Who doesn't love that feeling you get from helping someone out or saying something truly heartfelt? Our latest takeover is all about such acts of kindness, particularly the kind that YouTube facilitates. It feels like a pretty special time in history when you can do something nice, so easily, for someone you've never met and have it broadcast – and maybe even repeated – throughout the world.
Take, for example, Juan Mann's "Free Hugs" campaign, which is now a worldwide phenomenon. It started in Sydney, with Juan embracing strangers in a shopping mall and setting it to an emotive soundtrack by the Sick Puppies. Soon after, local versions sprung up in Seoul, New York, Barcelona, Bangkok, and even Ecuador.
There are many other ways people are using YouTube to carry out their kind acts. Once you delve in, you'll be amazed the types of videos you will discover, from reaching out for bone marrow donors to catching the reaction of someone innocently given a rose at random to simply complimenting each other in a collaboration video. The videos selected today show only a few of the ways people show passion for their selected causes: we hope the features inspire you to commit an act of kindness yourself.
Kumbaya,
The YouTube Team
Senin, 09 Juni 2008
AgentChange, Reporting For Duty
Hey YouTube!
I'm Ramya and I'm the new Nonprofits & Activism Manager here at YouTube. I'm thrilled to be here, highlighting the best uses of YouTube to create meaningful social change and helping you leverage the power of YouTube for good.
Last September, we launched the YouTube Nonprofit Program with the help of 13 nonprofit partner organizations. Today, thousands of nonprofits have joined the program and are using YouTube to raise awareness about important issues, fundraise for their causes, and engage with their supporters. But there are lots of nonprofits out there who still haven't ridden the YouTube wave. Take it from a former nonprofiteer--it's totally worth it. If you're a U.S.-based 501c(3) organization, you can sign up now for a designated "Nonprofit" channel, which comes with a slew of awesome perks like increased branding and video uploading capacity, the chance to be featured in one of the "promoted videos" areas on YouTube, and the option to embed a Google Checkout gadget on your channel to drive fundraising.
Also, I want to give a shout out to all of my activists out there who aren't affiliated with a particular organization. Whether you're a filmmaker trying to expose new AIDS prevention techniques, a student organizer working to make your campus greener, or a citizen who just wants to make the world a better place, we want to help you share your ideas and experiences through YouTube. Just a few months ago, YouTube debuted the Nonprofits & Activism video page, a place where your content can bubble to the top and get seen by YouTube's global audience. Our goal is to build a vibrant community that draws attention to the world's most pressing issues.
I'll be checking in with the YouTube community on my channel, www.youtube.com/agentchange. And I'd love to hear your feedback and ideas about nonprofits and activism on YouTube - email me at any time at agentchange@youtube.com. Also, if you see brilliant uses of YouTube popping up on the Nonprofits & Activism page, please let me know!
Peace,
Ramya R.
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
I'm Ramya and I'm the new Nonprofits & Activism Manager here at YouTube. I'm thrilled to be here, highlighting the best uses of YouTube to create meaningful social change and helping you leverage the power of YouTube for good.
Last September, we launched the YouTube Nonprofit Program with the help of 13 nonprofit partner organizations. Today, thousands of nonprofits have joined the program and are using YouTube to raise awareness about important issues, fundraise for their causes, and engage with their supporters. But there are lots of nonprofits out there who still haven't ridden the YouTube wave. Take it from a former nonprofiteer--it's totally worth it. If you're a U.S.-based 501c(3) organization, you can sign up now for a designated "Nonprofit" channel, which comes with a slew of awesome perks like increased branding and video uploading capacity, the chance to be featured in one of the "promoted videos" areas on YouTube, and the option to embed a Google Checkout gadget on your channel to drive fundraising.
Also, I want to give a shout out to all of my activists out there who aren't affiliated with a particular organization. Whether you're a filmmaker trying to expose new AIDS prevention techniques, a student organizer working to make your campus greener, or a citizen who just wants to make the world a better place, we want to help you share your ideas and experiences through YouTube. Just a few months ago, YouTube debuted the Nonprofits & Activism video page, a place where your content can bubble to the top and get seen by YouTube's global audience. Our goal is to build a vibrant community that draws attention to the world's most pressing issues.
I'll be checking in with the YouTube community on my channel, www.youtube.com/agentchange. And I'd love to hear your feedback and ideas about nonprofits and activism on YouTube - email me at any time at agentchange@youtube.com. Also, if you see brilliant uses of YouTube popping up on the Nonprofits & Activism page, please let me know!
Peace,
Ramya R.
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
Jumat, 06 Juni 2008
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Calling all Reporters
The new media revolution has been changing the media landscape for several years now, and we've had a front row seat to the action here at YouTube. People around the world have been using YouTube to report on the events and issues affecting their lives, shedding light on stories that might otherwise not be told and offering new perspectives on events covered by the traditional media. Today, to highlight these journalists on YouTube, we're announcing the launch of the Reporter channel type.
Reporter channels are just like other YouTube channel types –- such as Comedian, Guru and Musician -- but are specifically intended for citizens and professionals dedicated to informing others about the news and events in their local communities and around the world. This includes but is not limited to:
If any of this sounds like you, simply go to the Channel Info page within My Account, click "Change channel type" and select "Reporter" from the pull-down menu. Soon, we'll start surfacing Reporter channels on their very own browse page under the Channels tab, so it will be much easier to find news content on YouTube.
We look forward to welcoming a new fleet of Reporters to the site, and don't forget to keep us posted on your best news content by emailing CitizenNews@youtube.com.
Yours,
Olivia M.
YouTube News & Politics
Reporter channels are just like other YouTube channel types –- such as Comedian, Guru and Musician -- but are specifically intended for citizens and professionals dedicated to informing others about the news and events in their local communities and around the world. This includes but is not limited to:
- People who tote around their cameras offering "on-the-scene" coverage of local news and events
- Students producing their own weekly newscasts
- Active community members who conduct interviews with local leaders
- Engaged citizens who love providing commentary and analysis on important issues affecting the world at large
- Professional journalists using YouTube as an additional outlet for their work
If any of this sounds like you, simply go to the Channel Info page within My Account, click "Change channel type" and select "Reporter" from the pull-down menu. Soon, we'll start surfacing Reporter channels on their very own browse page under the Channels tab, so it will be much easier to find news content on YouTube.
We look forward to welcoming a new fleet of Reporters to the site, and don't forget to keep us posted on your best news content by emailing CitizenNews@youtube.com.
Yours,
Olivia M.
YouTube News & Politics
Kamis, 05 Juni 2008
How Can the Internet Make the World a Better Place?
Trying to remember what life was like before the Internet gets a little bit harder every day. How did I buy a plane ticket again? We wrote letters by hand and sent them in the mail, you say? What did I do when I needed driving directions?
The Internet has become a necessity in the daily lives of people all around the world, and on June 17 and 18, ministers from more than 40 countries will meet with global business leaders, technical experts, and academics in Seoul, Korea, at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s meeting on the "Future of the Internet Economy." Here they will discuss how the World Wide Web can make the world a better place, and they want to hear from you.
Similar to YouTube's Davos Question framed around the World Economic Forum back in January, the OECD wants to give you the opportunity to ask questions and share your ideas with global leaders about the future of the Internet and how it can be used for good. The best videos will be shown during the meeting in Seoul, and responses from the ministers will be posted on YouTube during the event.
So share your questions and ideas on YouTube now! Visit the OECD's "Future of the Internet" channel and tell the world what you think by submitting a video to it.
Cheers,
The YouTube Team
The Internet has become a necessity in the daily lives of people all around the world, and on June 17 and 18, ministers from more than 40 countries will meet with global business leaders, technical experts, and academics in Seoul, Korea, at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s meeting on the "Future of the Internet Economy." Here they will discuss how the World Wide Web can make the world a better place, and they want to hear from you.
Similar to YouTube's Davos Question framed around the World Economic Forum back in January, the OECD wants to give you the opportunity to ask questions and share your ideas with global leaders about the future of the Internet and how it can be used for good. The best videos will be shown during the meeting in Seoul, and responses from the ministers will be posted on YouTube during the event.
So share your questions and ideas on YouTube now! Visit the OECD's "Future of the Internet" channel and tell the world what you think by submitting a video to it.
Cheers,
The YouTube Team
Rabu, 04 Juni 2008
New Beta Feature: Video Annotations
We're happy to announce a new way to add interactive commentary to your videos -- with Video Annotations. With this feature, you can add background information, create branching ("choose your own adventure" style) stories or add links to any YouTube video, channel, or search results page -- at any point in your video.
Uploaders have control over creating and editing an unlimited number of annotations on their videos. To start annotating, first make sure you have videos uploaded into your account. Log in, then go to view one of your videos. On the Video page, click the blue "Edit Annotations" button to the right of the video.
As you play your video, you can insert commentary by adding speech bubbles, notes and highlight boxes anywhere you want. You can also use the menu on the left to save a draft, delete commentary, edit start/stop times or add links to your annotations. Once you save the final version, click "Publish" to reveal your annotated video to other users. (Note: Video Annotations are shown by default, but the viewer can turn them off while watching a video through the "Menu" button on the bottom right of the video player).
Looking for some creative ways to use annotations? Check out these examples: a shell game, skydiving adventure and magic trick.
For more information on how to use annotations, please visit the Help Center.
We're really looking forward to the endless ways you'll annotate your videos and will add more fun tools and features soon!
Don't forget to share your feedback with us,
The YouTube Team
Uploaders have control over creating and editing an unlimited number of annotations on their videos. To start annotating, first make sure you have videos uploaded into your account. Log in, then go to view one of your videos. On the Video page, click the blue "Edit Annotations" button to the right of the video.
As you play your video, you can insert commentary by adding speech bubbles, notes and highlight boxes anywhere you want. You can also use the menu on the left to save a draft, delete commentary, edit start/stop times or add links to your annotations. Once you save the final version, click "Publish" to reveal your annotated video to other users. (Note: Video Annotations are shown by default, but the viewer can turn them off while watching a video through the "Menu" button on the bottom right of the video player).
Looking for some creative ways to use annotations? Check out these examples: a shell game, skydiving adventure and magic trick.
For more information on how to use annotations, please visit the Help Center.
We're really looking forward to the endless ways you'll annotate your videos and will add more fun tools and features soon!
Don't forget to share your feedback with us,
The YouTube Team
Senin, 02 Juni 2008
Trendspotting Tuesday: Citizen Reporting on YouTube
Newsflash: A friend just called to tell you that there's an abandoned convertible teetering over the edge of a bridge, about to fall into the river just a mile from your house.
You:
a) Return to the couch and finish watching the season finale of Lost, which you TiVoed last week.
b) Turn on your laptop to see if CNN has published a story yet on its website.
c) Grab your video camera and sprint to the scene of the action, ready to capture the car's dramatic plummet into the rushing waters below.
If you answered c, you might be one of the many citizen reporters here on YouTube -- those who may not be practicing journalism for a living but are certainly helping to tell news stories that might not otherwise be covered by mainstream media outlets. More and more users are reporting the news on YouTube every day, which is why we're dedicating this week's Trendspotting Tuesday to the burgeoning community of citizen reporters on the site offering alternative perspectives on the news.
A few weeks ago we spotlighted how users in China had used YouTube to share video clips from the devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province. We've noticed lots of other types of on-the-scene accounts: from raw tornado footage captured by dare-deviling storm chasers facing harrowing twisters to rarely seen perspectives from soldiers in Iraq on life in a combat zone. Still others have contributed more in-depth investigations on social issues like the panhandling and check-cashing problems in urban America and international incidents that haven't gotten much attention in the press. Here's the full playlist.
Today, anyone with a camera can participate in reporting and spreading the news, and they're doing it right here. So make sure to check out the latest breaking news stories on YouTube, and stay tuned to this blog on Friday for an announcement about a new channel type that will officially recognize citizen journalists on the site.
As always, if you see great reporting and journalism being done by your fellow users here on YouTube, hit me up at CitizenNews@youtube.com.
Yours,
The YouTube Team
You:
a) Return to the couch and finish watching the season finale of Lost, which you TiVoed last week.
b) Turn on your laptop to see if CNN has published a story yet on its website.
c) Grab your video camera and sprint to the scene of the action, ready to capture the car's dramatic plummet into the rushing waters below.
If you answered c, you might be one of the many citizen reporters here on YouTube -- those who may not be practicing journalism for a living but are certainly helping to tell news stories that might not otherwise be covered by mainstream media outlets. More and more users are reporting the news on YouTube every day, which is why we're dedicating this week's Trendspotting Tuesday to the burgeoning community of citizen reporters on the site offering alternative perspectives on the news.
A few weeks ago we spotlighted how users in China had used YouTube to share video clips from the devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province. We've noticed lots of other types of on-the-scene accounts: from raw tornado footage captured by dare-deviling storm chasers facing harrowing twisters to rarely seen perspectives from soldiers in Iraq on life in a combat zone. Still others have contributed more in-depth investigations on social issues like the panhandling and check-cashing problems in urban America and international incidents that haven't gotten much attention in the press. Here's the full playlist.
Today, anyone with a camera can participate in reporting and spreading the news, and they're doing it right here. So make sure to check out the latest breaking news stories on YouTube, and stay tuned to this blog on Friday for an announcement about a new channel type that will officially recognize citizen journalists on the site.
As always, if you see great reporting and journalism being done by your fellow users here on YouTube, hit me up at CitizenNews@youtube.com.
Yours,
The YouTube Team
VFS / YouTube Scholarship Winners Announced
Back in March, Vancouver Film School and YouTube announced a first-of-its-kind competition. The challenge was to make a three-minute video about the theme, "What matters most to me." The prize: three full-tuition scholarships to one of VFS's world-class programs. After months of submissions and many fantastic entries, our judges whittled the competition down to ten worthy finalists. Now, after a week of voting by the YouTube community, we are pleased to announce the winners of the VFS/YT Scholarship Competition.
From Mexico in the program of Digital Design, Jorge Rolando Caneda Estrada:
From Germany in the program of Foundation Visual and Art Design, Stefan Ramirez Perez:
And from the United States in the program of Digital Design: Christopher Harrell:
Congratulations -- we know the YouTube community will be waiting with baited breath to see what you all do next!
Finally, to everyone who submitted videos to the competition and to those of you who voted for your favorite video, thank you from everyone here at the YouTube Team for making this great competition possible.
Happy Filmmaking,
Sara P.
YouTube Film
From Mexico in the program of Digital Design, Jorge Rolando Caneda Estrada:
From Germany in the program of Foundation Visual and Art Design, Stefan Ramirez Perez:
And from the United States in the program of Digital Design: Christopher Harrell:
Congratulations -- we know the YouTube community will be waiting with baited breath to see what you all do next!
Finally, to everyone who submitted videos to the competition and to those of you who voted for your favorite video, thank you from everyone here at the YouTube Team for making this great competition possible.
Happy Filmmaking,
Sara P.
YouTube Film
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