The YouTube* Revolution**

*or Google or {insert favorite site here}
**FREE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS

Over the last several months, my wife and I have been spending an enormous amount of time on YouTube.com. As 40-somethings, this may seem like both a tremendous waste of time and also a juvenile event. However, the world is changing fast and many of the latest internet sites such as MySpace and YouTube are just the beginning of what I believe will be a huge shift in the direction of the internet, and specifically for YouTube, in video entertainment.

Forbes' October 16 issue features on its cover a picture of Chad Hurley, YouTube.com's Chief Executive and co-founder. The article inside describes the YouTube revolution, something my wife and I have been pondering for months. (see my channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/cafevideo and specifically look for my video titled "The YouTube Revolution"). Perhaps more compelling is the follow-on article in the same Forbes issue called, "The Google Industrial Complex", a terrific piece about the integration of Google's free software into many, many web sites.

Internet tools and software applications, such as Google Maps, Spreadsheets, Calendars, etc. are given away for free to drive traffic to Google, supported by advertising. Social sites, such as YouTube, are in and of themselves free software applications requiring complex storage, retrieval and database design and again, are all supported by advertising. Software widgets and small applications available on Google, though somewhat trivial today, will gain complexity and value, further trumping Microsoft's proprietary approach to software sales and distribution. I believe in the future your company's CIO will be contemplating freeware for your ERP applications (like accounting, distribution and manufacturing), all supported by advertising. Just imagine your CFO running a Profit & Loss report on a system hosted by Google, paid for by Coca-cola, and placed next to Solitaire on his home portal page.

If you're tired of watching television, check out YouTube or try integrating Google maps to your blog. You'll be amazed at how quickly you will find something you like...and you may just start your own channel!