FILE FOUR SUMMARY

Time magazine’s Invention of the Year for 2006 was

YouTube..

What is it?

• It’s a website which allows videos in any format to be played on virtually any web browser. People can post their own videos and watch, rate, comment on, search for and bookmark other people’s videos.

What has it allowed?

• YouTube has allowed normal people to become celebrities such as the 80 year-old English pensioner Peter who has become an international star.

What can people do?

• People can upload video clips through websites, mobile devices, blogs and e-mail.

What kind of things can you see?

• The video clips cover a wide range of situations such as home-made documentaries, natural disasters and so on.

What are the 3 factors of success?

• Three main things made YouTube’s success possible. First, the revolution in home video

production made possible by cheap camcorders. Secondly, the presence of a growing community where people create and share information together. Thirdly, people want to see videos that haven’t been filtered through television or newspaper editors, they want to see real, authentic videos.

What happens with bad content?

• Unfortunately inappropriate content can be uploaded but users can report or “flag” content which is not appropriate and the material can be removed from the system.