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This is true but you have to differentiate yourself from the incumbents pretty significantly to gain any traction. A YouTube clone isn't going to get anywhere,

by astine 18y ago

This is true but you have to differentiate yourself from the incumbents pretty significantly to gain any traction. A YouTube clone isn't going to get anywhere, but a video sharing site that managed to solve a major problem of YouTube might. Facebook first became popular by managing to be less tacky than MySpace. It has since caught up and we now know better than to trust a social networking site to show anything like dignity.

mechanical_fish 18y ago
A YouTube clone isn't going to get anywhere... We all say this, and it feels like it should be true. And yet I am constantly making use of various "YouTube clones". Google Video. Vimeo. Fora.TV. Whatever TED is using. uStream. Omnisio. And that's just the ones I can remember from the last couple of weeks. Of course, it's somewhat unfair to claim that all of these sites are "YouTube clones", because each one is different from YouTube in some subtle way (e.g. some of them emphasize livestreaming). Which is, of course, the point. No child is ever quite the same as the parent. That's how you can start out with jellyfish and end up with stockbrokers. Are these sites "getting anywhere"? Who knows? I'm guessing that many of them aren't profitable, but how profitable is YouTube itself? What really matters is whether your site is useful enough, and inexpensive enough, to stay open. Amoebas don't have to be as large as elephants, as smart as dolphins, or as sturdy as trees in order to coexist with them -- they just need water, food, and a modest amount of heat.
- astine 18y ago
  How many of these sites are anywhere near as popular as YouTube? Aside from Google Video, there isn't one I remember using. I suppose we just have different standards of 'getting somewhere.'
  - OneSeventeen 18y ago
    Do I really need to be as popular as YouTube (even in a different market) to be a success? Maybe this is what you meant by "different standards of 'getting somewhere.'" In many arenae, there is some company that has a massive, massive chunk of the user base tied up. You don't have to displace them, if you want to make a similar (but different!) app. You just have to get enough going to make some money, yes?
rgrieselhuber 18y ago
I forgot to mention YouTube but it's a good example. If I remember correctly, Vimeo actually came out first and YouTube was itself a "clone." I don't think something has to be as popular as YouTube to be considered a success.

by astine 18y ago

mechanical_fish 18y ago

A YouTube clone isn't going to get anywhere... We all say this, and it feels like it should be true. And yet I am constantly making use of various "YouTube clones". Google Video. Vimeo. Fora.TV. Whatever TED is using. uStream. Omnisio. And that's just the ones I can remember from the last couple of weeks. Of course, it's somewhat unfair to claim that all of these sites are "YouTube clones", because each one is different from YouTube in some subtle way (e.g. some of them emphasize livestreaming). Which is, of course, the point. No child is ever quite the same as the parent. That's how you can start out with jellyfish and end up with stockbrokers. Are these sites "getting anywhere"? Who knows? I'm guessing that many of them aren't profitable, but how profitable is YouTube itself? What really matters is whether your site is useful enough, and inexpensive enough, to stay open. Amoebas don't have to be as large as elephants, as smart as dolphins, or as sturdy as trees in order to coexist with them -- they just need water, food, and a modest amount of heat.

astine 18y ago
How many of these sites are anywhere near as popular as YouTube? Aside from Google Video, there isn't one I remember using. I suppose we just have different standards of 'getting somewhere.'
- OneSeventeen 18y ago
  Do I really need to be as popular as YouTube (even in a different market) to be a success? Maybe this is what you meant by "different standards of 'getting somewhere.'" In many arenae, there is some company that has a massive, massive chunk of the user base tied up. You don't have to displace them, if you want to make a similar (but different!) app. You just have to get enough going to make some money, yes?

rgrieselhuber 18y ago

I forgot to mention YouTube but it's a good example. If I remember correctly, Vimeo actually came out first and YouTube was itself a "clone." I don't think something has to be as popular as YouTube to be considered a success.