Official Blog
2,996 Entries for First Product Ideas Survey
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
We recently wrapped up our first
Product Ideas series
, where you let us know which features you wish we'd launch, what we could improve, maybe even what the site would be better without. Over a period of four weeks, 26,563 people offered 2,996 ideas, and those ideas received 321,541 votes. We responded to many of the most popular ideas and launched a few features that directly addressed some of your requests -- namely, an
HTML5 Beta
(there were many HTML5 advocates who participated) and a sneak peek of our new
cleaner video page
(some desired a "less cluttered" YouTube). In fact, it was great to see the feedback from people as interested in the idea of de-cluttering the site as we are. This is a 2010 theme for us, and recent changes to the home- and video page, as well as our renewed effort to streamline comments, reflect this.
We will launch another Product Ideas series later this year; until then, feel free to comment below if you've got requests or feedback, and stay tuned to this blog for product announcements.
Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched "
Ann Cooper: Reinventing the school lunch
."
YouTube & the Online Video Revolution
Sunday, February 14, 2010
When we registered the YouTube domain on February 14, 2005, we set out to create a place where anyone with a video camera and an Internet connection could share a story with the world. Five years into it, we're as committed as ever to the core beliefs and principles that guided YouTube's creation:
Video gives people a voice
– From classrooms to war-torn countries, the
Queen of England
to the
King of Pop
, the
Pope
to the
President of the United States
, and the
hillsides of Port au Prince
to the
streets of Tehran
, video has the power to give rise to the most diverse set of faces and voices ever seen or heard in human history.
We succeed when our partners succeed
– Our content partners run the gamut, from major Hollywood studios to aspiring filmmakers and vloggers who can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary on the turn of a dime. Content creation isn't our business; it's theirs. But breaking open access to media and distribution means delivering the world's largest global audience and the revenue models they need to succeed, as well as the tools they need to control their content.
Video evolves fast, YouTube must evolve faste
r – The Internet evolves at break-neck speed. We launch products quickly and constantly iterate to stay one step ahead of it. Our goal? To set the standard in online video delivery. Fast loading, high quality videos need to be able to play on any device, anywhere, anytime. And whether we're supporting 1080p, 3D, or deploying auto-speech recognition technology, we innovate with an eye toward providing the best possible experience for all of you.
Thanks for being part of the YouTube community and for shaping what the site is today. We're looking forward to celebrating our fifth anniversary throughout the year and hope you'll keep watching, keep uploading, keep sharing, keep informing, keep entertaining, and keep discovering the world through video.
Chad Hurley, Co-Founder & CEO, YouTube
User Experience Manager Shares Her TED Sketchbook
Saturday, February 13, 2010
This week, I've been in Long Beach, CA, attending the
TED Conference
. If you're not familiar with it, TED is an annual gathering of thought leaders from a variety of fields: science, music, education, health care, politics, environmentalism, entrepreneurialism, technology, design, and more. The goal of the conference is to share "ideas worth spreading." A few years back, the TED organizers decided to share videos of these talks with the world, and we are delighted that they
host them on YouTube
, as well as their own site, TED.com. If you've never seen a TED talk video before, you're in for a treat. There is truly something for everyone.
Each year while attending the conference, I take careful notes of the session in my sketchbook. It's the best way for me to ensure that I really pay attention to what's being said and also that I absorb as much of the ideas and information as possible. As it turns out, people have told me that my sketchbooks are a pretty nice way to "page through" the conference, so I'd like to share
my notes from the 2009 conference
with the YouTube community. For the talks that have been posted online, I've linked from the name of the speaker to the talk on YouTube. Here are just a few of my favorites from last year's conference:
Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity
Naturally 7 beatbox a whole band
Pattie Maes: Unveiling game-changing wearable tech
Sarah Jones: One woman, eight hilarious characters
Let me know if you enjoyed seeing the notes; I'm taking more this week at the conference and will be happy to share those too! And if you're interested in TED, check out
this playlist
of talks, curated by 2010 TED Prize Winner Jamie Oliver.
Margaret Gould Stewart, User Experience Manager, recently watched "
Rethink Scholarship at Langara 2010 Call for Entries
."
500 Videos from Davos Now With Captions
Saturday, February 13, 2010
You may have recently seen all of the videos uploaded for the 2010 YouTube
Davos Debates
. Because the audience for these videos is truly global, we want to make them accessible and available to as many people as possible. We've now added captions for over 500 videos from The Davos Debates. Try a Google
search for captioned video on thedavosquestion
to see some of the results.
To turn on captions, hover over the arrow-shaped icon in the lower right corner of the YouTube player and click the caption button. Captions on
The Davos Debates
videos can also be automatically translated right in YouTube: choose "Translate Captions" from the caption menu to try machine translation to 50 different languages.
You can learn more about captions and subtitles
here
.
Naomi Bilodeau, YouTube Captions team, recently watched,
"
The YouTube Davos Debate: "Redesigning an Important Cause
.
"
Quincy Jones: Join the "We Are the World" Chorus Now
Friday, February 12, 2010
It was 25 years ago when a star-studded supergroup, led by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, came together to lend their voices to support an important cause. This song, "We Are The World," topped the charts and was the first-ever single to be certified multi-platinum. Within a year, nearly $50 million dollars were raised for Africa's humanitarian fund.
Today, YouTube, in partnership with Visa, presents "We Are The World 25 for Haiti," featuring more than 75 musicians and celebrities, including Miley Cyrus, Barbra Streisand, the Jonas Brothers, P!nk, Lil' Wayne, members of the Jackson Family and others singing to raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti. Back in 1985, the original "We Are the World" aired on MTV and was sold on vinyl; the 25th anniversary edition can be viewed on the
We Are The World YouTube channel
, where there's a "Donate Now" button to help Haiti.
We asked Grammy-award winning producer Quincy Jones a few questions about the project. His answers are below, including his call for YouTube viewers to join the chorus by uploading their own version of a classic verse.
YT:
What about the old version of "We Are the World" (WATW) still makes the song relevant today?
QJ: "First and foremost, Lionel and Michael wrote a great song. There is a saying that 'a great song can make a bad singer sound good, but the greatest singer in the world can’t make a bad song a hit.' The message of ‘We Are The World’ is universal and timeless. It’s a message of caring for and helping those who are less fortunate, especially when catastrophic events take place, as in the case of the earthquake in Haiti. Haiti was far from being in the best place on the planet before the earthquake, but when that happened, it just destroyed the country. How can you look at those images and not stand up and do something? Everyone recognized the need right away; it wasn’t hard to get mobilized."
YT:
What's the importance of using YouTube to get the "WATW 25 for Haiti" message to a wider audience?
QJ: "Are you kidding me? When we talked about the coming ‘information age’ a decade ago, most people didn’t understand the immediate impact that it would have. With the stroke of a key on your keyboard or cell phone, images and messages can be transferred all around the world to hundreds of millions of people in seconds. That’s an enormous amount of power. How can you not try and harness that resource to help people in need?"
YT:
How can "WATW 25 for Haiti" viewers on YouTube take action towards social change -- in the case of Haiti in particular?
QJ: "Well, first you can ‘Download to Donate,' but I would love to see everyone take it to the next level and get involved on a more personal level by posting video responses. But it doesn’t stop there. As long as you pay attention and are aware of what is going on in Haiti and places like Haiti around the world, there are always ways to get involved. People who are suffering and in need will never turn their backs on someone offering them a compassionate hand."
YT:
YouTube viewers are encouraged to make their own videos with original lyrics based on the WATW chorus. What tips would you give these rising producers?
QJ: "I don’t know that I can give any tips, but I can tell you that I’m really looking forward to seeing the different interpretations that people come up with. There are some really talented, creative and funny people out there."
YT:
What's your favorite YouTube video?
QJ: "Without a doubt I think it has to be the prisoners in the Philippines dancing to ‘Thriller.’ It’s amazing that more than 25 years later, that song and those albums --
Off The Wall, Thriller
and
Bad
--still hold up. No matter where I go in the world, in every club, at midnight the DJs come with songs from those albums. It’s a perfect example of what I said earlier: a great song is universal and timeless."
Watch, sing along and donate your support.
Michele Flannery, Music Manager, recently watched "
Rock n' Roll Birdies
," and Ramya Raghavan, Non-Profits Manager,
recently watched
"Too Late to Apologize - A Declaration."
Best in Jest Returns
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Comedy fans are rarely starved for laughs on YouTube, especially when there's a new edition of
Best in Jest,
our long-running comedy program. B.I.J. is back for three weeks of concentrated comedy capers, sponsored by Warner Brothers'
Cop Out
, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.
When compiling this edition of the program, we noticed that comedy on YouTube seems to be evolving: the most popular comedy videos are often collaborations between visible personalities like
TheStation
's
ShayCarl
and
KassemG
. While scripted comedy is going strong, YouTube "star power" seems to be in the driving seat. Does a great comedy video need a successful face to make it shine, or do channels like
TheLandline
demonstrate that sketches don't need celebs to make a splash? Is your favorite comedy creator being overlooked, or do videos with online stars feel more like a uniquely YouTube experience?
Let us know in the comments what you think of the state of comedy on YouTube these days and who's worth noting. We'll spotlight the most interesting suggestions in the
comedy section
soon.
Mark Day, Senior Associate, Ad Programs, recently watched "
The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's Take on Star Wars
."
New Protest Videos Flood YouTube on Anniversary of Iranian Revolution
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hundreds of fresh protest videos from Iran are appearing on YouTube today, as pro-reform protesters take to the streets in Tehran on the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. This marks yet another outbreak of protests since the disputed election last June.
Within hours of the protesters hitting the streets of Iran today, videos began streaming onto YouTube that document the large crowds chanting anti-government slogans and violent clashes with anti-riot police forces. Once again, these extraordinary videos provide an exclusive window into what's taking place on the ground, as foreign press have been banned from the country. YouTube remains blocked in Iran, but dissidents are passing videos to friends out of the country and using Internet circumvention technologies to post the footage, according to news reports and correspondence with those on the ground.
We're tracking the videos on Citizentube, and here's a selection that have come in so far today. A playlist can be found
here
.
A young man is dragged and beaten by members of the Basij police forces:
Protesters face-off against the the police:
Citizens flee from tear gas:
Security forces stand in the streets, armed and ready:
Protests in the Metro in Tehran:
Large groups gather in the streets to demonstrate:
UPDATE: This photo taken by GeoEye at 10:47 AM local time shows downtown Tehran filled with people. You can explore the area using
this KML layer
in Google Earth.
Olivia Ma, YouTube News & Politics, recently watched "
Mass Rallies, Protests in Iran
"
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