would be saying Justin who? How did Justin Bieber skyrocket to superstar fame in just three short years? The answer: YouTube. Three years ago, Justin was performing at a local theater in his native Canada and posting amateur videos of him singing on YouTube. One day, talent manager, Scooter Braun happened to stumble across one of Justin's videos, and the rest is history. Fastforward one year and Justin was releasing his first debut album which preceded to shoot him to instant success on the Billboard charts.

It is truly fascinating to see how a website can catapult a virtual nobody to one of the biggest pop stars in the world in such a short period of time. Thanks to this revolutionary form of new new media, tons of artists, actors, comedians, and anyone else looking to "broadcast" their talents are being discovered. This kind of platform not only provides entertainment for public viewing audiences that can watch these videos, but also acts a means to level the playing field for the average person looking to make it big. As proven through the case of Justin Bieber, one no longer needs to attend the best, most expensive performing schools or have connections to bigwig executives to get noticed. All it takes is the courage to put yourself out in the public eye, a hint of individuality and creativity, and a little bit of luck (actual talent doesn't hurt either) to become famous.

Viral Videos

It is amazing as to how quick people view videos around the world. All one has to do is enter the site known as YouTube. Want to see a clip from your favorite movie? Maybe an upcoming trailer? How about a music video you missed on VH1? Or what if you're in a bad mood and need something to cheer you up? All of these questions have one answer: YouTube.
Everyone knows about the "David after Dentist" video or the "Sneezing Panda" and the reason for that is because they are viral videos. No, I'm not saying the videos are spreading viruses, but they are spreading to other people. The reason I have seen many YouTube clips is because of my friends. Many of them will post a YouTube video on their Facebook or even share it with me and that's really how videos become viral. Basically, they're chain letters, except much less annoying.
Rather than just watching the videos, users can also post their own. Many musicians like to post performances for others to watch or even show tutorials for inspiring musicians. Maybe if you're lucky, one of yours videos might become viral worldwide which may even make you famous. Who knows?

YouTube

I guess if ever we needed any example of how quickly the internet business moves, YouTube would be a perfect case study. The company has gone from this maverick upstart website where people can watch grainy 5-part reruns of shows they've missed (or miss) to pretty much a household name.

The fact that the company was sold to Google Inc. for almost $2 billion is mind-numbing. The way it has impacted society as we know it today is probably even more astonishing.

Whether it's used as a political weapon, a platform to launch a career, or simply as a place to store memories, YouTube has, in less than a decade, ingrained itself as an integral part of society.

Many artists, both musical and visual, have used YouTube to get their name out there. It is a place where, it can be argued, that fame has been democratized. A viral video can get you a front page splash on a news website more than winning a Nobel Prize these days. Justin Bieber has gone from this preteen jamming on guitar to possibly winning a Grammy award. Whether YouTube has served as a tool to trigger a cultural renaissance or if it is an insult to creativity is a whole other debate.

YouTube has also served as an important political tool. Both parties have used the website to broadcast whatever they need to with limited cost. It was an important part of the last Presidential and midterm elections, as people were able to watch interviews, speeches, and even smear campaigns on their own time. It has made information readily available in a matter of clicks.

Still, majority of the material on YouTube is a potpourri of user-generated-content ranging from laughing babies to how-to videos to short films. It is a place to, pretty much, escape reality by living vicariously through other people's realities. We can be at a Lady Gaga concert one minute, to watching the first ever Superbowl the next, and finally swimming with some sharks the next.

YouTube has proven to be a very important part of our lives. Whether we've wasted hours watching people eating hot peppers or getting information about the war in the Middle East, it is tough to deny that we haven't integrated the website into our day-to-day living.

It is not without controversy, though. As usual, copyright issues are at the forefront. Luckily for the entertainment industry, they were a lot quicker in responding to this than when they were pushed (and eventually crippled) by Napster. The use of online advertising and required prerolls before watching videos have become important parts of any entertainment company's business model.

YouTube has pushed the boundaries of what we can watch and when we can watch it. They have even integrated 3D technology. The company has been able to create a powerful tool that is readily available to all of us, and it is exciting to speculate on what more is to come.

YouTubin

Over the years there have been many different methods for people to express themselves. One of the earliest forms of recording a thought and expressing yourself was through writing. Writing is a method that makes ideas last forever. Now in the 21st century the methods for recording ideas have advanced and we can actually record a video with audio to keep not only ideas but memories forever.

Youtube has changed the world forever. Being able to upload or watch almost any videos of you choosing

for free has made life more efficient and available. People are able to view and experience new things and others are able to express themselves and maybe even become famous.

Youtube has also made people famous. Anyone can upload a video that is funny or serious. Youtube has become a way for people to express and share their ideas and passions. There are youtube stars now even. P

eople have made videos that have become so popular that they have achieved celebrity status through their internet video. Youtube stars are all over the internet and sometimes even make it to television.

Youtube is becoming the next television. Since you can watch television shows on youtube, some people just go onto youtube whenever they want to watch a show that they missed. I personally use youtube every day. It has become

part of my daily routine. I can listen to music and watch the videos to those songs, or even watch a funny video that someone had made earlier. Youtube has become the next new technology to take over the world. I can honestly say I

watch more shows and movies online than I do on T.V. Youtube and other cites like it have made it so unimportant entertainment can be worked around your professional schedule. You don't have rush home to watch that show anymore, or set the DVR to record something you know you are going to miss. Youtube has so many features and it has made the world we live in today more enjoyable and efficient.

"Broadcast Yourself"

Honestly, I could not imagine my life today without YouTube. While I was able to live more than most of my life without it, considering it was created in 2005, during the years in which I have had access to it, it seems quite essential. YouTube offers an array of videos, ranging from educational how-to’s to recreational musical videos. The best part of all is that they are FREEEEEEEE! Free for anyone to watch and free for anyone to create! I think YouTube is a great opportunity for individuals to express themselves just like the YouTube trademark which is “Broadcast Yourself.” People can perform different talents and display them on the internet for others to watch and be entertained, sometimes even discovered. For example, the teenage phenomenon Justin Beiber was found on YouTube by Usher. Thinking nothing of it, his videos were posted but nothing was thought to come of this. Surprisingly, his videos were found by the singing sensation Usher who made him a pop superstar. Who would have thought that a few YouTube videos would put him where he is today? Clearly, YouTube can be life changing. While YouTube has not been THAT critical to my life, I enjoy this site and use it daily. I frequently visit YouTube for musical enjoyment such as videos or interviews with my favorite artists. Also, this site is very helpful for many of my classes. It enables me to view different things such as commercials and different experiments for my Psychology classes. Whether it is for fun or for school, YouTube is awesome!

Broadcast Yourself (Sometimes)

YouTube started as a place to “broadcast yourself” and has subsequently become the place to broadcast every song ever made. YouTube claims to have copyright rules and stipulates that only user-created content may be uploaded. When uploading a video, YouTube displays an “important message,” which states, "do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts, or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of content you created yourself...and that you own all copyrights in this video or have authorization to upload it." Unfortunately, there is no rhyme or reason in regards to what content is deemed permissible and what is considered an infringement that must be taken down.



Any album you can think of has been uploaded in its entirety. Brand new albums are uploaded many times before they are released commercially. Music videos can easily be found, albeit to a lesser extent. In the past, even television shows were uploaded, but YouTube seems to enforce television copyright more stringently. But why? Why are they such sticklers for television content, but not for music? At least show some consistency.


YouTube’s irregular copyright policies aside, I don’t think music or television content should be uploaded and listened to/viewed for free. Perhaps music is not taken down because it is treated like radio and cannot be downloaded(without a plug-in that is). However, I do believe the use of a video clip or a song should be allowed in videos that users upload. YouTube is a place for people to share the videos they make with the rest of the world. These videos range from short films, spoofs, and babies mispronouncing words like “fire truck.” If someone wants to include a song as background music in their video, they should be allowed to do that. If someone wants to create a music video with clips from their favorite television show, they should be allowed to do that. Using music and video clips in this way contributes to creating new content altogether—effectively a “remix.”


For some incomprehensible reason, it is perfectly acceptable for full albums to exist on the YouTube, but remixed content continues to be taken down due to copyright infringement.

Uploading an entire music album does not change that content in any way. All it does it provide an artist’s work to the public for free, which essentially dissuades people from paying for it. Conversely, remixed content is something entirely new. Music and accompanying sounds are an integral part of a video. Try watching Psycho without the music to see what I mean. Most people are unable to write original music to include in a video’s background, and instead use the scores from movies, games, or other artists. For this type of use, digital copyright law needs to be revised. At the very least YouTube needs to apply some common sense in what they decide is an infringement or not.


I have uploaded multiple videos in the past couple of years. Because I am not a musician, I didn't write any of the music in my videos. Technically, YouTube states that I cannot include any of the music that I did not personally create. If that’s the case, what am I supposed to include? I have always added instrumental background music from movies and games to add to the intensity of a situation or set a mood. In one video in particular, I set the ending credits to an instrumental version of T.I.'s "Big Things Poppin." Because the video was about a nerdy high school math teacher, the song seemed ironic and funny.

YouTube decided that the inclusion of the song was so egregious that they removed all of the audio from the video, rendering it unwatchable. I had to take it down, and re-upload it without the music. Who, I ask, is watching a high school comedy with a mere 5,000 views and deciding that the end credits are a violation of YouTube’s terms of use, but then looks the other way on the Taylor Swift song with 8 million views uploaded by “XoTaYlOrIsMyAnGeL378Xo?” In situations like these I am truly baffled by how YouTube enforces copyright infringement. All I’m asking for is some consistency.



The purpose of YouTube is to broadcast yourself—to display content to the rest of the world. If some people can rip the entire album of an artist's music without remixing it, or changing it in any way, it stands to reason that you should at least be able to use a song or a clip in your video.

The YOUsefulness of YOUtube

It is quite likely that someone who says that they do not use youtube on an almost daily basis is lying. Youtube has definitely become one of the greatest inventions of the Internet in a relatively short amount of time. In my opinion, it is also one of the most accessible websites on the entire Web. Most new technology products manufactured these days come with youtube applications. Many cell phones even come with them. I do question why Apple is so supportive of youtube, with apps on ipods, iphones and ipads, since youtube seems to be making iTunes, one of Apple’s most successful products, nearly obsolete. As has been proven in earlier posts, many people these days simply do not use iTunes anymore, but instead employ youtube for almost all of their music needs. Youtube, at one point, was also contributing to the decline of live television viewing. One used to be able to watch full episodes of television shows, usually in a couple of parts, whenever they wanted on youtube. It is now harder to find complete episodes of shows on youtube because youtube has cracked down on television copyrights. However, I will say that when this was still allowed this was what I, personally, used youtube the most for. I liked it better than going to the network website for a show because on youtube there were no commercial breaks, whereas on a network website there are usually about five or six commercials. Since then, I have become more dependent on youtube for music, how-to videos, viral videos or other videos that have sparked public interest. I have also noticed that greater amounts of other websites often have links to youtube videos. This surprises me a bit because it directs people away from their website to youtube where one can find themselves watching videos or listening to music for hours.

YouToo?

While of course there are hours....actually probably years and years...worth of pointless and poor quality YouTube videos, there are also a multitude of fun, fascinating, and fresh videos worthy of praise.  One thing I very much admire about YouTube is the opportunity it provides people who might have otherwise gone undiscovered.  Granted, some discover fame while others find infamy.  While there are some YouTube phenomenon who experience their fifteen minutes of fame, there are also those who are launched to stardom and turn into house hold names.  This is rare, but because of YouTube, some people have reached levels of fame they may have never imagined.  This includes but is not limited to singers, actors, comedians, magicians, filmmakers and athletes.

Aside from this, YouTube is useful in many other ways.  Certain tasks I am unsure of I can simply YouTube and view a demonstration by a skilled individual.  For example, one can look up how to fix certain items or devices and rather than read complicated and obscure instructions, he or she can watch an actual example on YouTube. While it is not necessarily a necessity, tools like this have made certain tasks much easier and understandable due to the accessibility of YouTube.

Furthermore, YouTube is obviously a great website for hours of entertainment.  Any music video or funny clip you want to watch is right at your fingertips, as well as videos you never even thought you'd discover.  You can watch movie trailers and sports highlights as well as people falling or playing pranks.  One thing I find very inspiring about YouTube is the creativity it spawns.  People have formed this odd fascination with creating videos to post on YouTube and often times truly amazing clips are produced.  Unfortunately, the most viewed YouTube clips are typically humorous and silly in nature.  However, there are also awe-inspiring and impressively talented individuals who are able to share their work with the world without having to be discovered by a talent agent.  This is a truly amazing opportunity that I believe overshadows the perhaps "negative" aspects of YouTube which include illegal music downloads (through other sites) and watching shows or movies online.

While television shows and movies can be a timely commitment, a person and appreciate the joys of YouTube in mere minutes.  People can send their favorite videos to their friends so everyone can enjoy the clip together.  Its fascinating to see the videos people come up with, and it is amazing that anyone with a computer has the ability to experience these clips.