2) “The real innovation that Youtube provides is that --- individuals and groups can produce entertainment. The lawsuit is one of the Great Battle

I do feel that the true innovation that Youtube provides is that laymen like us are able to produce entertainment. Youtube in itself is not really a pioneer in this history of uploading videos online, as there are other websites that enable people to do so, just that they are not as popular as Youtube. However, I do not agree that which company provides the service really matter much. As long as there is one party maintaining the traffic and playing some simple roles of management, it is sufficient.

The breakthrough of this new age provided by Youtube is such that users, be it young or old, are able to upload homemade videos online, to be viewed by anyone with the access to Youtube. This freedom of uploading of content of any kind onto Youtube appeals to people the way blogs does. Though one may not see it, but Youtube is in a way, similar to online blogging. It enables people to pause for a moment, and get out of reality and enter into the virtual world.

Bloggers get to pretend to be journalists, as they report on news, or any bits and pieces of their lives. Some may also create poems or songs, hopping that by chance, people will get to hop be, and acknowledge their works. However, the crude truth is that, not all blogs are regularly read by a loyal bunch of readers. To the self-made journalist, this may not matter, as some of them do not check the number of hits on their blogs. Instead, the fun is not in the crowd of avid readers, but in the fact that they can escape with a moment of peace, not being themselves.

Similar in some ways, Youtube is a platform for self-made directors to publish their works online, to be viewed by the internet community. It does not have to be a product of famous people - Home videos from the public are popular picks as well. Lay people get to showcase their music or whatsoever talents by recording short clips of themselves, and posting it on Youtube. Some others also get together to gig and have it filmed to be flaunted online.

These people who upload the videos online are not the only ones having fun. Others who take their time off to linger on the site and video-hop will get the joy of viewing productions of people from all walks of life. This either results in them rolling on their stomach for the plain stupidity, or be convicted of some hard truth that never hit them before.

Whatever the case, this is a serious form of entertainment, as it does blast people to fame, having their videos viewed a few millions times. Some truly gifted people may even get talent scouted in the process. On the other hand, famous people are also made fun of, as their ugly actions may be caught on camera, thus posted as well. This leads to heated arguments, or even bans, as in the case of the recent issue over the 44-second film showing graffiti over the Thailand King's face was aired.

On a more serious note, Youtube has also been hosting video resumes, which are becoming the hot talks among corporations, as many companies view these before approving the people concerned to be interviewed. The quality of your resume, the way your present yourself, or even the software you used will count.

These are all arguably proper businesses. Without proper management, talents may be left unnoticed, interview would remain as a long taxing process, and the key figures of the world would be freely insulted. Thus, good leadership is essential to govern this so called ‘free zone’, where information is exchanged. With this, it leads us to yet another debate of who should govern it, and to whom the access shall be granted.

As it is now, Google invested $1.65 billion and purchased Youtube, but the management still remains in the hands of the Youtube founders. The Youtube team enables people to post any kind of videos onto the system to be viewed by all, but certain videos that are being flagged by any user will then be reviewed, and appropriate actions will be taken. For example, if any pornographic material is being put up, and flagged to catch the attention of the management, it will then be taken down swiftly. The ones that are relatively harmless may then be flagged as inappropriate, but remains on the site. Though it is so, those aged 18 and below are still denied access.

To say a system can function without a propelling force and kept at equilibrium, I would be lying through my teeth. This happens, provided it is at the best case scenario where everyone who uses the system plays a part in keeping the contents healthy. At the same time, they must abstain from pirating copyright materials. If this really happens, we will all become angels, and float around with our halos, as this is too good to be true. Not everyone will be law abiding, and thus, the need for effective management.

Note that I am just stating effective management, which is only implemented when there is healthy competition among organizations to fight for the rights to govern the system. Without any impetus input, there will not be any positive output. Since Youtube is such an established site, many would fight for the honour and prestige of running it, well, at a certain level. Competition should not be feared or avoided, as I had mentioned earlier, it simply spurs them to strive harder.

In this 21st century, we are talking about liberty, so it should only be proper that everyone to be given the opportunity to have access to whatever websites they want. For the country that are more conservative, they may then request for certain sites to be banned. It all boils down to the attitude of the people. If they are easily swayed by ideas, then the government would want to prevent their reputation from being tarnished, so it is okay to protect it.

On the whole, Youtube is indeed worth a few cents of thoughts. It highlights the needs of the new generation, which constantly seeks attention and fame. Unfortunately, certain users are not discreet, but abuse this privilege, by posting obscene content onto the free-access-zone. Therefore, leading to the desire for leadership, to control and at the same time grant the other users the safety which gives them the faith in the system. However, which leadership is behind the maintaining of system does not matter, as long as they are able to do a good job out of it. Youtube is indeed an innovative idea that brings forth a new medium of entertainment, and should be taken seriously with due respect, and authority.