YouTube Slam is the latest attempt by the premier online video site to make stars out of ordinary people while sucking more time away from those of us who spend our days online. And it’s a veritable stroke of genius.
Viral Video
It’s a well-known fact that the vast majority of videos uploaded to YouTube go nowhere. They gain just a handful of viewers, most of which know the uploader personally. Unless a video is picked up and promoted by a site such as WebTVHub then it’s difficult to get noticed.
This does mean, however, that the videos which do break out are generally the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the most compelling, most watchable, most addictive videos on the whole of YouTube. But how to find these gems before they reach the mainstream?
YouTube Slam
This is where YouTube Slam comes in. It’s actually been around for a couple of months already but has only now been deemed ready for the big-time.
YouTube Slam essentially pits videos against each other in different genres, with YouTube users voting for their favorite from two different videos at a time. A leaderboard gradually takes shape, with the winners getting the opportunity to gain more exposure than they would normally expect.
At the time of writing there is a Bizarre Slam, a Comedy Slam, and a Cute Slam happening. All contain videos I have never seen before, although the latter is not one for those who don’t like cats.
Conclusions
This is a clever innovation from YouTube. It adds another layer of interaction to the site, encouraging users to sign up, sign in, and start taking part rather than merely spectating. It will also help grow video views and create more viral video stars.
For users it’s nothing more than another way of wasting five minutes of time online when boredom sets in. But few will complain.
