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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Street vendor hot dogs!? You like to live dangerous!
Wait. I beg your pardons, but something doesn’t make sense here. Look at comment 11 compared to comment 37. Kimosh says Boogerheads is going to do all these wonderful things that YouTube can’t to prevent haters and cheaters and gamers yet ChristopherMast says the only info you have to give is name and zip code.
What? They doing some kind of magic over there? Practitioners of zip code voodoo? How are they gonna do all of comment #11 with only zip codes?
I call bullshit.
And that’s my last word, I promise. Unless somebody ELSE pulls my chain.
For you youngsters out there, let me give you the etymology of the phrase “pull my chain.”
In the olden days, the water reservoir for flush toilets was located near the ceiling. You had to yank on a hanging chain to flush and when you did, the most gawdawful roar of flushing would occur, leading to the expression “who pulled your chain?” after someone had just ranted about something.
At yer service, kiddos.
i’m kind of reminded of the live video exodius of ‘07 which lasted a whole of two weeks
Me, too. And then they came sheepishly sneaking back into youTube, pretending they’d never said the most gawdawful foolish things they’d said when they left.
Oh, the hubris of amateurs!
MDJ…did you miss the beta testing part? We’re not required to give more information yet…they are still working on it.
And I should correct something I said previously…while it’s comfortable (for me) to see many familiar faces…they are allowing a large diverse group of people. Some people have a rep for being a hater…the point is, stalk or harrass someone and you’re gone. They are developing a system to try and keep people out once they are gone.
sheepishly sneeking back to YT? LOL Are you saying we should be exclusive to YT? that’s hilarious. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I never intend on closing my YT account…I enjoy watching WTB. :^)
jischinger [boo]
Sorry…alpha testing.
I think everyone might just be taking all this a little too seriously. Deep breath, folks. Say it with me: Goosfraba.
There, feel better?
As far as I can tell, the site itself sounds to be at the least, a neat concept. And if they acheive what it sounds like they want to get, not only will it be a good place to be, but it will be the first time I can recall since I went online in the mid-90’s that an internet site doesn’t have trolls.
That being said, if the ultimate goal is to make it an open site to anyone, I think it was an error on their part to make it so public so soon. It’s true that a lot of great sites started testing in invite-only mode. Heck, look at gmail, which is by far the best free email service I know of. They were invite-only for years. (Incedentally-I had an invite within about a week of when gmail came out, mostly thanks to my brother who was a pioneer in the online gaming developer’s world, and a demigod to many hardcore online gamers . So neener-neener-boo-boo!)
I think what’s causing all the strife is the feeling that in some ways, this is an “insider’s club”, and only the cool are being invited. I’m sure much of that is unfounded. But for cryin’ out loud, whomever picked Renetto to lead this charge had the wrong guy in mind for building unity. I personally have no beef with him, but I do feel like for every cloud of dissent he tries to settle, he kicks up two more in the process. And that’s not because he’s a bad guy, but it’s just his nature.
Sooner or later, something on vloggerheads will have to change though. Since the first BBS’ came out (does anyone even remember the old dial-up bulletin board services?) there have been trolls & haters anywhere the general public can sign up. I think most experienced web-users would agree that of the three traits popularity, public access, and troll/hater-free, a site can have two of those, but never all three and sustain that state.
So the question is really which two vloggerheads will keep. Do they want it to be a public place that’s free of trolls? It’s too late for that, because they’ve already got the popularity. Day one it goes public, I can guarantee you that every viral video troll and hater will sign up, looking for weaknesses in the anti-troll armor. And they’ll find the holes.
Got more to say, but I’m at work. Pity!
I was being snarky about the zipcode voodoo part, Kimosh (Robinett, send me my check!).
To do any kind of troll filtering, they’ll have to get your IP address and it is my understanding that a bunch of personal information can be gleaned from that. Maybe I’m wrong.
I don’t know and I don’t really care much. I’m not a believer. I haven’t drunk the kool-aid. I’m not even much of a YouTube fan. I believe that EVERYONE should be a YouTube “Partner”: trolls, haters, poets, musicians and yes, even vloggers (spit).
I DO remember BBSes, jim. I made a healthy little chunk of change in the late eighties/early nineties setting them up for service bureaus and print shops. Ah, those were the days. Business owners were awed by us wizards of the baud rate and would throw big chunks of money at us “IT Consultants” for wiring them up to their customers.
Ah, happy memories of when I strolled through Linotronica Scitexia as a giant.
Sheesh! I had to check the damned “Hey, Nalts. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail” thingie at the bottom! GAH! Now I get a damned email every time MDJ makes another reply… and he’s doing that at the rate he makes videos.
@jblahblahblah -I personally think “dickheads” would be the most appropriate name for those people, but that’s just my opinion and you know how I hate to foist my opinion on anyone!
BTW, I spend one day away from my computer and sukatra reappears and everyone else is posting non-stop! I can barely keep up with the comments, let alone come up with something someone else has already said.
I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow. A coffee, a poop, and 62 comments o’ fun.
64. IMDB response.
I step off a cliff for a few minutes and look what happens…are they chem trailing the skies with fenal barbital again?
48. made me laugh [click]
50. I feel all shunned now. I’m just not worth your time anymore am I? And it’s too late now, you can’t make it up. I’m hurt, so don’t even try.
52. Guinea pigs indeed. Renetto better be carefully or his name is going to be synonymous with Gestapo. I was willing to cut Vlubberheads a break with the poor PR – i.e. the surrounding drama of the faux pas “invite only” rather than emphasizing “beta alpha testing.” I accepted that their marketing people or lack there of SUCKED; a smarter bunch would have consulted and offered to pay You Tube Nalts for some advice, BUT the fact that they ask if you would be willing to share your phone number or credit card raised red flags up the christophermast and set that annoying smoke alarm off in my kitchen. Since no one person seems to be in charge other than Renetto, who refuses take full responsibility for the place Vlubberheads is quickly becoming the poster child of what-not-to-do web sites. Pay close attention grasshopper and learn.
[flash picture] Renetto’s big bald head and black rim glasses.
[captions] Would You Trust This Man?
53. Clemenza: Yeah, I left it noisy. That way it scares any pain-in-the-ass innocent bystanders away. All right, you shot them both, now what do you do?
Michael: Sit down and finish my dinner.
54. 55. Renetto’s such a tool. Youtube’s P.T. Barnum may have the gift of gab, but he’s ultimately out for #1. I’m convinced he believes half of what he says. You should too.
56.
58. Stop stealing my mojo! No one is allowed to write comments longer than mine so no one reads them, wassa matta you?!
mdj – I’m getting just a little tried of you always playing the age card.
63. Hey, how about a cutesy flush!
I like the age card, jan, so you’ll just have to get used to it.
Here’s a scary warning about Vloggerheads from TheBeeOBee (click)
Skeehan’s coming for you Boogerheads (click).
Geez, so much vitriol. Wonder what’s causing it?
that guy’s all sideways, but as they say, great minds, eh?
I still don’t know why someone didn’t make a video spoiling You Tube Partners long ago.The power of Google contracts or all that incriminating data they’ve collected on everyone in the world? When will someone quit, not caring and write a tell all book? Does Google have Mafia ties or what?
I don’t care for kool-aid, what a strange invention, but has possibilities as a new project. Get your twinkies on cheezers!
feh Skeehan, he’s out of shape and in love, I don’t think he has it in him any more, that lion has lost his roar.
ahhhhhahahahahah love the hat!
YAY!
Someone came up with the UPSIDE of Vloggerheads (click). I was SOOOOOOOO looking for something positive to put in this thread and here (click) it is!
Contrary to OhCurt’s pollyanna groupthink-inspired opinion, I DO like finding silver linings. I do. I really do. I’m not a totally bitter and sour old curmudgeon. Not totally. I love my dog, momma, children and grandchildren and am not, OhCurt, a gun totin’ bible-thumping backwoods mean-spirited southerner suspicious of outsiders and change.
Well, four out of five ain’t bad.
Click for the silver lining.
Wow! People have pretty strong opinions about VH. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s ass one way or the other.
mdj – I thought that was rather lame – his Hindenburg [click] was funnier, predictable, but funny especially, a few of the comments. It also seems he has a thing for Greg Soloman; another You Tube drama, over that stupid YouTubit song, which, being a free garage band loop, made popular on You Tube, least I always thought, by our very own Kevin “Nalts” Nalty. Maybe he should sue somebody too? Anyway, I am so glad I am not in the middle of all that crap. So little time, so many nuts to crack.
I thought the Hindenburg one was a mite cruel, Jan. I don’t want the Boogerheads to die. I just want them to never ever ever come back to YouTube.
Vloggers (generally) suck. I mean it. You can feel their suck. They try to suck you into their petty little pollyanna groupthink yet backbiting world and try to parent people twice as intelligent as them. Screw ‘em. But don’t kill the poor untalented freaks.
That Garageband loop was used by Theaterofmemory 7 months before Renutto used it and I used it in one of my videos 9 months before that. It’s been around more than a $2 crack whore in Gardena.
Have a pleasant Sunday, my friends. I love you all so much.
I rather stay on Youtube and do my on thing I’m not one for to many rules.I just got some real good hate comments can’t give my fame up!lol
By their ACTIONS ye shall know the hypocrites. (click)
I love the drama! This is better than anything on TV – without the Bee and Skeehan flubberheads would be oh so boring – I bet Renettos is paying them. Wouldn’t that be funny? this could be the new lonlygirl15
Haven’t you heard? Drama is OUT (click).
It’s sooooo early 2006’s. The old fogeys at Boogerheads are behind the times!
Goosfraba. It’s time for everyone to just have a nice laugh.
And in the spirit of things, (click).
Wait! Drama is IN again! (click)
OK, I’ve had enough of the drama. Let’s change the subject and speak no more of the dickheads.
Oh, and somecallmejim, I loved your video.
Is this the record number of comments that you’ve EVER gotten on one of your posts, Kevin?
By the way: have all of you seen my Renetto parody (click)?
mdj- people may get sick of the drama, but drama like humor is all we got to make life interesting and I think you and Renetto are both scary, day or night, in a dark ally or a day lit street I know for certain I’d never want to meet
somecallmejim I agree with Maryland, I was entertained.
DC Vloggerheads aren’t really that bad. Renetto and his pals got something going. I’m actually surprised at the number of people he was able to cajole over there. I like that he possesses a little threat to YouTube/Google, there’s some value and free market stuff in that. His motives are another thing, I really want to know what his contract deal with You Tube was/is/was/is.
I had no internet for the weekend and this place blew up. Think my boss will allow me to sit here and read all of this? LOL
Um, is all this drama worth it?
MDJ-make any good videos lately? ;^)
^ Possible answers
1) No
2) Why should I start now?
3) They’re ALL good.
4) My dog ate it.
5) Define ‘good.’
Where’s “6) All of the above”?
I think I’ve got a new goal; to see this post reach 100 comments.
Surely for that sort of popularity Uncle Nalts will throw us some tasty morsel.
…or at least quit pooping on the few he does give us!
oooooooooooooo 忍者
OK, posting here again in an effort to reach 100 comments, even though I am sick of this topic.
Can I help a little?
Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.
Well, I’ve contributed 33 comments to this post. It’s someone else’s turn.
Young Chuck, moved to Texas and bought a Donkey from a farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the Donkey. The next day he drove up and said, sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.
Chuck replied,
‘Well, then just give me my money back.’
The farmer said,
‘Can’t do that. I went and spent it already.’
Chuck said,
‘Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.’
The farmer asked,
‘What ya gonna do with him?
Chuck said,
‘I’m going to raffle him off.’
The farmer said,
You can’t raffle off a dead donkey!’
Chuck said,
‘Sure I can Watch me… I just won’t tell anybody he’s dead.’
A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, ‘What happened with that dead donkey?’
Chuck said,
‘I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $898.00.’
The farmer said,
‘Didn’t anyone complain?’
Chuck said,
‘Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.’
Sometimes people can be too fixated on numbers.
But I have always like the number 95!
A married couple got into an argument and stopped talking to each other. Instead, they gave each other written notes.
One evening the husband gave his wife a slip of paper that read:
“Wake me up tomorrow morning at 6 am.”
The next morning he woke up and saw that it was 9 o’clock. He was very angry.
He turned around and found a note on his pillow that read:
“Wake up! It’s 6 am!”
Waiting with baited breath for your sister’s book, Kevin. This afternoon, I saw the UPS guy deliver something to the hillbillies next door. I hope it’s not the book. Those yahoos are illiterate. I picture them in my mind’s eye, sitting out in the overstuffed lounge chair on the grass in their front yard, turning the book over and over, wondering who sent them such a fancy and colorful doorstop.
(click)
How many Guitar players does it take to screw in a light bulb
47
1 to do it and 46 to stand around as say ‘I could have done it better’
Come on, people, only a few more comments to go!
Well, Lookie here. 93 comments. Might be a new record…
Hey! I posted comment #101 a few minutes ago, now it’s gone. I wanted to show you guys this {click}
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