Our days are numbered

Diposting oleh Greatest on Kamis, 05 Oktober 2006

Last night was our last feature release in this office. That's right, we're moving on to bigger, less rat infested digs next week. I can't even begin to tell you what a crazy ride it's been this past year and moving out of this, our first real office, has definitely been a little emotional for me. But more sappiness and nostalgia later. Tomorrow we're having a last day in the office shin dig and we'll be sure to post some videos from that.



So, what were we doing here until the wee hours of the morning last night? Launching a few new features. First off, QuickLists. The idea for QuickLists actually came from us watching users open up multiple browser windows so they could 'load up' a bunch of videos to watch later. Well, ⌘ N no more. See those little + icons on all the video images? Clicking on it will add that video to a list that is saved for later viewing. You can access your QuickList at anytime by clicking on the link at the top of every page, or by clicking the QuickList bar under any video you watch. You can watch all the videos in your QuickList at once by clicking 'play all', and if you want to keep the list permanently you can save it as a PlayList.



We've also been working diligently to combat two issues that have been somewhat plaguing YouTube lately - abusive flaggers and spammers. We get a lot of emails about both problems, and although we're not able to respond to everyone individually, please be rest assured that we are actively working on both of these issues and developing ways to abolish this type of abuse from the site. It's one of our highest priorities right now and we promise that in the coming weeks there will be much continued improvement in these areas.



In other news, The Underground contest is now accepting submissions. We've all spent countless (and I mean countless) hours this past week watching the entries and there are some truly amazing ones. Submissions are open until 10/18, so if you're a musician get your butt in gear and go make a video!



Best,

Maryrose

The YouTube Team
More about → Our days are numbered

Greetings, YouTubers!

Diposting oleh Greatest on Jumat, 22 September 2006

My name is Mia (I won't bother with the 12-syllable last name) and I'm the new czarina of programming. Huh, you say? Basically, that means a big part of my job is making sure we are finding and featuring the best videos in the YouTube universe – your original videos that never cease to amaze me with their creativity, senses of humor and, sometimes, strangeness.



I'm closing in on my second week here, and already I love working at YouTube (and it's not just the Oreos that call my name daily from the pantry behind me). In fact, you might think it's amazing I didn't run from the building on my first day, when I was greeted by an engineer snoring on a couch and I heard about The Rats (who better not touch my Oreos!).



Now I've worked at some pretty neat non-rat-infested places – MTV Networks, Rhapsody and Apple – but rarely have I felt such an immediate connection to the people who actually use the product. We feature a video, and you instantly tell us what you think about it. We can watch you acting silly, see what an awesome drummer you are, meet your whole family, and go deep inside your world on a daily basis. I can't think of anything much cooler than that.



So I'm really excited to be here and hope you'll continue to be as vocal as you are. Click here
to send me an email with suggestions of videos you think we should feature or to tell me about a new clip you've just uploaded or a new talent you've just discovered on the site. We may not be able to feature everything you send us, but we'll certainly pay close attention to what you're thinking and doing. After all, that's the YouTube way!




Yours 'Tube-ly,


Mia

The YouTube Team
More about → Greetings, YouTubers!

Underground

Diposting oleh Greatest on Kamis, 21 September 2006

We love our indie musicians at YouTube. Their spirit, creativity and often raw talent make for some of the best content on our site. I'm always filled with glee when someone tells me they 'discovered' a new band on YouTube. As a life long music junkie and avid supporter of local music scenes I take great personal pleasure in being part of something that can help indie musicians bring visibility to their music in a whole new way. We're constantly working to find new ways for musicians to promote themselves and connect to each other, so it's with great excitement that we announce our first-ever contest – The YouTube Underground (well, besides all those goofy contests we did last year, but nevermind that). It's pretty simple, really: if you're a musician, make a video, enter it in the contest and the YouTube community will vote for their favorites. Four grand prize winners will get a whole lot'o stuff, including:



  • All-new equipment from Gibson Guitar

  • Roundtrip airfare to New York City and lodging

  • Use of Gibson's pimped-out tour bus

  • Appearance on Good Morning America

  • Photo shoots and interviews

  • Video featured on YouTube



  • and of course...the envy of all eyes.



    So go make videos, musicians! This is your chance to shine like the rock star you were always meant to be.



    Maryrose

    The YouTube Team
    More about → Underground

    The Deal with Warner

    Diposting oleh Greatest on Senin, 18 September 2006

    No doubt you've read the news about the partnership we announced with
    Warner. This is great news for the YouTube community!



    Up front, let me say that the details will be worked out
    with Warner, its recording artists and YouTube over the next few months. Our
    goal is to provide you with the most entertaining service and more creative
    options.



    The cool thing is that Warner will be posting top music videos,
    interviews with your favorite artists and behind-the-scenes footage, and
    more. You'll be able to enjoy and share these videos without concern that
    they could be removed.



    What's even better is that Warner is the first record label to
    embrace and support your creativity by authorizing use of their
    music content for free, in partnership with your favorite artists! This new
    architecture will be available by the end of the year. We will have more
    details to share then.



    Meanwhile, we love hearing from you and want to know how we can
    continue to be the best way to share your talent with a growing
    audience.



    Cheers,

    Powers

    The YouTube Team
    More about → The Deal with Warner