Did Chevrolet “take over” YouTube on New Year’s?
News: Donna Bogatin of ZDnet has written several posts (here and here), seeming to criticize YouTube for allowing Chevrolet to “take over” YouTube’s homepage on New Year’s with its promotion. Bogatin insinuates that one reason that Google preferred to keep YouTube independent was to allow YouTube to “sell out” (my words, not hers) to advertisers in ways that Google itself eschews.
Analysis: YouTube is both a community and a corporation, people must keep in mind. People who love the YouTube community can’t expect that the company can survive without trying to make money through — heaven forbid — advertising. I, for one, thought Chevrolet’s banner ad on New Year’s was not over-the-top (no pun intended) or excessive to YouTube’s general ethos. Judge for yourself:
