The YouTube phenomenon

We all know what YouTube is and how YouTube works so all this publicity created an entire phenomenon. Daily dramas and real shows take place there, social issues are being discussed such this child talking politics, or the situation of poor Jacey that people want to support, or real comedy like this show that runs under the name of The healing network. But as always when someone founds the recipe for success, all try to follow it so let’s take a look at those who compete with YouTube and at hose who just copy YouTube.

One of the most important adversaries for YouTube was Metacafe and I have to say it, I liked Metacafe more than YouTube at first. But Metacafe just stagnated while YouTube grew and advanced taking the lead. The site itself is organized as it should, it contains categories like Most Discussed, Most Viewed or Most Recent. Besides it also has a Games section, a Forum and other functions meant to please users, but the way I see it the core of the site, the video sharing part just fell behind YouTube.

There are some other sites like Stupid Videos that just copy YouTube. What I like about Stupid Videos is SV TV that allows you to just watch videos on the same subject randomly so you don’t have to bother and browse (the downside is that there are commercials from time to time). That Video Site on the other hand is just a bunch of videos on a FTP, really, just sitting there, separated by mere lines (and ads). The only feature that looks remotely interesting is the ‘Random Tags’ section.

And there are sites such as vod:pod that I have covered earlier, allow you to customize and share content already online in your own manner (in this case your own ‘pod’). In the same category I can mention Twango, but there you have video, photos and music although the basic concept is the same: personazile and share.

Bottom line, YouTube still is the king of his castle but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives out there, be it good or bad.

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Posted in Internet by Bogdan Popa