- Image via CrunchBase
Long, long ago, on June 25, 2006 in fact, I uploaded my first video to YouTube. Then what happened? Then, I basically ignored it for four years.
That video has now had 824,393 views.
I’m impressed, to say the least: my other videos average less than 100 views, and that’s even if I put them in my blogs. And god knows, I can’t take credit for how well this has done Mind you, I got this one while it was very fresh (it’s not original, by any means, but it is public domain). I was cruising around Fark, as I have been wont to do whenever I wont for diversion and there it was. “P47 guncamera footage from WWII, recently declassified” and I clicked, saw that it was just what it claimed to be and amazing footage, saw additionally that only a few people had watched the video so far, downloaded that puppy without hesitation, and uploaded it to YouTube.
So, basically: it was fresh, it was fascinating, and it was named what it was about: WWII Dogfights in Colour. I put it in: Category: News & Politics. Tags: War, Planes, WWII, Dogfight.
Since then, I’ve had a Brazilian television show ask me if they could use it (I passed along the contact deets for the original uploading and if I still had them I’d add them to the Notes) and just got an offer from an LA music company of cash money to add their music as a soundtrack. Very cool, and actually quite smart of them. As long as the song they want to add isn’t all “Go Nazis” or whatever, I see no reason not to say yes.
You’re no doubt curious to see the video, so I shall not make you wait any longer. It’s silent, but it’s deadly.
And don’t neglect the comments; there’s an interesting and quite intelligent discussion of air strategy. I’m proud that my video has broken the trend for YouTube comments of unspeakable stupidity.
raincoaster 
So, speaking as one who has had a whopping 22,000 hits on the Vampire Squid from Hell, I have been pushed, bullied and cajoled into entering the Youtube share thingie. When I set out to fill in the form, I get asked to confirm my copyright. I didn’t take the footage, it was some scientific organisation and I pulled it from the BBC so I don’t feel as though I have copyright.
This seems an analogous situation to those great dog-fight sequences. How did you solve that ethical dilemma?
Oh, btw, am I allowed to talk with someone who is seriously threatening a million hit youtubic entry?
Well, the dogfight is in fact government film which is now available to the public. That was mentioned in the post I got it from, on a flight forum. The BBC is a different thing; they’ve actually got an account where they’re uploading all their boring videos and carefully avoiding using the interesting ones.
You could always email the scientific organization. I have in a couple of cases, and they’re generally really happy to say yes.
Yes, you are allowed to talk to me. Normally I’d say no, not with 22,000, but you’re grandfathered in.
Awww Thanks. Just wait while I get my zimmer frame
You’re on fire, rain! No seriously, you’re on fire, I think you’ve been hit…Going down!
Feels it some mornings.
Sorry I missed this one. I’ve been busy reading about 126
Wing – a Canadian formation, by the way. Nothing more intertesting about a gang of young Canadians with cannon-and-bomb armed Spitfires let loose in northwest Europe.
Ha, how’d the Canadians get their hands on Spitfires? I thought all we got were Mosquitos. My dad was still fixing them in the 70’s at Base Borden.
You need to order a copy of Osprey Publishing’s Aviation Elite Units #35: No. 126 Wing RCAF. Even has a brief cameo by George Beurling. Interesting little monograph.
I have sent this off to my buddy (prisoner of war for 800 days) and my brother and RCAF Cousin who have ground pictures. It will be interesting to hear back from them. Please check out http://www.971wingAFAC.com.
FFE, thanks, I’ll look into that.
Lydia, very interesting. Thank you.