I’ve been using youtube for quite some time now. I have to say, for a free service, I take it for granted. I’ve uploaded a few videos myself. None of them are particularly great but it has been an experience to say the least. Lately, I’ve been using youtube to learn how to become a better hearthstone player. Hearthstone is a Blizzard game where the heroes of World of Warcraft duke it out in a trading card game format. Naturally, as soon as the closed beta test invites went out, a ton of streamers, podcasters, and the like, posted hundreds of videos for eager gamers to check out. Most videos are top plays of the week or top ten plays made but that particular player. The videos I like to watch are the more educational ones. These educational videos analyze the mechanics of the game from a different players’ point of view.

I also use youtube for music. Whenever I hear a new song on the radio I always look it up on youtube before purchasing it. It’s also great for entertaining guests that demand to listen to their own music. They can just simply log onto their youtube account and play their favorite playlists for everyone.

Back to the videos I’ve made- I’ve posted a short playlist to demonstrate that even after making 7 videos I’m still new to it. In the first two videos, I grapple with the term YOLO in an attempt to redeem it. YOLO has become an excuse to do unwise things. In videogames it doesn’t really apply because you respawn (you can’t really die in videogames ever).

In the first video, I recorded myself playing Grand Theft Auto. I deliberately chose the game for it’s violent nature. I wanted to show the main character Nico being the most nefarious outlaw ever. There are countless youtube videos of people saying YOLO then doing something stupid. In this video I wanted to imitate that in a mocking way. I was trying to be facetious.

Similar to the first video, the 2nd video shows some Umass hooligans partying to the extreme. That last clip is indeed a couch on fire. And yes the kid yelled yolo before igniting it, I was there. I’m all about partying but sometimes things can get out of hand so I looped an elevator ride in the mix to hopefully convey the idea that yolo+drinking= downward spiral.

The last video was our digital project for Russworm’s 383 course comic books, video games, and new media. I think it came out good although it takes a much more serious tone from the get go.

All in all, youtube is one of the most visited websites around and rightfully so. You can learn how to make videos, watch other user created material, listen to music, learn how to play video games and much more. I feel like the internet as a whole wouldn’t function without youtube. Youtube is like the spinal chord of the internet.

Fun Stuff