What Is Real On YouTube?

An anonymous reader writes, "The popularity of user-generated video sites like YouTube has given rise to deceptive videos created for self-promotion, advertising, or even smearing rival brands. This latter format, dubbed the 'smear video,' depicts a rival brand's product exhibiting fictitious faults. One example is the 21-second YouTube video entitled 'Samsung handset, easy to break at one try!', which shows a smiling woman easily snapping the new Samsung Ultra Edition mobile phone in half. Samsung says the phone was rigged to snap and the video has now been removed from the site. The article also accuses those who created the now infamous Lonelygirl15 YouTube videos of 'deception for profit. Misrepresenting commercials as independent user-generated content, actors as members of the public, and fiction as fact.' Will user-generated video sites increasingly confront visitors with the disturbing possibility that the video they're watching is not a home video at all, but a sophisticated ad campaign?"

Comments

Birthright unplugged

[joebutton]

Since we're on the topic of advertising, I'll take the liberty of advertising something right here: Taglit-birthright israel with Sachlav Educational Experience. This is an amazing and uplifting program. If you're eligible (check the link to find out), you could have a great time in Israel this winter.

By way of balance: http://www.birthrightunplugged.org/

If you're going to accept a grant to go to Israel, you should really take a look at what the country does to its neighbours too.