Okay I've watched some more of your classes videos and I want to clarify my previous comment in which I did not mean to criticize the fact that the class existed. There seems to be a lot of that, and even personal attacks which are wrong. I think the class is great, and the discussion ensuing is much needed one for all of YouTube, I think.

Youtube and new communications mediums are brainwashing my generation. No they already have. You look at this like its some kind of test tube scenario. This is a whole generation that has been raised to think that an internet community is a real community. That lack of emotion can be replaced by a video.

"Technology can be either beneficial or harmful, but rarely in equal amounts. In fact almost never." -Neil Postman

Youtube can teach us to let go our insecurities and open the door to confidence...So many of us are scared to post our funniest videos on Youtube because the thought of someone else commenting on them saying something negative is nerve-wracking. But when you do let go yourself go, you feel good because in the end, you did what you wanted to do!

NY Post Today:
September 15, 2007 -- Here's a dream come true for Web addicts: college credit for watching YouTube.
Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., this fall began offering what may be the first course about the video-sharing site. About 35 students meet in a classroom but work mostly online, where they view YouTube content and post their comments.

I am intrigued by this idea but the class videos are becoming a bit annoying. Sure it was an interesting idea to let the camera be passed around during the class but it gives viewers a headache. I imagine the class is not watching the class much on YouTube themselves, since they already sat through the class once, but I hope the next person in charge of filming will watch a few since you can learn from the the class videos what not to do when you are the one behind the camera. I imagine the level of growth in camera expertise will be quite obvious by the end of semester.

I strongly recommend studying some of the very good YouTube community video bloggers who use this medium in a meaningful and interesting manner. Their lives have changed as a result of participating in their own unique way. These folks are a reflection of what is good on YouTube...
geriatric1927
renetto
mharris1920
bernie1927
jimsan1

There are others, but I suggest you make the effort to see how each of these people started with their first video over a year ago, what's happened in their lives, and where they are now on YouTube about a year and a half later. Very interesting and meaningful look at our humanity and how YouTube was the catalyst to communicate this. Sharing our individual history is important.

What kind of f__king moron would waste valuable learnig time for this type of class? This is a great example of the "touchy feely" learning (?) system we as Americans have allowed into our classrooms. This shit makes me sick!

One of the ideas we've discussed frequently in the class has been that the written vernacular of YouTube is overwhelmed by rants, abusive phrases, and other quips that carry little meaning. Academia, meanwhile, attempts to model strategies for more thorough and meaningful conversation, critique and debate; ways of speaking that allows ideas to build and become more nuanced. While I am really open to criticism about this experiment--it will make it interesting intellectually--digs , playground humor and smiley faces are uninformative without examples, ideas, or expression to back them up.

let's all get together and buy these people a clue

The YouTube clips that make the news are interesting to study....these are the crap and generally useless entertainment. Make sure you dive deeper to see how individuals use YouTube. Visit others' channels to see who they subscribe to, what their favorites are, and comments that others make on their channels. Interested in seeing how the class progresses from the surface of YouTube down into the individually valuable part of YouTube.