They grow up so fast ... good thing we have video cameras.
Google yesterday in a blog post marked the fifth anniversary of its YouTube property with a quick rundown of some astonishing growth numbers and the launch of a new participatory video project.
From that post:
Over time, these aspirations have created a vibrant and inspiring community that helped transform a murmur of interest into something far greater than any of us ever could have imagined. Today, thanks to you, our site has crossed another milestone: YouTube exceeds over two billion views a day. That's nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined.
What started as a site for bedroom vloggers and viral videos has evolved into a global platform that supports HD and 3D, broadcasts entire sports seasons live to 200+ countries. We bring feature films from Hollywood studios and independent filmmakers to far-flung audiences. Activists document social unrest seeking to transform societies, and leading civic and political figures stream interviews to the world.
And the company is celebrating the milestone in YouTube style:
To celebrate our birthday, today we're launching the YouTube Five Year channel. There, you'll find the "My YouTube Story" project which features people from all over describing how YouTube has changed or shaped their lives.
And, of course, they tell their story in this snappy two-minute timeline video:
Much like its parent company, Google, YouTube has had its share of growing pains and seen a good deal of controversy.
But the site has altered the landscape of the Internet like few others.
(Update: Fortune blogger Seth Weintraub on YouTube's future: "Even though Google hasn't yet announced that the service is turning a profit, the future is bright for YouTube. Not only is it growing on the Web and on mobile devices (thanks in large part by Google's decision to support H.264 viewing on the iPhone), but it also has a future on the TV. Most major mediacenters support Youtube (Boxee, AppleTV, Windows MediaCenter, etc.) and Google, Sony and Intel have a big Android-on-TV announcement coming this week which will undoubtedly center around Youtube.")
(Update 2: The Los Angeles Times notes the occasion with a "a sampling of some of the most influential videos on YouTube.")
(Update 3: CNet blogger Rich Trenholm asks a good question: "Is anyone, anywhere, doing any work?")
(Update 4:YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley tells BBC News you ain't seen nothin' yet: "I feel we have much further to go. Two billion video streams is a large number but on average people are only spending 15 minutes a day on the site compared to five hours a day watching TV.")
(Update 5: And here's the "Top 10 facts you didn't know about YouTube.")
