Yahoo said at the time, “While we love Delicious (and our users love Delicious), we wanted to find a home for the product where it can receive more love and attention. We think Avos is that place.”

It looks like that may indeed be the case, as Avos is giving Delicious a refresh. This is supposed happen “later this year,” according to the New York Times, which reports that Chen and Hurley say it will resemble the original Delicious, but with a new design using new software and new systems for tagging and organizing links. Jenna Wortham reports:

The home page would feature browseable “stacks,” or collections of related images, videos and links shared around topical events. The site would also make personalized recommendations for users, based on their sharing habits. “We want to simplify things visually, mainstream the product and make it easier for people to understand what they’re doing,” Mr. Hurley said.

Chen and Hurley reportedly want to solve the information discovery/overload problem that many others are trying to solve, but they may be headed for a similar path that others are also traveling. These solutions often tend to just become one more thing to look at, rather than a filter for noise.

The hard part is getting users to add one more thing to their daily routine. They’re going to have their work cut out for them in that regard, but it should help that Delicious is already an established, brand, which the two acknowledged in the NYT interview.

We’ll be on the lookout for what they come up with, but I’m starting to wonder if the information discovery/overload problem can really be solved. I think it’s more something just to deal with, and we all have our routines.

A statement on the Delicious blog says:

As creators of the largest online video platform, they have firsthand experience enabling millions of users to share their experiences with the world. They are committed to running and improving Delicious going forward.

Starting today, we will ask you to login to Delicious again and agree to let Yahoo! transfer your bookmarks to the new owner. That way, you’ll enjoy uninterrupted use of the service and will keep your account and all of your bookmarks when we make the transition.

Delicious will become part of Hurley’s and Chen’s company AVOS.

Yahoo said, “While we love Delicious (and our users love Delicious), we wanted to find a home for the product where it can receive more love and attention. We think AVOS is that place.”

Avos is said to be keeping the service up and running as is, but intends to add features going forward. This would certainly make more sense than buying it and letting it stagnate.

Users will have to go to an opt-in page to agree to AVOS’ terms of service and transfer their bookmarks. Information to be transferred includes: username, password, email address, first and last name, bookmarks, tags, notes, inbox items, tag bundles, tag descriptions, network members, subscriptions, blogpost jobs, and Twitter Auth credentials.

Those that wish to export their data can do do with this tool. If users don’t opt-in, they will no longer be able to use Delicious.

AVOS does say it is making a Firefox 4 Delicious extension a “top priority”.

The transition is expected to be complete in July.

Hurley was the last of YouTube’s cofounders to have close ties to the organization, and it’s not every day that a CEO operating at this level gives up his position, which makes the change significant.  In all honesty, though, this development may not be as exciting as it sounds.

There’s no reason to believe Hurley’s being forced out, for example, since he’s been more than happy to let Googler Salar Kamangar run things for several years.  There’s no reason to believe Hurley’s bailing, either, since the terms of the Google-YouTube deal released him a long time ago.

According to Lisa O’Carroll, Hurley just said at the F.ounders (not a typo) conference, "Right now I am in the process of transitioning into the role of adviser, stepping down, still being involved in the company but it’s given me an opportunity to work on new projects."

Hurley also complimented Kamangar, who appears to be the obvious choice in terms of replacing him if Google decides to keep the CEO position.

It should be interesting to see where the cofounder of YouTube lands next.

Original Article: Feross Aboukhadijeh has quickly become something of an Internet celebrity thanks to his creation of YouTube Instant, which took him only several hours to create. Some don’t think it’s that big a deal, but clearly Google and YouTube do. 

Aboukhadijeh, a Facebook intern, was offered a job by YouTube CEO Chad Hurley the other day, and yesterday went to YouTube headquarters, where he apparently accepted the job. On his blog, Aboukhadijeh writes, " I look forward to supporting and improving YouTube Instant in the future. I hope to see it become a core part of the YouTube.com experience!"

I haven’t seen where he’s come out and said he is now a YouTube employee exactly, and I have been unable to get a response from him, but his words seem to indicate as much (along with the photo of him and Hurley also posted on the blog). 

Aboukhadijeh says that YouTube Instant received 430,000 visitors in four days. 

I think the interesting part of the story is less about YouTube Instant itself, and more about the viral whirlwind it’s created, as discussed in another article. That and the fact that it netted him a job offer from YouTube’s CEO right away (publicly, through Twitter no less). The whole thing is simply a reflection of the fast-paced and viral nature of the web today – a testament to how far the web has come in the last several years. 

Now, it will be interesting to see just what YouTube does with YouTube Instant. 

Meanwhile, other developers are following Aboukhadijeh’s lead by creating other Instant spin-offs like Google Maps Instant and iTunes Instant.

Reducing the amount of time it takes to find something other than a song you don’t like or an annoying kid is one priority.  "What we’re very focused on right now is content discovery technology and how to make the finding great videos easier for users, based on their profile and past usage," said Hurley according to Robin Wauters.

Also, Hurley continued, "We’re pleased with the mobile content consumption side of the equation, but I’ll be the first to acknowledge that we need to work on making uploading through mobile devices far better."

As for what won’t get a lot of attention, it doesn’t look like live video is going to be a big focus.  Hurley spoke about it in uncertain terms, only allowing for the possibility of once-a-month live streaming events in the near future.  And social features won’t come flying out of the woodwork, either.

So look for a smarter and more accessible YouTube to evolve over time.  Just don’t count on seeing any completely new stuff popping up soon.

Related Articles:

> YouTube Unveils Video Targeting Tool

> YouTube Wraps Up Another Content-Sharing Deal

> YouTube Gets Faster With "Feather" Beta

Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-founder of YouTube wrote on the company blog that since the early days, YouTube has been committed to three basic principles as described:

- Speed matters: Videos should load and play back quickly.

- Open platforms open up possibility: Content creation isn’t our business; it’s yours. We wanted to create a place where anyone with a video camera, a computer, and an Internet connection could share their life, art, and voice with the world, and in many cases make a living from doing so.

"Three years after the acquisition, our platform and our business continue to grow and evolve," says Hurley. "We are still committed to the same principles that informed the site early on, but we know things have changed. As bandwidth has increased, so has our video quality. As we’ve started to see demand for longer, full-length content, we’ve brought more shows and movies to the site. There are now more ways than ever to make and consume content, and more of you are looking to turn your hobby into a real business."

YouTube has certainly accomplished a lot since it was launched. They even have 3D videos now.

YouTube has already had a pretty interesting week or two. First, Google announced that it would include YouTube promoted videos in AdSense. The only known footage of Anne Frank was found to be posted on the site, and YouTube has been streaming the announcements of the Nobel Prizes. The company also formed some new content ID partnerships.

Vinny Lingham the CEO of Synthasite (who recently came into $20 million in funding) was also selected, and took the time to answer a few questions about the group and what it hopes to accomplish.
 
Chris Crum: What was the process by which you were selected by the World Economic Forum?

Vinny Lingham: Application and selection is a three step process — nomination, short list and final selection:

1. This year almost 5,000 candidates from around the world were nominated to the Forum of YGL based on the following criteria:

- He/she is 40 years of age or younger at the time of nomination.

- He/she has a recognized record of extraordinary achievement and a proven track record of substantial leadership experience. Typically, this means 5-15 years of outstanding professional work experience and a clear indication of playing a substantial leadership role for the rest of his or her career.

- He/she has demonstrated a commitment to serve society at large through exceptional contributions, and have a global perspective.

- He/she must have an impeccable record in the public eye and good standing in his/her community, as well as show great self-awareness and a desire for learning.

- Candidates from the business sector must be responsible for the full operation of a qualifying corporation or division and must hold one of the following titles: President, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Managing Partner or Publisher, or equivalent of any of the above. If the company is a Member or Partner of the World Economic Forum, the candidate requires the approval of the CEO or Chairman of the Board of the respective company.

- Companies, organizations and entities can only nominate one candidate from the qualifying company every two years.

2. Candidates were evaluated by Heidrick & Struggles, recognized as one of the world’s leading executive search firms.

3. As a final step, candidates were screened by the WEF Selection Committee. This year the 31-person selection committee was chaired by H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

A full list of committee members can be found here.

CC: What will your role be in the organization?

VL: My acceptance on this forum is brand new so specific roles are still being defined.

As a group, our activities and agenda will focus on the three pillars of the YGL community – community building, generating insight and undertaking collective action. We’ll have regular events throughout the year including the YGL Summits, which provide an opportunity for us to meet, share ideas and discuss ways to collectively shape the future. Within the YGL Forum there are different task forces focused on the biggest global challenges facing our generation – health, education, the environment, global governance and security, and development and poverty.

This is a three-year commitment that I’m excited to dive into. I’ll be participating in the summits and events and, of course, actively contributing to online discussions throughout my tenure. I will keep you posted as my role is further defined. 

CC: What ways will this allow you to contribute to making the world a better place?

VL: One of my proudest achievements is the ability to inspire other entrepreneurs in South Africa and the U.S. to start businesses and assist in job creation. Joining this Forum brings that capability to a global scale.

CC: Will you be collaborating directly with other members (like Zuckerberg, Kevin Rose, etc)?

VL: Individual roles are yet to be determined and we’re all trying to figure out which task forces we’ll best be able to serve. I’m sure our paths will cross on this Forum in one way or another.

CC: Please tell me anything else about the World Economic Forum and Young Global Leaders you’d like to share.

I’m thrilled to be part of the Young Global Leaders.  It’s a great honor.  I’m looking forward to contributing my unique perspective to the community and learning from the insights and expertise of others in the forum.

Thanks to Vinny for taking the time to answer a few questions. I would imagine his plate is quite full. A full list of the Young Global Leaders selections can be found here (pdf).

Hurley talks about how ten years ago online video was in its infancy and how it was used in closed settings with limited bandwidth and expensive and bulky video gear. He says it was the Internet that helped online video to grow.

"It was really the dynamic growth of the Internet (in terms of adoption, speed and ubiquity) that helped to spur the idea that online video – millions of people around the world shooting it, uploading it, viewing it via broadband – was even possible," Hurley writes.

Hurley points out how online video has spread and how barriers have been removed. "Today, there are thousands of different video sites and services. In fact it’s getting to be unusual not to find a video component on a news, entertainment or information website."

"What used to be a gap between ‘professional’ entertainment companies and home movie buffs has disappeared. Everyone from major broadcasters and networks to vloggers and grandmas are taking to video to capture events, memories, stories, and much more in real time."

He says YouTube’s goal is to allow anyone to participate in online video by making the upload process simple and that new video content will be available on any screen.

On the future of online video Hurley writes, "In ten years, we believe that online video broadcasting will be the most ubiquitous and accessible form of communication. The tools for video recording will continue to become smaller and more affordable. Personal media devices will be universal and interconnected."