I never really got into using or frequenting YouTube. The only reason I ever really use it is when someone posts a link to a video which directs me there. I do have to admit that once I am directed to YouTube for whatever reason it does tend to be entertaining and ends up wasting at least a half hour of my time. Today for instance, the first video I watched was of the space shuttle Discovery being transported to the Udvar-Hazy air and space museum. It was quite the site to see and now something you see everyday so it intrigued me.
I was then drawn to a recent hologram performance of 2pac which was quite impressive. Before I knew it I had wasted a good half hour watching videos. For my limited use, It is more of site to waste time and find funny or interesting videos, which I dont really have the time or need to do much.
Hulu on the other hand I use all the time. It is a great way for me to legally watch shows while im on a lunch or dinner break at work, or just in between classes, bored, and maybe trying to catch up on one of my primetime shows.
I was an early Hulu user and fell in love with it from the get go. Now obviously with commercials and Hulu Plus it begins to get annoying but I still use it a lot and it is to be expected with any site who gains popularity. Being a generation who has been blessed with great technology and web innovations/improvements/endless possibilities.
That being said there is always a great idea around the corner that will make the internet more enjoyable for a year or so and then the same things that happend to Hulu and YouTube will happen. Rather than getting pissed off about it, I embrace it. There isn't anything I can do about commercials and advertising, so I simply appreciate the fact that I can watch TV for free online.
I agree with you that no matter how much I complain about the 30 seconds of advertising I have to "sit through" while watching Hulu and occasionally YouTube. I still prefer it over the 10 combined minutes of advertisements seen while watching shows on a television. YouTube is notorious for its lack of commercials, except of course on the more popular videos in which there are quick advertisements in the beginning. Hulu on the other hand has always had brief advertisements spaced out through the episodes. However, Hulu is now becoming more exclusive and forcing people to join Hulu+ in order to watch certain episodes, or venture into the world of illegal downloading of shows.
ReplyDeleteThese websites are reflective of the internet world we live in now: semi free, with hints of our market-based society.