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The Death of Youtube?? Redesign Coming

2009-04-12 · John · watch on YouTube · Internet & YouTube · news analysis

John argues YouTube's rumoured redesign favouring professional content is understandable because corporations exist to make money and user-generated views are hard to monetize, but he hates the reported screen-dimming feature because YouTube is about participation and comments, not watching.

What is said

00:00:10 — John will talk and sign books at the Philadelphia Book Festival

  • ★★ John will talk and sign copies of his books at the Philadelphia Book Festival this Saturday at 3:30pm, with more info in the sidebar. — 00:00:14

00:00:20 — Nerdfighter gathering in Melbourne, Australia on May 31

00:00:40 — The reported YouTube redesign; why YouTube needs advertiser-friendly content to stop losing money

  • ★★★ John relays wide reports that YouTube will launch a major redesign on Thursday emphasizing professional over user-generated content, with four tabs: TV, Movies, Music and Videos. — 00:00:40 · YouTube
  • ★★★ John says the site will emphasize TV shows, feature films and music videos not because people want to watch them but because advertisers want to advertise next to them. — 00:00:58 · YouTube, online advertising
  • ★★★ John finds it strange that people think YouTube has a responsibility to the little guy: corporations are not in the business of being awesome, they exist to make money. — 00:01:20 · YouTube
  • ★★ John says that according to almost every Wall Street analyst, YouTube loses money hand over fist. — 00:01:28 · YouTube
  • ★★ John explains that huge audiences watch user-made clips like water-skiing squirrels for free, but advertisers such as Lucky Charms won't associate their brand with them, preferring shows like American Dad and Bones. (playful) — 00:01:32 · online advertising
  • ★★★ John says that for the number of views it takes YouTube to make a dollar, a site like Hulu that features television shows can make ten dollars. — 00:01:49 · YouTube
  • ★★★ John finds it hard to be mad at YouTube for wanting to stop losing money, but is a little mad at advertisers for thinking user-generated content can't sell Lucky Charms. — 00:01:55 · YouTube, online advertising

00:02:03 — John tries and fails to sell Lucky Charms

  • ★★ To prove user-generated content can sell Lucky Charms, John pitches them as the vampires of breakfast cereal, but the pitch turns into a warning about health and diabetes, and he concedes he can't sell them. (playful) — 00:02:03
  • ★ John tells YouTubers not to get mad at YouTube for wanting to make money, but to get mad at him for being bad at selling Lucky Charms. (playful) — 00:02:39 · YouTube

00:02:47 — The reported screen-dimming feature; YouTube as participation and comments, not television; sign-off

  • ★★★ John says one reported change makes him furious: a feature letting viewers dim the space outside the video screen. He hates that idea. — 00:02:47 · YouTube
  • ★★★ John says what he hates about television is that you watch it; what he loves about YouTube is that it isn't television but something you're called to participate in. — 00:02:58 · YouTube
  • ★★★ John's favourite thing about YouTube is the comments; he admits discourse in many YouTube comments is poor, but for 'our community' comments and video responses are a huge portion of these videos. — 00:03:06 · YouTube, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John tells Hank and Nerdfighters they are not watching anything and invites them to continue the conversation in the comments. — 00:03:34 · Nerdfighteria

Humor (significant)

  • John says he dressed up to make the channel more attractive to advertisers. — 00:00:36 > «But I'm not wearing any pants.»
  • John predicts the whole YouTube community will be furious about the redesign. — 00:01:13 > «first, because that's what the Youtube Community does – it gets furious.»
  • John tries to write an ad proving user-generated content can sell Lucky Charms. — 00:02:06 > «Lucky Charms are like the vampires of breakfast cereal:»
  • His pitch ends up describing an unhealthy long-term relationship with the cereal. — 00:02:32 > «That's...awesome, that's a great way to...get diabetes.»

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