Back in 2006, Time Magazine’s controversial “Person of the Year” Award went to an unlikely, unknown entity: You. Beating out Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong-Il (aren’t they anti-people anyway?), You went ahead and took the prize, along with the spotlight, on places like YouTube.com and MySpace.com, websites that highlighted the ordinary and blasé along with the extraordinary and noteworthy. Indeed, the common man might never be invisible again.
YouTube is a fascinating world to discover. If you are a dial-up internet subscriber, chances are it won’t seem like much more than a web page with interesting pictures and lots of comments. However, if you are away from cable and DSL lines, satellite internet will get you involved.
Perhaps the biggest impact that YouTube had in that fateful year of 2006 was on politics. With an unpopular administration facing a challenge from the Democratic party in the midterm elections, YouTube became a key political forum. Not only were clips from online news reports popular, but YouTube also brought viewers access to speeches candidates were making along the campaign trail. These speeches have traditionally been unavailable to the larger public, brief periods on the stump which rarely make the news. Yet Virginia senatorial candidate Jim Webb had sent an operative to keep an eye on incumbent George Allen, a popular Republican. When Allen had his now infamous “Macaca Moment,” the video became an internet sensation. Satellite broadband subscribers could relive this turning point in the campaign over and over. Apparently they did, as the once invincible Allen fell to Webb in a close November election.
YouTube has so many more uses than the political. When it comes to music, the web site is a never-ending source of videos and live concert clips from musicians old and young. Anyone who wants to see Sinatra live in the ’60s or home videos of Jimi Hendrix can find them here. If you are thinking of picking up a CD and want to get a sample, you’ll have studio tracks and live footage to sort through. Satellite internet will keep the music streaming with its superior bandwidth, making your explorations worthwhile.
On the movie front, YouTube is an invaluable resource. Many films are available to watch in small clips, as well as trailers or outtakes from upcoming releases. It may not be the best forum to watch a movie in its entirety, but YouTube on satellite internet can certainly help you decide what to watch before heading off to the movie theater or going to the store for a rental.
Then there’s the wild home videos. Perhaps the greatest showcase of You out there, the site has become home to amateur comedy pieces, wild dog tricks, funny moments from the holidays and many other scenes of interest. For families and friends, it’s a way to make those digital videos available to all, without sending hard copies or trying to download the clip onto everyone’s computers. YouTube is definitely the way of the future, a fun and useful way to make the most of your satellite internet connection. youtube live stream