It’s become something of an internet truth that the comments on popular YouTube videos represent the nadir of cesspit online dialogue but while scrolling down to escape this video of Celine Dion singing AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long (via) it occurred to me this is a real indicator of the reach YouTube has these days. It’s not that comments like “u shud all shut the fuck up its wikid i fink its a realy gud version if they wer all the same as the originals it wudnt b different x” are unique to YouTube but it’s quite rare for the likes of us to share a service not just with someone who writes like that but who actually likes Celine Dion. YouTube is the great bridge across the niche divide and while it’s not pretty maybe there’s something to celebrate there. Maybe.
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About this site
In June 2000 I started blogging at peteashton.com and 10 years later in June 2010 I decided to stop. Blogging here, that is. I started a clean slate over on I Am Pete Ashton and maintain all manner of other web presences which are all listed here along with my contact details.
You probably came here via a Google search or from following a link on some old blog post somewhere. I hope what you find is useful in some way, though do check the publication date - it might be rather old now.
Thanks for your eyeballs.
Pete Ashton
New development: I don’t particularly like watching videos/tv on my computer. Mainly because I’m sat at a desk so I don’t experience that total relaxtion I remember from the old days of Television. Also if I’m sat at my computer I can nver do one thing, like watch a video, I have to also download something, read something and convert some currency in a widget at the same time. Or watch two videos.
My most recentest internet development is that having a Nintendo Wii plugged into my (for dvds and games only) TV means I can now watch YouTube clips on my TV. I can quickly load up youtube clips, zoom in to full screen (often dodgy quality) and watch them in authentic retro TV-on-couch style. Amazing. Suddenly watching a 17 minute speech seems like a plausible thing to do again, since nothing ruins a legendary stirring speech like using a widget to check the weather in washington and msging someone about their farts at the same time.
That was long. Recap: Side-effect of Wii-return of Cathod Ray Tube.
Let us rejoice at the triumph of mediocrity? Celebrate the ignorant?
Reminds me of the comments on news posts on LJ. Although those tend to have more vitrol.
It’s funny we were just discussing this on my Derek the Sheep messageboard. I’d like to post a few links to funny youtube films on there but can’t due to the bad language in the comments. It would be cool if there was a filter to avoid the comments.
There’s a Derek the Sheep message board?
So there is!
You sure are going somewhere with that sheep!
I guess you could embed the videos in the threads so people don’t have to go to YouTube itself… except you can’t use html on your board… hmm…