[writing last year, Meg Carter informed us that "the amount of professionally produced TV and film that is coming online is growing fast’. [[[[do another lip-over part here?]]]]
[In terms of the beloved how to video the only relevant uploads are normally either spoofs, or are directly lifted from existing television or film, rather than being brand new content developed purely for the web.]
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[Chris Rock’s How not to get your ass kicked by the police! Video is a perfect example this. The uploader (Insane Nutter) is in no way affiliated with Chris Rock, or the television show, so i in a way are these “professional” videos user-generated? Without the uploader, would they be available to as wide an audience?]
[Jenkins continues to suggest that within this idea of teaching and learning: there ‘[is] some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices’.]
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[Isn’t this the purpose of “How to...” videos: Sharing knowledge with other users? Or is there more of a “knowledge is power” effect actually present within this YouTube community: a competitive culture if you will.]
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To elaborate on this, we will sample online guitar performance videos. In a 2006 NY Times article Heffernan described these guitar performances as ‘carrying a modesty clause’, where the players often ‘exhibit a kind of anti-showmanship’. The guitarist funtwo (real name Joeng-Hyung Lim), features in one of the most discussed and viewed videos (if not the most), both in this particular genre, and on YouTube as a whole: simply titled ‘guitar’ . In the same article, when asked what he thought of all the attention/views/comments he had garnered from the video he replied “Some said my vibrato is quite sloppy…and I agree that so these days I’m doing my best to improve my vibrato skill.” This is certainly a very modest statement to make from a man being referred to as ‘better than Jimmi Hendrix’ by some YouTubers, but is this always the case of all online guitar performances? Does this “modesty-clause” apply to all online guitar performances?
At the time of writing, there are just over 2,500 video responses to ‘guitar’, with approximately half of these being guitar, or instrument based. ‘Awsome guitar solo’ is one of the first encountered, taking the format of the player sat in a bedroom playing guitar – a very similar setup to that of the original funtwo video. This modesty theory has clearly already being abandoned by simply titling the video ‘awesome’ – connoting a high skill level of the player. Another, titled ‘Guitar – Canon (The best)’ once again expresses this “be-the-best” competitive element of YouTube. The title gives the impression of a certain level of arrogance from the uploader, and suggests there is a level of competitiveness between at least some member so this community. There are however exceptions – ‘Best Guitar Improvisation Ever’ being a prime example. In this case, the video has taken a more comical slant on the original funtwo: depicting a similar mis-en-scene, instead the player is however not as skilled. The video responses to ‘guitar’ thus tend to fall into the following three categories: spam or attempts to gain more views; parody or comically based; and the third being a challenger to the crown of either the original song, or online guitar performances in general. Again, this asks the question, is it the content that is most important to viewers: Is this the reason why some uploaders boast and distort in titles and descriptions, as a way to entice prospective viewers with promises of content not necessarily present?
Concentrating now on tutorial videos on the whole, this teaching and learning aspect within Participatory Culture is described by Jenkins as a ‘reciprocal exchange of knowledge’ – users are adding their own ideas to a pool of videos that are accessible to all wishing to learn. Juhasz (2008) however, has a contrasting opinion: ‘[YouTube’s] compelling lack of depth and expertise, and it’s all but disappeared procedures of coherence, order, and forced attention – made it poor for education.’ Admittedly, there are a variety of different ‘genres’ of YouTube videos available: viewing a ‘Funny Dancing Dog’ is not relevant learning for the majority of users, however, this does not mean there is no source of learning located on YouTube. Watching others play instruments for example is a mimicable form of learning, only not in the more traditional ‘classroom’ style.
A report commissioned by the MacArthur Foundation (2008) found that youths were using YouTube (and other web 2.0 sites) to ‘dive-in to a topic..turn[ing] to specialized knowledge groups around the country or world..with the goal of improving their craft’, known as ‘geeking-out’. By posting, commenting and responding to videos, users are interacting with other users interested in the same or similar subject. A video (‘Modern Warfare 2 Create A Class And Help Tips’ ) depicting character class ideas for the multiplayer aspect of a videogame is a prime example of this ‘geek-out’ interest. Instead of the usual flaming and trolling associated with the online gaming community, the comments section is alive with tips and suggestions to other gamers.
Burgess (2009) suggests ‘online video invites participation and rewards repetition and ongoing engagement.’ Whilst this may be apparent in videos such as ‘guitar’ (the constant barrage of new responses being uploaded), and to a lesser extent ‘Modern Warfare 2…’ (as the games popularity diminishes, it is inevitable the video will do the same), this is not necessarily relevant to the more typical “how to…” videos. These tend to be a simple, “search for video-get result-possibly leave comment” type affair, rather than this ongoing participation that Burgess suggests. These videos are not necessarily internet fads, or virals: they are simply available to access when required due to the content included.
As web 2.0 and YouTube are becoming ever more prominent in society, it is logical to believe that its use will affect the way we learn, and possibly what we choose to learn about. With a breadth of knowledge available, users will continue to both share and learn, with simple tutorial videos being one of the more prominent ways to do so. This “Google Culture” (where users are expecting an instant answer) inevitably plays a role in the shaping and use of tutorial videos, but does this mean users are using websites such as YouTube to access this knowledge, rather than search engines or older analogue methods? Do users necessarily trust the information they find within these videos? These are several issues I hope to evolve in my upcoming research documentary. Regardless of this, Jenkins’ (2008) idea of a ‘reciprocal exchange of knowledge’ looks sure to continue, and prosper with the development of the web
