For months, YouTube Cewebrity Paul Robinette (Renetto) has been posting video blogs (vlogs) about his discontent on YouTube. He has criticized the site for how it handles the small but vocal video community, and has stirred up drama with the grace of an Olympic gymnist.
In the past few weeks, Robinette quietly launched Vloggerheads.com with 250 plus fellow vloggers. I previously reported that he was launching RenettoTube (see site), but apparently he had some help from branding experts.
The site, which was created using ning, is by invite only (info@renetto.com), and has already banned at least one controversial YouTube poet. The site has rules of ettiquette and is working to keep out unsavory “haters,” “trolls” and “pedophiles.” Fortunately that crowd has its own site (utubedrama.com). And don’t pretend you don’t surf for your name there weekly.
Renetto, who shaved my head years ago when I desperately wanted to be him, once topped the charts of YouTube but has fallen down the top 100 even faster than Nalts (which is rather sad given that I “jumped the shark” more than a year ago).
Renetto is loved and hated, but often the subject of discussion (see outtake clip that spoofs Renetto from a video I shot this week with YouTube Whore MrSafety). He’s best-known for his Mentos parody (nearly 10 million views) and was quoted regularly in the early media coverage of YouTube. In late 2006, Robinette rallied in support of YouTube-challenger Live Video, then changed his mind and brought about McCarthy-like challenge to those who abandoned YouTube (and took great pride in helping unravel LiveVideo). See NY Post article for more.
Vloggerheads is being listed as a “placeholder” site with larger goals. However it’s already attracting some of the YouTubers who don’t have top rankings but are staples among the inner circle of a vibrant community. My “poster child” of the online-video community (Nutcheese) is already addicted and that’s slown down her visits to Stumble! by 26%.
With just 800 videos to date and no apparent revenue model, Vloggerheads won’t soon be a threat to YouTube. But it’s an alternative virtual city where “hard core” community members are gathering, debating, communing and creating drama…
A smaller pond for those feeling lost in an increasingly commercialized YouTube?
Here’s my social commentary on vlogging. I wasn’t too sarcastic was I?
P.S. A reporter from Wired.com contacted Paul and said she heard about him from Nalts’ blog. That’s the power I have in media. Like TechCrunch I can make or break a company. Arington eat my pie hole you viralvideovillain promoter.
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Ride, I used to jump my horse and ride
I had a six gun at my side
I was so handsome, women cried
And I got shot but I never died
I could play, if I do every thing he’d say
Girls seem to just get in his way
Those days we weren’t considered fun
A cowboy’s work is never done
He’d fight crime all the time
He’d always win,
Till his mom would break it up
And call him in
He was tough he was hard
But he was kind
and he was love, cause guys like him
Were hard to find
Ride, I like to ride again some day
I think I still know how to play
I’d play games now but it’s not fun
A cowboy’s work is never done
Okay, so Boogerheads has made me a drama junky (click).
Job openings at Boogerheads!!!!!
(click)
^ “Now some other early pioneers on the site are looking for greener pastures. This is a natural part of the cycle. New things become old. Cool places to hang out become corporate institutions. Successful people become outdated and unneeded.”
Just a reminder I guess…
Makes ya sorta wanna start singing the Lion King don’t it?
Doctor, lawyer, beggar man thief,
Philly Joe remarkable looks on in disbelief,
if you want a taste of madness,
you’ll have to wait in line,
probably see someone you know
on Vloggerheads and Da kine.
you’re obsessed mdj!
I’m actually torn between the two factions – I understand the personal info POV, like risking your cc and phone number – I’d never give those up to any couple of individuals especially, when people all over the place have the habit of dropping docs.
On the other hand if they want to go off and have their own little playground, well why not? The internets is big – each to their own tribe I say.
I am surprised at all the hurt feelings though, those who can’t get in and those who ran away. Seems to me that the one’s who are lashing out and the one’s who ran away are only looking for the same thing, acceptance and hugs, even though few of them are really all that huggable
Again, I feel bad that I’m enjoying someone else’s misery, not in a perverted way, but just the interchange between the two groups, I’m watching life’s lessons as they unfold; the sense of what is fair play and what is retaliation. The fact that I know none of these people makes it even more surreal, like reality TV without the writers. Perhaps all the world is a stage…
^ Or an amusement park (click).
Excellent site Jim. You have a keen eye for the unusual.
since this is the worlds longest thread – I found the new vloggerheads mascot [click]
@110
My keen eye (click).
@111
HAHAHA! That guy’s PERFECT, jan!
Here’s my music video tribute to him (click) and his fellow Boogerheads (mentions flying).
Hello. My name is Andrew. And I’m addicted to Vloggerheads.
You can’t get all the world into a new site that at its present stage may have more bugs than users
Ning is a great place but I doubt it will th final place for VH.
before you accept the masses you need a verification system and a relatively bug free site (as much as humanly possible).
if people would just get over the fact they weren’t invited for one minute they will see that VH is like youtube but nicer and almost troll free.
in 3 months VH will either die off or be a huge success with thousands of users and I think the latter has more chance of happening than the former.
Trivialize the red flags. Marginalize the heralds. No rush. I’ll say I told you so later. Those who ignore the past are apt to eefoof the future.
Okay, maybe I’ve prejudged, but I assume that most of the Boogerheads videos look much like the last two-thirds of THIS award-winning video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI0vkRNU9cA
I’m a fairly late-comer to Youtube, first posting about a year and a half ago.
When I left Grand Rapids Michigan to relocate to beautiful Western Maryland, the main thing I missed about G’rapids was GRTV – Grand Rapids Public Access Television. I was bummed to have lost my outlet and access to an audience for my videos.
Then I got hip to youtube. I really enjoy the come-one-come-all democracy of the youtube community. This Vloggerhead idea smacks of elitism or certainly exclusiveness.
Keep on editing!
Best wishes
Mannie1952
They (Boogerheads) are just following the example Youtube set in their Partners Program, Mannie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHENiqwA6gk&fmt=18
@marquisdejolie – VH is doing great man – we’re all having a really fun time over there. No kidding. If what you’re doing on YouTube about us is an act, then that’s cool. If it isn’t, and it is really how you feel, then all I have to say is:
GLAD YOU’RE NOT WITH US
Take a luude, dood – hahaha
ding ding ding
baiting morfeene? LOL
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