Thing 23 Youtube

This week's focus is on youtube, podcasts, and vodcasts. Youtube and other similar video hosting sites allow users to upload video files. So, it's the usual, explore and write about what you think:

http://vbpl2point0.blogspot.com/2007/12/thing-23-discover-youtube-and-few-sites.html

I've actually explored the site and use it pretty frequently. A friend who spent a lot of time online introduced me to it a year and a half ago. The first time I was on it, I was excited about finding 80s music videos that I vaguely remembered or had not seen before. I found out that people make their own music videos (clips from favorite shows put to a favorite tune) or movies. I like looking for music videos to new music I hear because I don't get to see it on tv (too much "reality shows" clogging the music channels).

The only downsides is that the video (and audio, too) quality usually are not that great (limitations on file sizes, and video files are huge). Plus, users being able to tag mean search results are more user-oriented but sometimes are as irrelevant as a Google search.

I like the site a lot, but I don't see how the library could use it, with how viewing videos can suck dry the bandwidth (even the instructions for the youtube task says not to work on this during peak internet use). Maybe the idea of libraries using it could apply to how it markets itself with videos about the library, using the library, and clips from programs.

The videos I choose from youtube to post:

-video footage someone taped of a karate practice posted, so members of the dojo can view it---beats looking at it from a camcorder screen, trying to put the footage on tape/dvd/cd (and what a waste for a short clip), and trying to email it (video footage is too large to attach)

-concert footage of the 12 Girls Band. I like their music (and it's a safe enough one to advertise about my music tastes :P), and it's neat to see footage from their concert because I haven't seen them in concert.