YouTube: “The River of Dung”

by Nalts on July 23, 2007

dung.jpgIn the most thought-inspiring article since Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” award cover story that named me, Maxim writer John Walsh has written a piece called “You Suck!” in the August issue.

“All that user-generated content you’re posting on the Web? Please stop,” writes Walsh. He likens browsing YouTube like “panning for gold dust in a shallow river of dung.” Some other interesting points:

  • When Gutenberg invented movable type, was there a sudden explosion of self-indulgent horshit? Nope. Bibles and scientific treatises.
  • When Morse invented the telegraph, it “nurtured a vigorous economy and informed electorate.”
  • Walsh tracks the decline as we moved into television, magazines and now… MySpace and YouTube. Will Ferrell, he writes, is an exception. But you and me? We’re not Will Ferrell.

“Ask yourself,” Walsh rants. “Would I want to waste five minutes watching what I’m about to make? Odds are, the answer is no.”

Guilty as charged, Walsh.

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