YouTube, as you might have heard, recently celebrated its tenth birthday. The video site was founded on February 14th, 2005, and its first video, titled “Me at the zoo,” arrived on co-founder Jawed Karim‘s channel nine days later.
Since then, YouTube has undergone considerable changes, so much so that the current site barely resembles the one launched ten years earlier. In order to put the site’s history in proper perspective, content creator Hank Green has taken to Medium, where he has offered up a timeline of the significant events in YouTube’s history.
Green, best known as one half of the Vlogbrothers, has positioned himself as an online video historian before. This time, he takes a look at the decision that have shaped YouTube, such as its permissive attitude toward misleading content, the launch of its partner program, and the increased focus on advertising that contributed to the rise of multi-channel networks, which currently hold a large amount of power in the YouTube world.
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Along the way, Green offers his own opinions about YouTube’s life. For example, the notably-independent creator takes a fairly negative view of the MCN industry, which he claims (as he has before) “seems to have done a lot more value extraction than value creation.” Ultimately, he urges YouTube not to exact too much undue influence on its creative community. “Keep the plug open and the energy will keep flowing,” he concludes. “Ten years on, it seems like a great deal has happened. But a quick glance at history tells me that we are only at the very beginning of this revolution.”
Even if you’re not interested in Green’s personal opinions, his history of YouTube is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the platform. You can check it out here.
