Thing #20: YouTube

I have used You Tube many times before. It is great for catching things I missed on TV (Tina Fey's first appearance as Sarah Palin, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman's songs about how much they love Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, for example). I used it most recently at home to prove to my kids and their friends that the alphabet can be pronounced. I can't remember how it came up, but to prove my point, I started singing this song that I remembered from my childhood. They looked at me like I was nuts. I told my son to let me on the computer, went straight to You Tube, and found the proof. I made them listen to the entire song. I don't think they appreciated it as much as I did.

I like that you can find anything from really obscure 1970's commercials to current pop culture events that everyone is talking about. I don't always like the comments posted to videos. I understand that the comments are what makes this a "community", but why can't we all be nice to one another? I guess I still operate under Thumper's credo: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." (Yes, you can find that video on You Tube, too.) Is it acceptable to be rude to someone just because you've never met and will never meet them? This is what keeps me from posting any videos online. I don't want people to be mean to me! I do wonder about the legality of posting some of these videos, too. I know the music industry had a fit over people downloading songs for free. Isn't this the same thing? I am glad You Tube is out there. It fulfills a need and creates a community. Just be nice when you are there!