Sunday, February 22, 2015

The $64 Million Video

Ten years ago this month, on February 17 2005 to be precise, I started this blog.

In those ten years I have written a lot of insane ramblings about sailing and other stuff, and made a lot of friends most of whom I have never met.

It was not, and never has been, my intention to monetize the blog. I think I have made a few hundred dollars along the way for writing reviews of some products, but I'm not really in it for the money.

It's been a lot of fun.



You may recall that, in the year before I started the blog,  a "singer" called Janet Jackson created quite a lot of excitement at Super Bowl XXXVIII, especially among young men of an impressionable age, by having what was later described as a "wardrobe malfunction." I am told that for a fraction of a second you could actually see one of her breasts!!! Oh, the humanity!

I won't bore you by posting a video of Ms Jackson's breast here. It's really not all that attractive a sight. You can easily find it on the Internet, anyway, if that's your kind of thing.

However, back in the dark days of 2004 and early 2005, it was a lot harder to find a video clip of Ms. Jackson's breast on the Internet. In fact it was pretty nigh impossible. There was no easy way for young men interested in breasts to share video clips with like-minded enthusiasts. As a result of this intolerable situation three young fellows decided to do something about it. They registered a snappy domain name which they activated on 14 February 2005, they spent a few months developing a simple video-sharing website, and on April 23 2005 they uploaded the first video to the site. It was 19 seconds long and featured one of the three young fellows, Jawed Karim, at the San Diego Zoo. Its title was "Me at the zoo."



When Mr. Karim was making this video he was probably thinking about something other than exactly how to make money from it. But he did OK. The video sharing website that Mr. Karim and his friends created was called YouTube. You may have heard of it. When YouTube was sold to Google in November 2006, Mr. Karim's share of the loot was $64 million.

"And that's pretty much all there is to say."



Everything in this story is true. It must be. I read it on the Internet here and here.

17 comments:

my2fish said...

Wow, congrats on a decade of blogging!

Tillerman said...

Thanks. I should have gone to the zoo and shot a dopey video instead!

JP said...

Wow, congratulations! But if you had started youtube would it change how you sail? Would you now be cruising blue waters or in a 100 ft canting keel racing yacht?

Tillerman said...

Thanks JP. No, I don't think $64 million would have changed my life. I would still be sailing a 20-year-old Laser and shoveling the snow myself.

George A said...

That's what they all say.

JP said...

I'd have thought you'd be justified in replacing the Laser under those conditions!

BTW - is there a bling version of the Laser covered in swarovski crystal for those billionaire super-yacht hangers?

JP said...

And if not, why not? Could this be your chance to make it big?

George A said...

Or with all that cash laying about he could fund the design a new boat and start a new class. But what would he call this new boat? What sail insignia would our Tillerman choose?

Tillerman said...

Seriously, I think I would still be a small boat sailor. I could afford some kind of cruising yacht or racing keelboat right now if I wanted one, but I really have no desire to go that way.

But of course, yes, I would have a new Laser every two years. And probably have a waterfront home with space for a lot of beach cats and sailing dinghies and kayaks so that all my friends and family could come and play with me at my place any time. And I would host an annual Laser regatta off the beach in front of my house.

What else could any man reasonably desire?

Damian said...

Congratulations Tillerman - fantastic stuff.

When you have your big idea, get your $64 million and buy a new Laser every 2 years, have you decided what you'll do with the old ones?

Nudge, nudge. Hint, hint.

Tillerman said...

I would keep my old Lasers on the beach in front of my waterfront mansion so that my friends can sail them when they come to see me.

I'm thinking this place would suit me just fine.

Tillerman said...

And of course you can come and stay and we can go Laser sailing, Damian.

Damian said...

Thanks Tillerman. As you know, having an old boat is one of my key excuses when I don't win, so I couldn't have taken one of your lovely new Lasers anyway. Visiting you in your waterfront mansion sounds like an excellent compromise.

Tillerman said...

Oh yes. You have a good point Damian. I use the old boat excuse too. Maybe I won't buy a new one after all.

Keep Reaching said...

You shouldn't let one little excuse get in the way - there are many more available. I should know - I have developed many over years of losing for no apparent reason - well, no reason if one overlooks the start, mark roundings, upwind speed and other details.

Tillerman said...

Oh come on KR. You have to be more creative than that. My favorite one is getting another sailor's mainsheet hooked around my neck and being pulled out of the boat by my neck. It's hard to win if you do that.

Center of Effort said...

Congrats on 10 years of exemplary blogging. You have gone where no rational being could go. I signed on to Google Adsense 4 years ago and just got my first 100.00 payment. WOOPEE! That said I don't write the blog to make money. Silly me but I consider it a fun endeavor and I love sharing my Laser sailing knowledge with anyone who's interested.

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