Comments on: YouTube on the Verge of Outcasting? http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html the .blog of Sean Sullivan Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:06:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Brandon http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-321 Brandon Fri, 20 Oct 2006 10:25:21 +0000 http://sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-321 You are slacking, Sean. Tell us about...you know.... You are slacking, Sean. Tell us about…you know….

]]> By: Becca http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-319 Becca Thu, 12 Oct 2006 23:11:56 +0000 http://sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-319 So, I've been thinking about this since the Google acquisition. I bet Goog takes everything copyrighted off. Everyone thinks the buy is dumb, and the question is no longer "is it worth it" but now "why the hell did Goog do that?" Since YouTube's never actually turned a profit, Goog's clearly paying for potential, right? What if it's about predicting future demand for delivering television, movies, music? Like, you know, iTunes. A year ago, they probably knew how to let us download videos and stuff, but they didn't actually make it work till they got it all squared legally, right? Also, YouTube's biggest asset has gotta be its audience. They're super young compared with other sites, and young people are increasingly getting media online, right? So, maybe the question of avoiding lawsuits was the wrong one ... So, I’ve been thinking about this since the Google acquisition. I bet Goog takes everything copyrighted off.

Everyone thinks the buy is dumb, and the question is no longer “is it worth it” but now “why the hell did Goog do that?”

Since YouTube’s never actually turned a profit, Goog’s clearly paying for potential, right? What if it’s about predicting future demand for delivering television, movies, music? Like, you know, iTunes. A year ago, they probably knew how to let us download videos and stuff, but they didn’t actually make it work till they got it all squared legally, right?

Also, YouTube’s biggest asset has gotta be its audience. They’re super young compared with other sites, and young people are increasingly getting media online, right?

So, maybe the question of avoiding lawsuits was the wrong one …

]]> By: Brandon http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-318 Brandon Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:56:55 +0000 http://sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-318 Well, I think that this really isn't an issue anymore... Well, I think that this really isn’t an issue anymore…

]]> By: Sean http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-295 Sean Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:56:32 +0000 http://sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-295 "when $$$ gets involved, it changes" Well and that's precisely the issue at hand. YouTube has much work and "sleeping with media giants" to do before they can seriously get involved with an ad model system because if they start collecting ad revenue off pages containing copyrighted material, they will lose the protection they are currently hiding under. Excellent read on the topic here: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/09/21/youtubes-magic-number-15-billion/ “when $$$ gets involved, it changes”

Well and that’s precisely the issue at hand. YouTube has much work and “sleeping with media giants” to do before they can seriously get involved with an ad model system because if they start collecting ad revenue off pages containing copyrighted material, they will lose the protection they are currently hiding under.

Excellent read on the topic here:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/09/21/youtubes-magic-number-15-billion/

]]> By: Becca http://www.sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-294 Becca Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:49:45 +0000 http://sullisnack.com/2006/09/youtube-on-the-verge-of-outcasting.html#comment-294 You can't compensate everyone, because lawyers would need to be involved, and so much stuff on here isn't kosh. Which isn't a problem now, but when $$$ gets involved, it changes. YouTube's audience is ginormous and ridiculously engaged. The challenge isn't coming up with a way to monetize it, that's easy. The challenge is making the sort of huge, traditional advertisers that can afford to come here: 1. Creative enough to capture this audience's attention. 2. Ballsy enough to present their brand against this content and accept the reality that user-edited sites can't be completely controlled. 3. Trusting enough to think that content--and where their brand appears--can be controlled. Which is just not plausible. My $.02. You can’t compensate everyone, because lawyers would need to be involved, and so much stuff on here isn’t kosh. Which isn’t a problem now, but when $$$ gets involved, it changes.

YouTube’s audience is ginormous and ridiculously engaged. The challenge isn’t coming up with a way to monetize it, that’s easy. The challenge is making the sort of huge, traditional advertisers that can afford to come here:

1. Creative enough to capture this audience’s attention.
2. Ballsy enough to present their brand against this content and accept the reality that user-edited sites can’t be completely controlled.
3. Trusting enough to think that content–and where their brand appears–can be controlled. Which is just not plausible.

My $.02.

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