BlogTV Working Smarter than YouTube?
Last night YouTube updated parts of its design. The update appears to be completely cosmetic, for now, as I haven’t noticed any new features. YouTube does this often.
Most YouTubers wish staff would focus on current buggy features over new buggy features. Many current features should be improved or made stable before YouTube adds any additional bells and whistles. Perhaps YouTube should take a page out of blogTV’s book.
BlogTV is still in beta. However, I spoke to them on the phone earlier this week and they assured me that they have stopped all development on new features in favor of fixing current buggy features. BlogTV is very aware that occasionally shows drop out and chats freeze. But instead of ignoring these issues and trying to add new shiny features (or quarter-page Spore ads) - they’re doing something about it.
BlogTV didn’t say the issues would be fixed overnight, but it sure is comforting to hear that they respect their users enough to ask for and reply to feedback. It’s comforting that they put their users’ needs first by working to build a site which, ideally, will work as it’s supposed to. Always.
YouTube’s cosmetic update last night messed up Channel Designs sitewide, with no way to change text and background colors of certain areas of our channel designs. After 24 hours, this should have been corrected, YouTube. No excuses.
YouTube has announced that it will have a live streaming video feature before 2009. I’d rather my videos go live and stay live (without having to update the video description every ten minutes) and my comments and replies post properly before YouTube attempts a live streaming feature.
Until then, you can find my live shows on blogTV (click for schedule).
8 Responses to “BlogTV Working Smarter than YouTube?”
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September 11th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Very true, I work for a big telcom company, and we do the same thing. Stacking features and features on top of broken design. Its a bad trap that US tech companies all have in common. Even Apple with their .me had this happen to them.
I just want something that does what it says it does, simple and exact.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Amen!
Personally, I like youtube much better than blogtv (in terms of what it offers), but blogtv knows how to operate.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Blogtv does seem to be more aware of their users. Sometimes I wonder if you tube designers/programmers even use the site. The things they “fix” are usually not an essential fix, I agree.
While Blogtv is great if you happen to be awake when someone is on, I like the fact that you tube videos are there whenever I can watch them.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I do agree with you, and I like blogTV, very much. I can’t wait to see how it works after everything is fixed! Oh, and that Spore ad, annoying!
September 11th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Spore = visual assault
September 12th, 2008 at 9:05 am
i agree that youtube could definitely be taken better car of tech-wise, i mean the site is a few years old now and major errors like the one that happened yesterday(or was it the day before?) should simply not happen. I mean seen from the YT’s side it must be an extreme embarrassment? it does indeed seem like blog tv is aware of their technical problems, and they are definitely not trying to hide them behind fancy designs…!
however, i can see why YT might feel intimidated by blog tv and would want to try to keep up by launching an alternative to blog tv - i mean look at the popularity of the place; every youtuber with a substantial number of subscribers has more or less ‘abandoned’ regular video making and moved over to live shows (from some channels the only videos you see are the “i’m live on blog tv now”-ones).
oops, got a bit carried away there (sorry for bad punctuation and typos)
September 14th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Ew, live-streaming on youtube? Aren’t they providing enough? Do they really need to steal users from Stickam and BlogTV?
Oh, well. Your “spore ad” comment made me laugh.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I wouldn’t speak too fast about BlogTV. It is my impression they are still feeling their way around. They Have problems they seem unable to deal. Their Tech Support Forum and Broadcasters Forum are being hacked mercilessly.(Take a look) Hackers are also causing some problems to broadcaster.
YouTube Google may be playing with appearance changes but they surely have quality tech. people to stay ahead of hackers. In fact some of their change may be in response to hackers.
Da..m! Why are hackers 12 years old and have nothing to do?