It grew because it was the only platform that did it.
If you want views, you have to go where the viewers are. Current alternatives are sorely lacking.
If you want the smaller platforms to grow, you do need to post there, but ignoring the existing giant won’t get you seen unfortunately. At the very least, you should do both.
The only competitor I could see YouTube getting is if Twitch decided to chase that route. The only companies with the global infrastructure required for a service as fast as YouTube’s are Amazon, Microsoft (and Google).
Microsoft gave up on Mixer, so I don’t see them ever trying to take on YouTube. Amazon have Twitch, which as mentioned, could try to take on YouTube. But even with owning their own servers and just running them at cost, it would be a massive undertaking and investment.
There’s a tremendous amount of work to do, that these companies are not going to throw money at for decades just to compete for YouTube’s profit margins, which apparently aren’t that big (if they even exist).
Sites can exist alongside YouTube, We see a lot of smaller video hosting sites, like Dailymotion, but something would have to go seriously wrong at YouTube for any of them to grow meaningfully and become actual competitors.
I’d like a competitor as much as anybody, but I’m just being realistic here. Don’t underestimate the size of YouTube.
Hey man, the playing-pinball-while-a-cat-interferes peertube community is very close-knit (https://video.apz.fi/).
I kid, but it’s true that peertube lacks the dopamine hooks and variety that youtube does. It’s much harder to sink hours into watching a bunch of videos that you’ll only half remember by the next day.
Yeah, but discovery optimisation algorithms are what got YouTube into the mess it’s in. I’m okay with a more natural, look for what you want style, as opposed to being handed video after video to waste time and oversaturate your mind.
I wouldn’t know too much about the searching issue. What problems have you noticed?
I found that it has zero ability to infer and suggest from what I’m typing. If I typo “mine inch”, easy to do on a phone keyboard, it is completely lost. But YouTube knows that I’m definitely looking for nine inch nails. “Chicken tr” on YouTube knows I’m looking for chicken tractors before I even finish, Odyssey is completely lost and requires me to type the whole thing out. When I’m searching for music it requires me to know exactly what I’m looking for and doesn’t offer much in the way of exploration help.
Sure. You could upload it to peer-tube, and have it be seen by a whole 11 people!
A little ironic that this comment posted on Lemmy (tiny competitor to reddit)
Viewers go where the content is, yes, but you don’t get content on alternative sites if you don’t post there.
YouTube in the old days was awesome. Then Google happened to it. When it first started it was quite small.
Principles matter!
There was a time Youtube videos would only be seen by 11 people. But it grew because people posted videos anyway.
It grew because it was the only platform that did it.
If you want views, you have to go where the viewers are. Current alternatives are sorely lacking.
If you want the smaller platforms to grow, you do need to post there, but ignoring the existing giant won’t get you seen unfortunately. At the very least, you should do both.
YouTube was not the only platform back then but I agree it dwarfs what is around now
there were very very very few platforms where you could post and share streaming video online when YouTube was new.
it was certainly the only free option. the internet was quite young then if you don’t remember.
other platforms rose up around their success, but I’m pretty sure YouTube was more or less unique when it started.
I was going to say vimeo but checked the dates to make sure I remembered right - looks like it was up even before youtube 2004 vs 2005.
oh wow, i thought for sure it came later. i should stop making snap comments when m waking up.
Wasn’t dailymotion and liveleak around before YouTube? And it took YouTube some time before it became the mammoth it is now
Why not both, it’s not like The Internet Police will stop you.
That would be great for those 11 people.
In this case, you could upload it to YouTube where it will be taken down and seen by a whole no people
No no. It’ll still be seen by thousands before it’s taken down.
Thousands of bots.
Also it has to get around the many rules Youtube itself has for the all mighty algorithm.
Honestly, at this point people should use Pornhub.
Microsoft Account gets FUCKED by huge command line penetration
Honestly? If anyone could make a rival for YouTube it would be a big porn hosting site.
The infrastructure is already there. Just need to buy another domain and throw money at it.
I dont think anyone will rival youtube, pornhubs infrastructure is no where near youtubes, like at all.
I dont think you need to overtake YouTube on day 1. Do you?
The only competitor I could see YouTube getting is if Twitch decided to chase that route. The only companies with the global infrastructure required for a service as fast as YouTube’s are Amazon, Microsoft (and Google).
Microsoft gave up on Mixer, so I don’t see them ever trying to take on YouTube. Amazon have Twitch, which as mentioned, could try to take on YouTube. But even with owning their own servers and just running them at cost, it would be a massive undertaking and investment.
There’s a tremendous amount of work to do, that these companies are not going to throw money at for decades just to compete for YouTube’s profit margins, which apparently aren’t that big (if they even exist).
Sites can exist alongside YouTube, We see a lot of smaller video hosting sites, like Dailymotion, but something would have to go seriously wrong at YouTube for any of them to grow meaningfully and become actual competitors.
I’d like a competitor as much as anybody, but I’m just being realistic here. Don’t underestimate the size of YouTube.
Blocked in 23 states, unless you want to hand over your digital ID.
no one cares about the plights of those living in backwater stone age dictatorships. the modern world must move forward on its own.
we Americans have to get used to being left behind and left out of conversations by real adults now.
Contrary to popular American belief, the USA is not the center of the Universe
I don’t care if anything I’ve ever posted is blocked in 50 states. Americans assume they are the center of the world.
So for what, 100 million people vs 8 billion, it’s a problem.
I’ll take that.
they’re not important
As a Floridian, I have to use a VPN for that.
Hey man, the playing-pinball-while-a-cat-interferes peertube community is very close-knit (https://video.apz.fi/).
I kid, but it’s true that peertube lacks the dopamine hooks and variety that youtube does. It’s much harder to sink hours into watching a bunch of videos that you’ll only half remember by the next day.
What’s wrong with that?
Or Odysee!! A well established platform with decentralised video storage and a FOSS app that lets you browse all videos with relatively fast loading.
And craptastic search and discovery features.
Yeah, but discovery optimisation algorithms are what got YouTube into the mess it’s in. I’m okay with a more natural, look for what you want style, as opposed to being handed video after video to waste time and oversaturate your mind.
I wouldn’t know too much about the searching issue. What problems have you noticed?
I found that it has zero ability to infer and suggest from what I’m typing. If I typo “mine inch”, easy to do on a phone keyboard, it is completely lost. But YouTube knows that I’m definitely looking for nine inch nails. “Chicken tr” on YouTube knows I’m looking for chicken tractors before I even finish, Odyssey is completely lost and requires me to type the whole thing out. When I’m searching for music it requires me to know exactly what I’m looking for and doesn’t offer much in the way of exploration help.