I do wonder about the wisdom of ratings in places like YouTube. The problem with allowing ratings is that organized mobs of activists can promote certain sites or systematically deface the reputation of other videos by consistently giving it low ratings.

I think one needs to weigh the opportunity cost of either allowing one’s video to get rated or not allowing ratings. The number of views for a video can also be systematically distorted, often for profit.

As it is, I think there may be a career ahead for the YouTube critic, who would manually sift through the digital detritus and tell people what videos are worth watching. Just as there is still a market for books written by food critics, there would be a market for online newspapers dedicated to promoting “The Best of YouTube”. The YouTube connoisseur market may even become segmented much like the rest of the internet.

There is also potential for YouTube to become a giant talent show for Hollywood scouts, to the point of turning YouTube into an employment bazaar for filmmakers.

Still, I’m more amazed by how well the big media have adapted to new technology than by the occasional success stories of “new media”. Let’s face it — ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN are anything but slain.