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The Culture of Connectivity - Jose Van Dijck - Chapter 6



In this chapter, Van Dijck focuses on YouTube.

YouTube started with the intentions of being an alternative to broadcast television. Like Flickr, its origins and its present state do not function the same. Where it used to focus on user generated content, the user is considered more of a consumer now with the intention of watching rather than posting.

However, YouTube introduced some new abilities that have had a lasting impact. YouTube introduced the idea of streamed content, the ability to upload video, and combined these with aspects of social networking! YouTube videos are rarely downloaded, viewers do not own the content, but they have access to view the material.

Where YouTube differs from Flickr is that in its adaptions of the purpose and focus, Some of the original users of the platform were disgruntled by the changes, but the majority of users supported the change and embraced it as a part of their everyday lives, particularly with their capabilities of meshing almost seamlessly with their other social media like Facbook and Twitter. Resulting in YouTube being one of the top 3 most used social media platforms on the web.

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