YouTube to add 'social network' features to compete with Facebook, Twitter

Written by James Delahunty @ 25 Aug 2016 11:43 User comments (1)

YouTube is working on incorporating more social network-like features for its users in order to fend off competition from Facebook, Twitter and others.

According to a report from VentureBeat, YouTube is working on "Backstage", which will expand its platform to allow creators to share photos, polls, links, text posts and videos with subscribers, and will also eventually allow subscribers to reply with rich content including photos and videos.

While YouTube obviously already is a video platform, Backstage will also enable sharing Backstage-only videos, presumably so creators can communicate with subscribers without adding a new video to the visible YouTube channel.

Video sharing and watching will remain the primary function of YouTube however, as the new features seem aimed at creators who might be tempted to move to other platforms that go beyond video sharing.

The added features are expected to launch in some form before the end of the year, possibly limited to popular YouTube channels in initial stages.

Source: Inside Backstage: YouTube's plan to bring photos, polls, and text to the video service (VB)

Tags: YouTube

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1 user comment

125.8.2016 12:08

hearme0

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I can't believe this shit actually is used by humans. What a waste! Waste of effort for nonsense, waste of time implementing by the site owners AND the end-users.

I hate the way "socialites" and "social media" have dumbed down the youth and those in their 20's and early 30's. All crap! FB is total garbage and a brutal time-waster in EVERY ASPECT. The ONLY thing positive w/Facebook is the mere basic ability to connect w those you haven't seen in a long time. The ONLY thing positive about Twitter is the ability to ex-filtrate the information from a communist country or the likes of one.

I just can't see why or what Youtube will do to better their already existing situation. Being able to "reply w rich content" is unnecessary in a country that has the worst internet infrastructure of almost all developed countries.

Yet another frivolous venture where the powers that be invest massive sums of cash only to shut it down shortly thereafter.

Just you all watch! "Backstage" is doomed before it's even conceptualized. That's my prediction.

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YouTube to add 'social network' features to compete with Facebook, Twitter

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