YouTube not so "word of mouth"

By Benjamin Haslem

So YouTube is a word of mouth phenomenon, eh?
I uploaded my first video to YouTube last night. I'd filmed it my self.
I wanted my family to view it, so I imported all my contacts from Gmail using a device on YouTube (Plaxo).
I then made a new list called family, copying their details from the master friends list created in my YouTube account when I imported my contacts from Gmail, and invited them alone to view the actual video.
What I discovered this morning was that every person in my Gmail contacts list received an invite from me to sign up to YouTube. Fortunately it was not an invite to watch my video, which was marked private and for viewing by invite only (my son at the Richmond airshow).
Because every person/organisation ever sent an e-mail on your Gmail account automatically goes into you Gmail contacts, some 500+ people received my invite to join YouTube.
Did YouTube warn me? Not to my knowledge. I've found other bloggers who have had a similar experience.
Because I have used my Gmail to send out media releases from home, it seems almost every news desk in Australia was effectively spammed by me; plus CEOs, MPs, at least one Cabinet minister's chief of staff and so forth.
Fortunately, some people assumed it was spam using my name without my knowledge, which is actually what it was.
Now I have a better feel for how YouTube took off so quickly. Yes, it's a clever concept. But does YouTube warn you that copying all your contacts to your YouTube account will actually result in you being a spammer on their behalf? Not that I could tell.
It is not word of mouth when YouTube gets you to endorse its product without your knowledge or consent.

Comments

[Trevor Cook]

You should avoid sick leave!

[Ben Haslem]

Just following your example, Trev! http://trevorcook.typepad.com/weblog/2006/07/today_i_was_sic.html

[Kaeru]

"It is not word of mouth when YouTube gets you to endorse its product without your knowledge or consent."

Exactly. It surprises me that not more people complain of the same experience. Perhaps they have trouble finding the Plaxo import button.

As far as I'm concerned this is one of the first things Google should have them fix.