Just today I watched this video.
It turns out that Facebook has been stealing your seeing time from YouTube videos.
Because it takes three seconds for a playing video to register a view (and most of us take less than that to scan a post on Facebook) the viewing statistics of many videos have been skewed.
This may not sound horrifying to you, but to a broadcaster it is disastrous.
For a commercial TV channel, knowing which show brings in the viewers is vital when deciding how much to charge advertisers to have their ads during which show. This is why American businesses invest a lot into their commercials that are shown during the Super Bowl.
The same is true online.
Why would an advertiser waste time putting their ad on a video that gets very few views?
Although I am the few who actually doesn't care about viewing figures, many do.
But even I get a bit excited when I see a spike in viewers on my blog's statistics page.
And that's the thing.
We all want to be popular, and today their is no other indicator than how many views you video gets.
But if there was a a cheat that robbed you from many views, you'll be mad, right?
Exactly.
What is happening when someone posts a link to a video on YouTube on Facebook is that video gets robbed of views. Probably a high number of views that could have turned it into the next Gangnam Style. Its no surprise that video makers are considering it piracy - committed by a multi-billion dollar business. (don't blame the users, blame the high-ups for the shambles it had created.)
So the next time you see a nice video on YouTube and want to share it with others,
think twice before posting it on Facebook.
Is it a product from an established broadcaster its ok,
but if its one that was made by an indie with little resources don't.
Looking back on my Facebook history I have committed this crime in the past,
so for now on I'll stop doing it.... unless its too good not to share.
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