By GottaLaff
The first Saturday presidential address on Jan. 24 was made available at the White House as a YouTube file.How cool is Team Obama?But by the next week, on Jan. 31, an administration whose innovative use of YouTube videos had helped propel it into the White House quietly began offering video of President Obama through Vimeo, as well -- and in so doing began a low-key push back at the near-total dominance of Google-owned YouTube in the political video market.
A video-sharing social media site that offers standard and high-definition video options, Vimeo was founded before YouTube, in 2004. But a series of pointed editorial choices has kept the company small while YouTube, founded in 2005, exploded into national consciousness over the next few years. Instead of becoming a cultural byword for online video, Vimeo became a niche favorite among artists and other creative types, particularly in the New York area, where the company is based. [...]
One reason the administration has stuck with YouTube, beyond its incredible popularity and mindshare, is the law. Section 508 of the 1998 Rehabilitation Act requires government entities to make electronic communications accessible to people with disabilities. YouTube files have an easy-to-use closed captioning function, which makes the president's weekly Saturday addresses available to the deaf.
In addition to Vimeo and YouTube, the White House makes the presidential addresses available as mp3 audio files and mp4 video files that can be uploaded into any video player.
.jpg)