Who doesn't love Youtube?

10/9/2013

9 Comments

 
Everyone loves YouTube. After all, where else can you get obscure video clips of cats doing cute and funny things? Or videos that your favorite celebrity did from halfway around the world? 

It also allows for viewers to find things that may have been thought to be lost to time. There have been versions of The Phantom of the Opera that many "phans" thought were lost forever. Someone, somewhere, happened to have the version and uploaded and then, suddenly, it wasn't lost. 

Then, as Ebert mentions, there are loads of 'free' movies available on YouTube, though not always in one piece. You may have to watch the movie in 10-15 minute segments, but it's there. Ebert himself states that the list of videos he's seen (for 'free') includes No Country for Old Men, A.I., The Ring, and The Grudge (Chapter 2 of Ebert). Here is a video I found within 30 seconds of searching that includes the entirety of the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera:
Now, this video (as of this posting) was posted for free viewing, but it is certainly not supposed to be. What I want to know, however, is what you think. Do you think that it's okay for these types of videos to be posted online without charge? As a college student, free is awesome. Any time we don't have to pay, it's great. At the same time, these videos can be saved and downloaded with websites, so aren't they essentially the same thing as pirated videos? What do you think? 
9 Comments
Abigail Cicione link
10/9/2013 02:23:55 am

Hi Jennifer, very interesting blog topic. I agree that YouTube is a useful website. What I use YouTube for most often is to find videos of someone explaining and demonstrating how to use/operate/fix a product. For example, if something on my phone breaks and I am unsure how to resolve the problem, I search YouTube to see if I can find someone who had the same issue then modeled how to correct it, so that I can learn from them.
Another example of YouTube being used in this fashion would be that my boyfriend knows a lot about cars from fixing his own and his friends' in his spare time, but obviously doesn't know everything and sometimes needs help. When he is faced with a problem while fixing one he often consults YouTube and finds exactly what he is looking for from someone who had a similar issue with their vehicle, then recorded themselves fixing it so that others could benefit. This can be so convenient!

I agree with you that college students enjoy free things. However, I don't think that just because something is free one should automatically take it or think that they are entitled to it. In the case of YouTube videos that contain entire movies, plays, etc. I am a bit apprehensive. I have personally never watched one of these, mainly because I simply don't have the time between juggling work and school, but am not sure if I would be completely comfortable watching one if given the opportunity.

I think that when you suggested these videos might as well be the same as pirated videos, you were correct. Perhaps not though, I'm clearly not an expert on the topic. I just think that maybe we should think twice before viewing videos like that.

Why not just go to the library and borrow it? Library materials are free, so the aspect of worrying about money is covered. Also, borrowing items from the library doesn't have any pirating possibility to go along with it. To me, borrowing something from the library would be a much better choice, I'd be able to have a clear conscience when watching the movie or drama knowing that I am certain it came from somewhere totally legal.

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Jessica Smith
10/9/2013 08:33:52 am

Jen, I completely agree that YouTube is awesome. I use it for so many different things. It is great for when you are bored and want to look up funny videos to watch. I also use YouTube to preview songs before I want to buy them. Also, YouTube is great for how-to videos. I have watched numerous of these types of videos to learn how to do certain makeup techniques, cut and design a T-shirt, or even cook a fancy meal. YouTube just has so many great uses.

As for free movies on YouTube, I don't necessarily agree with it. Although I do love to get away with anything that is free, I know that it isn't right. These movies, should be making the money that they deserve based on their popularity. I have actually seen that some movies you must pay for on YouTube. I know that I saw that in order to watch Toy Story on YouTube, you have to pay.

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Morgan F
10/11/2013 06:51:18 am

Jennifer,

Personally I use YouTube strictly for music. I think music is absolutely one of the touchier topics as far as “should it be free”. I say this because on one end, there’s the concept of downloading free music and that is considered illegal and wrong. However, Youtube is essentially the same exact thing because you are listening to music for free.

I think this does along the point that you made, with videos being saved and downloaded.

You can listen to any song as many times as you wish, and many times there is a video to go along with it. Where do we draw the line? What makes music on Youtube any different than watching movies? I agree with your point that it’s essentially the same exact thing.

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Rachel Burrell
10/11/2013 08:32:27 am

Jenn, you’re right! I have never heard someone say they disliked the site. Who wouldn’t like free videos at their fingertips? As Ebert mentioned, YouTube was created so recently but is already a major hit! Billions of views and millions of uploads gives the site a variety of different videos. YouTube is entertaining, informative, and even eye opening. Personally, I have utilized YouTube for a plethora of reasons. At the tip of my fingers, I have videos that taught me how to create different hairstyles and showed me new music. Videos have also taught me how to work technology or even about major historical topics.
Many of these videos are uploaded by creators who want their videos to be seen YouTube. What about the music and movies that are not owned by those who upload them? Personally, I believe videos that are owned by different companies or artists should cost money. They do not belong to YouTube, and millions of people pay to either have the music or watch the video. As much as I love free, ethically, it seems wrong that the videos are free in some places but not in others.

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Joei Viviani
12/10/2013 03:17:38 pm

Jen, I must agree that YouTube is great. I find myself trying to fin videos of the most random things or older commercials or videos from years ago. I mainly use YouTube for music.

When it comes to whether music and movies should be free for us online, I'm not too sure what side to pick. I mean of course I love free stuff! If I didn't have to pay for anything that would be fabulous, but is it truly fair to the artist and movie makers to just "steal" their work? Yes, they may already have a lot of money so downloading one movie or song for free is not going to make them bankrupt, but that's their work. It is their job and career to write that song, sing those lyrics, say those lines, or edit that scene. Should we actually steal all their hard work from them?

As a writer I think we can all relate to the question "would we want people taking our writing for free?" Obviously we worked hard for that piece to get published; do we just want everyone being able to take it and download it their computer, print it out and make a ton of copies for all of their friends? I think when it comes to a topic like this we must not think about ourselves, of course we want free music and movies, but rather think about the people that worked to get that song on the top 100 or movie on the big screen.

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Kathryn Ebeling
12/11/2013 02:59:15 pm

Jen,

I enjoyed your blog and the topic you chose. YouTube is such a great source for videos and music. It makes watching videos and finding music extremely simple and easy. We can use it for funny or serious purposes and it is a great source to use for the professional field as well. People have created jobs and careers out of their YouTube personality, who knows what could come next.

As for the topic of free movies on YouTube, I could understand why this wouldn't be so welcomed. Don't get me wrong I'm all for free things, but ripping movies and putting them online for free when they are not meant to be is wrong. But does that mean free movies online will stop any time soon? Will music stop being easily downloaded for free? No, and it would be silly to think it'll stop. There is no doubt it is ethically wrong to be sharing movies online that are not meant for that purpose.

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Alex O'Neil
12/13/2013 01:39:19 pm

Hi. My name is Alex, and I am addicted to YouTube.
Free content is such a controversial subject. I personally love that I can go on YouTube and relive my childhood through old Nicktoons and Legends of the Hidden Temple any time I want. I love that I can sample an album before I buy it. If the artist is up and coming, I will buy the album. But if it's an artist that is a multi-millionaire already, they don't need my ten bucks. Is that wrong of me? Probably.

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Nicole Abbruzzese
12/14/2013 06:03:54 am

Jennifer,
I enjoy YouTube but I wouldn't say I love it. For me YouTube is just to watch music videos or clips of shows/awards that I missed. I know a lot of people who knew about the piano playing cat or other hit YouTube clips long before I did. I believe that having free clips of a television show or movie is okay to a certain point. Many of the clips I watch or find are usually videos that someone recorded from their television. Most of the time is far away, blurry, or the sound is fuzzy. Though its not a great video it's still watchable. I believe that clips like that should be allowed, but if someone is in a movie theater or at a play and is recording everything then that is not. People make money off from these videos or plays and if people are just watching it on YouTube they wont make money because no one will go see their show. I think it would be best for people to just rent the movie, buy it, or do what most people do and actually pay to go watch it.

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Caitlin Sullivan
12/15/2013 12:56:26 pm

I absolutely loved your blog. Youtube is such an entertaining site. I love listening to music, watching music videos and occasionally finding a video that makes me laugh to play on repeat. I also like to try and find old shows that you don't see anymore on television to watch because I miss them.
To go off of youtube I love to watch vine videos as well. They share that same kind of idea about youtube, but just has a short limit as to how long the video must be. That kind of reminds me of the way twitter limits the about of characters you can use, while other social media, such as Facebook might not.
Who ever thought of Youtube is a genius, and I'm not sure what our generation would do without it.

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