OT - what does "viral video" mean?

[Ysabel Kid]

Yes, I'm too lazy to look this up. I keep hearing the term. I am a neophyte on the net compared to most. Other than e-mail, looking up info for work and pleasure, and this forum, I just don't do much else with it.

Figured you more savvy guys would probably know!

[nemhed]

This is straight off of Wikipedia:
The term viral video refers to video clip content which gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or IM messages, blogs and other media sharing websites. Viral videos are often humorous in nature and may range from televised comedy sketches such as Saturday Night Live's Lazy Sunday to unintentionally released amateur video clips like Star Wars Kid, the Numa Numa song, The Dancing Cadet, and The Evolution of Dance to web only productions such as I Got a Crush... on Obama.

With the proliferation of camera phones, many videos are being shot by amateurs on these devices. The availability of cheap video editing and publishing tools allows video shot on mobile phones to be edited and distributed virally both on the web by email or website, and between phones by Bluetooth or MMS. These consumer-shot videos are typically non-commercial videos intended for viewing by friends or family.

[Hagler]

...well, nemhed said it, but the description did not actually say why it is viral. The video(s) spread quickly, just like a VIRUS spreads.

Shawn

[AmBraCol]

Yes, I'm too lazy to look this up. I keep hearing the term. I am a neophyte on the net compared to most. Other than e-mail, looking up info for work and pleasure, and this forum, I just don't do much else with it.

Figured you more savvy guys would probably know!

Yeah, what Nemhed and Hagler said. Just think of how virii spread - fast and furious. When you've received the same video or video link from fourteen individuals located on three different continents within 24 hours - you can probably figure that's one video that's "gone viral" And they also tend to be "the gift that keeps on giving" as well. Folks who only check their e-mail once a month get them and send them out to OTHER folks who only check their email once a month who then... anyway, eventually you'll probably receive the same video or link more times than you can count. Photos do the same thing too. I just received one about a "red neck tank top" from someone who was "ROTFLHAO" - and this makes probably a half dozen times I've received it over the past year or so.

They don't seem to have a "video filter" like they do for virii though...

[Ysabel Kid]

Thanks guys - I thought, given the "viral" reference, it was something malcious.