The "why" of youtube seems very clear to me. Youtube came out in the mid 2000's, I remember growing up and constantly scouring random websites for funny videos that took a few minutes to load. Every video was on a different website and I always wanted to be on one of them. Youtube was created, in my opinion, to give a voice to those who wanted to speak, they wanted to provide an opportunity for any individual to creatively express themselves. Before youtube was created, to publicly express themselves in this format people needed to be a part of a web network. With the invention of youtube, people can easily upload a video simply by using their service, no matter their age or technological ability. Youtube was not created to make money or even to create popular videos, they were created to allow anyone to have their voice heard.
Hi Zach,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "giving anyone a voice" is definitely the "why" that separates youtube from some competitors. You described their unspoken "why" well. To take your argument further, I would ask you this: what on their site helps establish this idea versus, say, Vimeo? What about their site helps explain this when their mission statement isn't written on the front page? Your argument would also have been strengthened by referencing either Designing the Obvious or the TED talk, as it's lacking some key points made in those right now.