Reflection: YouTube Case Study
YouTube has become a classic example of a modern internet phenomenon. It is an online portal through which users can watch and share content for entertainment, self-promotions and thousand other reasons.
With YouTube, it allows user to view videos directly on the web instead of having to download special software to view them. Initially, YouTube is like a vehicle whereby people showing off their talents as home movie makers, building on the increasing popularity of “reality television” at the time. The people who are attracted to putting a home video on YouTube is because of the size of its audience, often produce content that attracts new viewers and on it goes in a virtuous cycle.
One of the reason for YouTube’s phenomenal popularity is that is both easy to use and edgy at the same time. Users can watch videos without even registering, so, as with shopping, all you have to do is “walk in the door”. This endless supply of material allows users to be entertained for hours on the site.
However, YouTube was losing money incurring the costs of storing and delivering millions of videos. It risked further costs because of potential copyright lawsuits. Fortunately, Google offered it immense storage capacity, the largest online network of potential advertisers as well as lawyers to help deal with any legal issues that may arise.
Despite its extraordinary success, the future for YouTube is uncertain. Critics argue that many videos are of dubious quality and barely watchable. It might face major legal issues over copyright and a wave of aggressive new rivals. Eventually, it will have to be shut down by legal action undertaken by the major music labels. Thus, it is said that YouTube is becoming the next Napster.
