 |
| Image via CrunchBase |
Sharing and watching videos online used to be a very difficult task. There were and still are many different programs that people used to view content. Along came Youtube, a website which converted all your videos to the Flash format. Over 96% of computers online are capable of viewing flash content. This opened to doors to sharing videos with a wider audience. It was created by three former employees of Paypal in February of 2005, and was subsequently purchased by search engine giant Google Inc. Today if you already have a Google account, which includes Gmail, then you already have access to a standard Youtube account.
 |
| Youtube.com |
The first thing you will notice on Youtube is that there are a lot of videos, and the content on the main page updates constantly. A recent addition to the main page is the "trending" section which offers videos that are rapidly increasing in popularity. When a video goes viral (yes, like an infection) it means that millions of people have viewed and shared the video. It is difficult to say when or why a video goes viral, but they are generally something unique, funny, shocking, or produced by someone famous.
Youtube is also a social media site, meaning that it has a community of users that can upload their own content. As a user you are allowed to upload as many videos as you like, although when you start there is a limit on the length each video. The best part is that you can upload them for free, and it also means you will find an astonishing variety of content. Videos teaching you to cook or lose weight, news and documentaries, music videos, and even home made movies of babies and pets number in the hundreds if not thousands.
Far from being just a way to pass the time, Youtube can become a valuable part of self-education. Many notable private and public organizations upload content on a regular basis as part of their marketing and awareness programs.
 |
| Fora.tv's Youtube Channel |
Once you find a video you like it is worthwhile to find out who has uploaded it. Each Youtube account has a "channel" which displays the videos that have been uploaded for the public. Although a degree of customization is available, most channels also show when the user joined, how many videos have been uploaded, and which other videos he or she has "liked" or "favourited".
 |
| Like/Dislike buttons |
Each video is ranked according to the number of people who have liked or disliked it by clicking on the option below the video. These rankings affect the probability of your video showing up on the main page or in searches on related topics.
If you are uploading videos on a particular topic, you should consider creating a playlist. A playlist is a group of videos which are organized to be played in succession. This gives you you the chance to break a large video into smaller portions, making the process of uploading faster. As a viewer, a playlist gives you quick access to related content and reduces the time you spend searching for more videos.
Last but not least, you can subscribe to users that you find interesting. Once you subscribe to the channel you will be notified when a new video arrives or when that user recommends video. These notifications can be seen the next time you log into Youtube.
Whether or not you have videos to share, Youtube is a great resource for everyone.