Thursday, May 27, 2010

YouTube Launches Platform for Crowdsourcing Suggestions

YouTube is looking to ramp up engagement between viewers and content creators through the integration of Google Moderator, the search giant’s crowdsourcing and feedback product.

Google Moderator, which launched in 2008, is one of the company’s lesser-known products. It allows a person to manage feedback and questions from large groups of people. Users submit their suggestions or questions via Moderator, and can then vote specific questions or suggestions up or down to bring the best ideas to the top.

For the last six months, YouTube (YouTube) has been testing Google Moderator integration with a few select partners and events, most prominently during YouTube’s interview with President Barack Obama..

Starting today though, anyone can integrate Google Moderator into his or her YouTube channel. Channel owners can adjust features such as the dialogue, submission types and conversation length. Then channel viewers can respond with their own feedback or ideas.

YouTube’s launching the new Moderator integration with 12 launch partners, including Stanford University, Howcast, singer Kina Grannis and YouTube star Michael Buckley. Stanford, for example, is using Moderator to have cadiologist Dr. Euan Ashley answer viewers’ questions about heart disease and genetic disorders (see video below).

The goal, as YouTube News Manager Olivia Ma told me yesterday, is to give YouTube channel owners a better way to connect with their audiences. Google Moderator seems well-suited for that goal. While it is a niche product, we can see why YouTube’s decided to make it an option for all users. We’re sure we’ll see some unique uses for Moderator over the next few weeks.
To Learn More Click Here
Bookmark and Share

No comments:

Post a Comment