One of the fun things about YouTube is that it is a very effective magnet for rare or unavailable video clips. In that, it certainly seems like an appropriate purchase for Google, much like DejaNews before it. Today I was looking around and happened across a clip of Nina Simone singing “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” with claymation by Aardman Animations’ Peter Lord. I originally saw that clip maybe 10 years ago now at a film festival in San Francisco, and it introduced me both to Nina Simone and the song, which became one of my favorites. I’ve looked around for a copy of the video to buy for many years without success, but there it is on YouTube. What a treat.
Stories about copyright claims burning through YouTube are becoming more frequent, and I bet that will become the canonical story about the site for a bit. Too bad. That’s not what’s interesting about YouTube. I’m glad it’s there and hope its new home makes it more flame-retardant over time.