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 webslinky: video rip ‘n’ share sites
This week, anything but YouTube. Apparently the little guys over at Google have gone and bought YouTube. But you probably already knew that, having seen it written in the sky or via an RSS feed on your phone. This means that, as a cybersnob, it is my solemn duty to maintain my indier-than-thou credentials and seek out alternative services to champion.Looking beyond the usual suspects (Google, Yahoo! and even AOL) and the inevitable glut of independent YouTube clones, it's been a pleasant surprise to find that there's actually quite a diverse range of video rip 'n' share sites to choose from. ifilm appears to be the corporate choice, stuffed full of glossy adverts and farming its service out to big-name clients who want an easy in on the user-generated video market. Not very indie then, but at least it's all above board. Guba, meanwhile, offers a truly impressive amount of options for the videos it showcases - including the ability to download in multiple formats – but it also allows users to host videos externally on usenet (remember that?), which may present copyright troubles if Guba’s profile increases. Sometimes some killer copyright-infringing content is what a video-sharing site needs to stand out – and every episode of The Simpsons was certainly that. Paris-based Dailymotion recently played unwitting host to the much-loved series, while the videos were embedded in an external site that was doing the e-rounds until Fox understandably put a stop to it. When YouTube was bought for almost a squillion dollars, some user-publishers grumpily demanded a share of the cash for what they saw as their contribution to its success. Perhaps they will be the members that Lulu.tv and Revver hope to attract, as both sites promise financial reward for popular content. Unfortunately, the open nature of these sites means that quality can be an issue. In this respect Blip.tv seems to be driving for a higher editorial standard, but there is another site to consider. In fact, you're looking at it: the BBC's own Videonation has been letting people “videoblog” for years – before there was even a word for it. So stick that in your GooToobs.
David Thair
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 webslinky #104avatars  webslinky #103a decade of flash  webslinky #102widgets  webslinky #101web 2.0  webslinky #100directories  webslinkyarchive
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