The "big picture". In America, arguably the most dynamic nation on our home planet, any discussion of "the big picture" must include some reference to YouTube. "Even more relevant than Facebook?", you may be asking yourself. Yes, in fact MUCH more relevant. To understand YouTube and it's current role in the process of progress, it's important to familiarize yourself with the website. For some of you, this may seem pointless. After all, YouTube is just a "guilty pleasure" isn't it? It's the website where you find "viral videos" of cute kitties and bikini-clad Obama fans. While YouTube does offer a vast catalog of kitties and cuties and failed backflips, it offers much more (just ask Philip DeFranco or Michael Buckley). And you have almost certainly contributed to the success of YouTube as a revenue generator by simply watching videos embedded in your local news affiliate website or virtually any website, even here on blogger. And THAT is the crux of the matter...revenue generation. YouTube is a "business opportunity" for literally anyone that has access to a 6 year old computer and a $20 used "digicam". The basic requirement to share in the ad revenue? Upload videos somewhat consistently and develop a "viewer base". Granted, it does require an effort and a significant number of hours per week to actually make a living wage, but the OPPORTUNITY itself is available to virtually any American. For most, it can be a nice bit of additional income and valuable experience in "social marketing" as well as a great way to meet new friends. Sounds pretty rosey, but that is the "big picture" regarding YouTube. And it's a VERY bright spot in our otherwise stagnant and crippled "economy" that is dominated by multinational corporations that outsource manufacturing jobs. Not so much because YouTube is going to make everyone self-employed and improve our standard of living, but because it IS an available opportunity and the business model of a YouTube "partner" can be applied to a wide variety of enterprises. While conservatives whine and wail about "no jobs because Wall Street executives are taxed too much", I don't hear the Democrats even hinting that there are opportunities available to everyone and America should be leading the way in developing a technology-based economic revival. The technology is available TODAY that would create energy "partners", a system that would allow individuals to sell their "surplus" energy to other consumers. The surplus could be generated by wind, solar, thermal, even generators powered by exercise bicycles. However, applying this technology requires an INVESTMENT in constructing and upgrading a "smart grid" (power grid). It's one of those fairly common circumstances where we have to "spend our way to prosperity". Much like any business venture that lays out a business plan to BORROW the start-up funding from a bank or other investment group, the construction of the smart grid will require some borrowed money. Which also means, we will never have an "energy partner" system as long as Republicans and Corporations have any opportunity to block the "business plan" and deny the funding. By the way, the upgrade would also provide systemic "regulation" of price-gouging and other "Enron-style" vehicles for ill-gained profits and revenues because of the inherent transparency of a partnered grid. We've come a long way since the days of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, or have we?
For information on YouTube Partner program, click here
You can find Philip DeFranco here
You can find Michael Buckley here
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