Sorry, online-video stars of 2011 and 2012. Seems your future is “asymptotical,” according to this report by SFGate titled “Inside Google’s Boot Camp for Viral Video Stars.” The New York Times covered the recent program for the “chosen” YouTube Partners that were selected as YouTube NextUp winners (see explanation of program).

Yeah I had to look that word up too. In fact the only reader of WVFF who’s likely heard of “asymptotical” is StalkerofNalts, a mathematician who helped me monitor my own inappropriate use of the word “exponential” (something I apparently misused in Beyond Viral).

According to Wolfram Math World, the term asymptotic means approaching a value or curve arbitrarily closely (i.e., as some sort of limit is taken). Aline or curve that is asymptotic to given curve is called the asymptote of .

Indeed the odds of becoming tomorrow’s YouTube star are somewhat remote, but don’t let that discourage you, friend. I’ve watched with delight as many creators have gone from obscurity to six-figure salaries that exceed the earning potential these people would likely make otherwise. You just need patience, persistence, some talent, and an insatiable thirst for fame and social interaction with your viewers. Here’s the presentation I gave at YouTube’s “boot camp,” which is a bit of a malapropism (definition) considering the lavish food the YouTube Next peeps were fed.