YouTube Gets Big-Time Facelift
Not All Users Pleased with Changes
There's no doubt that YouTube is one of the web's most popular sites. For years now it's allowed folks to express themselves in video format. It's even been the place where big stars have gotten their start. Despite the site's popularity, YouTube has decided to tinker with the formula by introducing a major redesign, and not everyone is pleased.
Last week YouTube unveiled a number of major changes to its website, most of which are designed to make it easier for hardcore users to upload videos and personalize their "channels". In a statement, YouTube called the update a "fresh coat of digital paint."
That fresh coat of paint involves YouTube's attempt to perfectly straddle the line between Internet video site and television -- it places a YouTube user's channels in prominent view on the main page but also makes it easier to upload videos and personalize an account. Users can add different templates to their own channels, adding a much-desired customization option.
Perhaps the biggest addition to the site has been YouTube’s introduction of new links with social networking platforms Google+ and Facebook. Videos uploaded to YouTube can be automatically placed on a Facebook "News Feed", for example.
Industry experts speculate that the additions are designed to encourage the development and uploading of more professional videos. Unfortunately, it almost seems as if the site is losing those amateur qualities that made it so popular in the first place. With this in mind, a number of users have attacked the update in the last few days.
One obvious example that people aren't pleased: the YouTube video showing off the changes has about three times more "dislikes" than "likes". "They’re turning YT into TV, pretty soon there will be no interaction, and you will not be able to find any actual useful vids at all," complained one user.
"Next year, the site will just be a picture of a middle finger," said another.
There's no doubt YouTube is headed in a new direction by allocating millions to redesigns and developing new content (it's been reported both Ashton Kutcher and Jay-Z are helping with the latter). But will it alienate millions of faithful video viewers?
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