2008 Woodie Awards
YouTube stirs controversy with crude content, infringement
KATE BUDZINSKI
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Opinion
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Ever since it was founded in February of 2005, YouTube.com has been a leading source of entertainment for audiences worldwide. The video-sharing website attracts millions of viewers, ultimately broadcasting 100 million videos daily. YouTube allows users to not only view and share videos, but also to rate videos and subscribe to specific members' uploads.
The site is home to a wide collection of content, including videos ranging from movie and television clips, to music videos, to original homemade videos such as videoblogging. Additionally, YouTube serves as an informational source, providing videos regarding current events and news stories.
Despite the popularity of YouTube, the content of the videos broadcasted is not always appropriate for general audiences. This is due to the fact that the owners of the company, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, do not select the material that is streamed into households, workplaces, and schools everyday. In a recent article in TIME, highlighting the founders, John Cloud mentioned how Hurley and Chen discovered the reality that people were posting anything they wanted on the site.
"In the end, we just sat back," said Hurley.
On YouTube, it is simple for a user to upload videos that may include inappropriate or controversial material. Although there is an ongoing attempt to control the content aired, it is extremely difficult for the site's 67 employees to have power over the 65,000 new videos uploaded each day. As a result, anyone who has access to the Internet can have access to the assortment of videos on YouTube.
In a personal experiment, I browsed YouTube.com to see what types of videos I would come across. After taking a look at the most recently viewed and top rated videos, I had found several items that were of violent, crude, and pornographic nature. I was not surprised at what I saw because of the seemingly user-run concept of the website. I was, however, appalled when I saw several postings of Saddam Hussein's hanging. Although many people believe that it was a reassurance to witness Hussein's hanging on video, I do not consider it necessary to make something as personal as a death sentence available to the public.
The site is home to a wide collection of content, including videos ranging from movie and television clips, to music videos, to original homemade videos such as videoblogging. Additionally, YouTube serves as an informational source, providing videos regarding current events and news stories.
Despite the popularity of YouTube, the content of the videos broadcasted is not always appropriate for general audiences. This is due to the fact that the owners of the company, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, do not select the material that is streamed into households, workplaces, and schools everyday. In a recent article in TIME, highlighting the founders, John Cloud mentioned how Hurley and Chen discovered the reality that people were posting anything they wanted on the site.
"In the end, we just sat back," said Hurley.
On YouTube, it is simple for a user to upload videos that may include inappropriate or controversial material. Although there is an ongoing attempt to control the content aired, it is extremely difficult for the site's 67 employees to have power over the 65,000 new videos uploaded each day. As a result, anyone who has access to the Internet can have access to the assortment of videos on YouTube.
In a personal experiment, I browsed YouTube.com to see what types of videos I would come across. After taking a look at the most recently viewed and top rated videos, I had found several items that were of violent, crude, and pornographic nature. I was not surprised at what I saw because of the seemingly user-run concept of the website. I was, however, appalled when I saw several postings of Saddam Hussein's hanging. Although many people believe that it was a reassurance to witness Hussein's hanging on video, I do not consider it necessary to make something as personal as a death sentence available to the public.
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