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mwesch, distilledMindy McAdams

2008An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube

The majority of videos on YouTube are meant

for audiences of less than 100 people.

(1:30)

expressioncommunity

identity

A new type of platform:Before YouTube,

it was difficult to upload video to the Web.

invent new ways to connect

with each other

“user-generated organization”

“user-generated distribution”

(9:30)

“We’re living in a different kind of mediascape.”

(11:30)

“Media mediate human relationships.”

“Community” has been in decline.

Place-to-place (old) Person-to-person (new)

Personal independence and increased individuality

invisible audience

asynchronous

“context collapse”(22:40)

“Everybody is watching, but nobody is there.”

(25:20)

replay, recall, recognition

--Marshall McLuhan

hatred as public performance (29:00)

Profound, deep connection with other humans

… via YouTube(30:10)

We crave connection, but connection is

constraint.

(30:50)

Many people report having this profound, deep

connection on YouTube.

(32:40)

free hugs

(33:00)

“YouTube is a platform.”

Some people want to get to the top of the heap

(competitive).

(34:50)

Lonelygirl15: YouTube users

banded together to discuss her authenticity

(like Survivor spoilers, or other acts of collective intelligence).

(38:00)

“Everybody’s mad because they got duped ...”

“YouTube is not for fake stuff! It’s for real stuff!”

identity

“People start gaming the system to get more views.”

(41:50)

You never know where a camera is going to be

and when it’s going to be uploaded to YouTube

(McCain: “Bomb bomb Iran”).

(44:40)

Remixing: Take it, change it, throw it right back.

any remixing is basically illegal

Criminalization of popular culture:

Everyone is a pirate.

“Ordinary people live life against the law.”

--Lawrence Lessig

the most responded-to video

in the history of YouTube

(One World: write on your hand)

(48:00)

“This Web site – this community –

helped bring me life again.”--bnessel1973

(52:30)

SupplementalViewing:

Supplemental Viewing:

From Web star to movie star?(USA Today video)

Supplemental Viewing:

Where in the Hell Is Matt?(YouTube video)

mwesch, distilled

Mindy McAdams2008

An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube

The End