Mindy McAdams distills the work of mwesch (YouTube phenomenon) into 30 thought-provoking granules. You can see the assignment here: http://www.macloo.com/syllabi/dem/mwesch_assignment.htm

1. mwesch, distilled Mindy McAdams 2008 An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube

2. The majority of videos on YouTube are meant for audiences of less than 100 people. (1:30)

3. expression community identity

4. A new type of platform: Before YouTube, it was difficult to upload video to the Web.

5. invent new ways to connect with each other

6. “user-generated organization” “user-generated distribution” (9:30)

7. “ We’re living in a different kind of mediascape.” (11:30)

8. “Media mediate human relationships.”

9. “ Community” has been in decline. Place-to-place (old) Person-to-person (new) Personal independence and increased individuality

10. invisible audience asynchronous

11. “ context collapse” (22:40)

12. “Everybody is watching, but nobody is there.” (25:20)

13. replay, recall, recognition --Marshall McLuhan

14. hatred as public performance (29:00)

15. Profound, deep connection with other humans … via YouTube (30:10)

16. We crave connection, but connection is constraint. (30:50)

17. Many people report having this profound, deep connection on YouTube. (32:40)

18. free hugs (33:00)

19. “YouTube is a platform.” Some people want to get to the top of the heap ( competitive ). (34:50)

20. Lonelygirl15: YouTube users banded together to discuss her authenticity (like Survivor spoilers, or other acts of collective intelligence). (38:00)

21. “Everybody’s mad because they got duped ...” “YouTube is not for fake stuff! It’s for real stuff!”

22. identity

23. “People start gaming the system to get more views.” (41:50)

24. You never know where a camera is going to be and when it’s going to be uploaded to YouTube (McCain: “Bomb bomb Iran”). (44:40)

25. Remixing: Take it, change it, throw it right back.

26. any remixing is basically illegal

27. Criminalization of popular culture: Everyone is a pirate.

28. “ Ordinary people live life against the law.” --Lawrence Lessig

29. the most responded-to video in the history of YouTube (One World: write on your hand) (48:00)

30. “ This Web site – this community – helped bring me life again.” --bnessel1973 (52:30)

31. Supplemental Viewing:

32. Supplemental Viewing: From Web star to movie star? (USA Today video)

33. Supplemental Viewing: Where in the Hell Is Matt? (YouTube video)

34. mwesch, distilled Mindy McAdams 2008 An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube The End