Youtube is a popular video hosting website that paved the way for ordinary people to post creative content to the internet for others enjoyment. The original site was created in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, all former PayPal employees.1 The three creators of youtube were originally attempting to make an online dating site with video elements, however the idea failed and the creators went on to discover the market need for video community sharing.2
The first youtube video was uploaded by a guy at the zoo, which jump started the platform to share short, grainy, videos that could go “viral”.3
Google bought youtube in November 2006 for $1.65 billion, and continues to control the successful online video sharing site to this day.1 Youtube has evolved from its original website format and is now available as an app on mobile devices as well. In its initial launch, Youtube didn’t even have user created channels, however it has since been completely dominated by creating channels and has even paved the way for almost anyone to become what is now called an “influencer”. These are highly watched and followed by people on social media such as Youtube, where they have access to making money off the ads that play during their videos.4
Google has created countless patents surrounding youtube, however many of them focus on customizing content like suggested videos or custom ad selection. The patent below was for the interface of a user created ad. Patents like these are very common and come in bulk to match the amount of different features youtube has introduced and implemented into their site since its creation in 2005.5
The content of youtube has also changed drastically over the sites lifetime. Creators used to upload very raw clips of their life, sometimes based on something other found funny that had the opportunity to become a “trending” video on the site.4 Since then, there is a wide variety of content categories on Youtube; creating small communities of creators and their audiences. The videos have highly increased in quality and people spend lots of time editing sometimes even with teams of people.
What makes youtube so successful was there from the beginning. Their slogan originally simple stated “Broadcast yourself”, inviting users to contribute their own content.1 It was and still is universally accessible to anyone, full of possibility and creativity. The sit itself has gone through a large transformation in terms of its interface and interactions, however the core concept has remained the same and only been added to over the years.
1 Leskin, Paige. “YouTube Is 15 Years Old. Here’s a Timeline of How YouTube Was Founded, Its Rise to Video Behemoth, and Its Biggest Controversies along Way.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 30 May 2020, www.businessinsider.com/history-of-youtube-in-photos-2015-10.
2 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4dT-lW9260> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
3 Youtube.com. 2020. [online] Available at<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
4 Youtube.com. 2020. [online] Available at<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhoWEXeBia8> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
5 IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law. 2020. Google Seeks Patent On Youtube Video Advertisements – Ipwatchdog.Com | Patents & Patent Law. [online] Available at: <https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2010/01/19/google-seeks-patent-on-youtube-video-advertisements/id=8493/> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
the original concept of youtube: broadcast yourself is the key to its success.
Ok but I was actually using that version of youtube for real! I remember by friend showed me youtube! We made a video of us playing with puppets. It was very non-sensical. But also I remember always clicking the ‘funny’ button.
I think the “happy accident” really worked out for youtube!
This is so fun! I didn’t know that Youtube was supposed to be a dating app before haha.