by Tomm Swords

Created on: December 03, 2009

Youtube is not addictive!

It is however difficult to put down once you pick it up.

For those not in the know Youtube is a searchable website of video content. It is free for individuals to upload videos. These can then be seen by anyone with a PC, a decent browser and a broadband connection. You do need an account with Youtube to upload content, though this is free and easy to set up. Although you don't need an account to view videos, you will need one if the uploader of the video you wish to view has decided the content is not for a younger audience - again it is free and easy to setup, and once this has been set up, you can sign in to view more mature content. In essence Youtube is a place online where we can view video content within the comfort of home.

Back in the olden days we only had television to rely on when we needed to see moving images of an object or subject. We had to put up with whatever was beamed into out homes, and to be honest, those old enough to remember back then, will probably admit that television was not exactly quality as soon as they remove the rose-tinted eyeglasses of nostalgia.

In the 1970s the VCR arrived, and at least we had some choice of what we could watch at home. There was a choice of renting a videotape of a movie, or perhaps recording a television programme for later consumption. We could in effect be very minor time lords by choosing to watch a scheduled programme, not when it was broadcast, but whenever we chose to. This was the first step towards creating a viewing schedule aside from the one dictated by the TV guides.

Fast forward, topically enough, to today and not only do we have personal video recorders, which are much more versatile and of higher quality than VCR, (though some would say less reliable), we have Youtube.

Now lets be clear; Youtube is not a free for all TV channel, where you can see whatever you like. Should you wish to see particular content, you had better hope someone has uploaded it. Many people these days are under the illusion that whatever has been uploaded to Youtube has a right to be there. This isn't quite so. Many of the videos on Youtube are full length feature films albeit in parts to fall within Youtube's uploading constraints. These films cost millions to make, market and sell. Film studios own copyright on them and it is clearly being broken.

It is not only the film studios who are having their material copied and displayed. Performers' songs are uploaded. Slideshows of other peoples

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