YouTube Shutdown Prank: All This Time It’s Just Been One Big Contest

Who knew that all this time YouTube has just been one giant contest to showcase the best video on the Internet? For April Fools’, YouTube announced that contest submissions will be selected at m...
YouTube Shutdown Prank: All This Time It’s Just Been One Big Contest
Written by Chris Crum
  • Who knew that all this time YouTube has just been one giant contest to showcase the best video on the Internet?

    For April Fools’, YouTube announced that contest submissions will be selected at midnight (Eastern), and all YouTube videos will be deleted, except for the winner, which will be prominently featured.

    “When we started out in 2005, we focused on rapidly increasing user engagement. We wanted an inventive way to draw people in and catalyze their creativity. The result? A contest for the best video on our site,” says competition director Tim Liston. “Nearly eight years later, with 72 hours of video being uploaded every minute, we finally have enough content to close the competition. We’ve started the process to select a winner and as of tomorrow at midnight, we will be closing the site to submissions.”

    Watch this video (which features some familiar faces, and you’ll get a sense of what YouTube has really been all about.

    This is only one of many of Google’s April Fools’ jokes this year. The tech giant has become known for putting out a slew of new “products” on April 1st each year. Last year’s YouTube contribution was the ability to order all of YouTube on DVD, Betamax, or Laser Disc.

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