# Why the name "youtube"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946 "2011-09-02T13:44:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/1 "2011-09-02T13:44:38Z")
Yeah, we’re all used to the name by now, so we don’t pay any attention to it. But when you stop and think about it seriously, you realize it’s a pretty stupid name. According to [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtube), youtube was created by some computer geeks at a party who had a good idea. Fine. But if you’re gonna start a brand new site with a brand new concept, why not give it a better name? It’s only two words, and **neither** of them fits… Yeah, the “Tube” part makes a bit of sense. But only a bit… Everybody stopped using ‘tube’ as slang for a TV set about a generation ago.\*\* For a new web site, “Tube” is hardly a word that inspires.It’s old-fashioned, and implies low quality, over-sized, and burned-out technology. To attract a market of young internet-savvy people, wouldn’t you prefer to choose a name that implies “exciting–use-your-new-high-tech-camera-and-gadgets-at our new web site”? And the “You” part is even stupider. It just doesnt make sense. “you” and tube just don’t fit together in English…Plus, as an opening phrase, it sounds like an insult. “Hey, you!—yeah, you over there…you idiot, you dummy” , etc. A slight improvement would be to call it “youR tube”. This at least implies that the purpose of the new site is to share “your” (get it ? ) tubes. (although it doesn’t tell you what a tube is or why you have any to share…) Now, obviously, the name of a new web site isn’t as important as the quality of the site and the need it serves…Lots of sites with good, logical names have failed, because their content didn’t meet the market’s needs. (MySpace, Friendster, [Pets.com](http://Pets.com)) But at least you knew what the site was about. Other sites have good, logical names, and that adds to their success. ( netflicks,rapidshare, blogspot, photobucket ,…bigtits. com 🙂 ) Youtube was destined to be successful no matter what its name…by having a good product, well managed, at the right time to meet the emerging need of the market. But damn, it’s a stupid name. So let’s try re-naming it: The scenario–It’s the year 2005. You are at a party in Silicon Valley, and have the idea that you want to share a video, but gee whiz, there’s no web site for that, so you and your friends start brainstorming around the dinner table: friend #1 : Let’s call the new site “video-sharing. com” friend #2: that’s too long. Let’s call it “vidSpace” (after MySpace, which was at the height of its popularity at the time) friend #3: that’s hard to pronounce. Let’s call it “videosRus”. friend #4: that sounds too childish. Let’s call it “v-share”. friend #5: no–nobody likes to type hyphens.Let’s call it something else… How about: “Vnet” “flicknet” “netvids” “camShare” “NetCam” “Mycam” friend #1: no, those are too easy, too logical. Let’s call it “youtube”. friends #2-5 (in unison): Wow, what a great idea! * * * HUH ?? \*\*(Back in the days when when televisions were called “TV sets” and contained tubes that burned out so often that there were machines in stores where you could test your tube before buying a new one. ) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/2 "2011-09-02T13:59:12Z")
1. “What’s on the tube?” was still common slang (even among younger people) when Youtube was developed, as most TVs did still have a tube in 2005. It wasn’t until flat panel displays became cheap enough for the general consumer that the picture tube was eliminated, which was after Youtube was established. Indeed, “the tube” always referred to the picture tube, not the tubes inside the set. 2. Youtube’s slogan for years was “Broadcast Yourself.” That’s obviously where the “you” came from. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/3 "2011-09-02T14:15:20Z")
if you think “yourtube” is an improvement … you’re wrong. youtube - television about you. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/4 "2011-09-02T14:30:44Z")
You’re not alone in wondering this. I’ve also thought it’s a sucky name, for similar reasons, and yet, somehow it works. That’s the thing with brand names. They can be ridiculous, but once they become a household name, you don’t notice. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/5 "2011-09-02T14:31:52Z")
I think it’s fine. Sure tubes in actual TVs were in the process of fading out, but we still use lots of antiquated terms like dialing a phone, even on touchtone and now cell phones, rolling down a window, when manual windows in cars are a rarity even in budget models, or refering to a music album or record when both have been obseleted for decades. I don’t think tube ever had quite the prevalence of any of those terms, but if someone refers to “the tube” people still know what you mean. Not to mention, of course, that tubes also has some connection with the internet itself, though I think that reference is pretty much completely gone at this point. And the You part is actually the most important part, it’s not “your tv” is tv created by and about “you”. This is particularly important as it’s specifically separating us from the big, corporate television companies and gives us a sense that we own it. And it fit in well with the MySpace or Facebook ideas, using the same form except instead of “space about me” or “book of faces” it’s “tv about you”. And the one thing that it does even better than most is the alliteration. If it were YouTV it might be mistaken with an initialism of UTV. But YouTube just sounds good. ---
**Author:** ![Teufelblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@Teufelblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teufelblitz)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/6 "2011-09-02T14:35:03Z")
The entire intent initially was to give people ways to share videos of themselvs ranting, blabbing, and joking. It was meant as a video blog. People eventually just started uploading more than videos of themselves, and since this is what really made the site take off they never restricted it. I suppose it could be said that it has evolved out of its own name, but the name makes sense in context with the original intent. EDIT: And I contest the idea that “tube” has fallen out of common parlance in reference to television. People use it, but the younger among us may not understand Why we call it that. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/7 "2011-09-02T14:44:23Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > youtube - television about you. Huh? if today your invite me to a party for you, I’m gonna call it you **R** birthday, not you birthday. just like I call the woman who changed your diapers your mother, not you mother. > [@](#): > > if you think “yourtube” is an improvement … you’re wrong. no… You wrong 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/8 "2011-09-02T14:58:37Z")
> [@Teufelblitz](#): > > EDIT: And I contest the idea that “tube” has fallen out of common parlance in reference to television. People use it, but the younger among us may not understand Why we call it that. Hell, TV shows and movies still use the “record scratch/music stops” noise as a comedy element when someone says something hilariously awkward at a party or something and everyone stops and stares at them. Kids these days (get off my lawn) may not know where it came from, but they know what it _means_. Also, why does the Save button on most toolbars still have an icon of a 3.5 floppy when nobody’s used one in probably 10 years? Because people know what it means. ETA: > [@](#): > > no… You wrong You think you bein’ funny, but you’d be surprised how many people colloquially use “you” instead of “you’re” these days… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/9 "2011-09-02T17:43:16Z")
The name doesn’t matter as long as it isn’t offensive and people remember it. I mean “Google” isn’t even spelled right! ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/10 "2011-09-02T18:04:53Z")
It slant rhymes with “boob tube”, a colloquialism for a television. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/11 "2011-09-02T18:21:57Z")
Eh, we still use the “shift” key even though most keyboards haven’t actually shifted anything in 25 years. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/12 "2011-09-02T18:36:34Z")
Well heck what about Facebook? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/13 "2011-09-02T18:43:56Z")
The guys who came up with the name must not have been fans of The Firesign Theater. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/14 "2011-09-02T18:44:28Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Other sites have good, logical names, and that adds to their success. ( netflicks,rapidshare, blogspot, photobucket ,…bigtits. com 🙂 ) For a new web site, “bucket” is hardly a word that inspires.It’s old-fashioned, and implies a rusty piece of metal that will scratch up your photographs. To attract a market of young internet-savvy people, wouldn’t you prefer to choose a name that implies “exciting–use-your-new-high-tech-camera-and-gadgets-at our new web site”? > [@](#): > > friend #1: no, those are too easy, too logical. Let’s call it “youtube”. You say easy and logical, I say generic and forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/15 "2011-09-02T18:51:54Z")
Yeah, let’s pick on YouTube, because “eBay” makes so much sense as the name for an auction site… ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/16 "2011-09-02T19:00:54Z")
I thought it was a play on ‘ipod’. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/17 "2011-09-02T19:21:31Z")
Weren’t “facebooks” actual slam book-type things? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/18 "2011-09-02T19:22:46Z")
I think YouTube makes sense, they want your homemade videos, so it’s you on the tube. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/19 "2011-09-02T19:32:59Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Yeah, let’s pick on YouTube, because “eBay” makes so much sense as the name for an auction site… One would think, but it turned into one of the best nicknames ever. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946/20 "2011-09-02T19:38:17Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Yeah, let’s pick on YouTube, because “eBay” makes so much sense as the name for an auction site… Wiki says: Originally, the site belonged to Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar’s consulting firm. Omidyar had tried to register the domain name [echobay.com](http://echobay.com), but found it already taken by the Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company,[9] so he shortened it to his second choice, [eBay.com](http://eBay.com). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-name-youtube/594946.md?page=2)