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uTube.com Business Stalled by YouTube Purchase Hype
prostoalex writes "Google's acquisition of online video sharing site YouTube.com resulted in massive traffic headed to uTube.com, "the number one supplier of used Tube & Pipe equipment in the world!", according to the site. CNN Money reports: "The company, which sells used machinery for making tubes to clients worldwide, has seen its site utube.com knocked off line by millions of online searchers looking for video site. "It's killing us," said Ralph Girkins, president and owner of the 22-year-old business. "All my worldwide reps use our Web site. Customers all over the world use it to bring up photos of the machinery, descriptions and specifications there."""
If they can't figure out a way to profit from this, too freakin bad for them.
Their site is fine now. Their equipment, though...
They're a surplus machinery dealer, and much of their equipment has seen hard use followed by neglect. The neglect is worse than the hard use. This lathe is a good example. That's a good Monarch precision lathe, but the picture, taken in 2000, shows considerable rust. Most of their gear is like that; it looks like it came out of an abandoned factory. It's repairable; you can send the lathe back to Monarch for an overhaul. But it's not good for much in its current condition. If there's any rust in the bearings, the precision is lost.
For comparison, see this Monarch Lathe on eBay. Made in 1950, and still in good shape. Those things will last a century if cared for.
If you have machinery like that around that's not in use, you have to oil it, then wrap it in plastic with some dessicant inside.
The most frightening aspect of this is that there are tens of millions of people out there that are having a difficult time spelling out YouTube. If it were a case of mistyping, would that particular iteration really show up that much? Perhaps we have millions of kids out there who genuinely believe that you is spelled u.
Wherever possible, pick a name that is easily read in an email or understood when read out over radio, on the phone, or in conversation. Also, easy to remember and spell.
But almost $2b later, I can't imagine that the founders care all that much!
'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
think about it- "E"bay "E"trade they hear about utube on the radio business news or finance programs, (npr for example) and type that name in, best guess
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Now i know why they named their site YouTube instead of uTube. The second would be more appropriate given the audience, but was already taken.
...professionally edited article at CNN...[snip]...At least they engage their brains
Two firsts in the one day!
(Someone had to say it. But I agree they made the correct decision)
Blank until
If all slashdot readers can AVOID the temptation to visit the utube site I'm sure the company would much appreciate it!
Opps. Why the heck did they post links in the summary if they didn't want us to visit it?
It sounds like the company should update their webhosting and look at all the miss directed youtube folks as free ads. Well, I can see where the company is coming from. My dad sells large farm equipment. Their company would never ever just stick an ad in newspaper or do TV ads. They put ads only in industry specific mags. If you are looking for peices of machinary around $50-60K each you will see their products when shopping around in that industry. They wouldn't want John Doe Average Walmart Shopper to even look or visit their site as that person isn't likely to ever buy any of their products. Now if John Doe Average was actually looking for their products it would be different. It would be like say car companies with cars costing over $200K paying walmart to post ads at their entrance. It just wouldn't happen. Not enough walmart shoppers would even be the right demographic for that product. Of course, you do have doctors and lawyers that shop at walmart too so maybe it would be worth their effort.
Coincedentally, they also work very well for meat storage.
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?