YouTube adds annotations to list of features, unfortunately it's incredibly annoying

Web 2.0
Share

youtube-annotations.jpg
Noticed anything different about YouTube? Something…kind of annoying? In the last 24 hours they’ve rolled out a new feature, ‘video annotations’, that allows the uploader of a video to place text over the clip, similar to that of Hiroyuki Nishimura’s Nico Nico Douga video site, which Wired wrote about recently.

However, the chat bubbles and links can only be added by the account-holder, meaning your videos thankfully aren’t in danger of disappearing due to huge amounts of annoying text littering the screen. The links embedded within the video hot-link to other YouTube videos, creating memes. Embedded videos on other sites, like we often do here at Tech Digest, won’t display the text, and unfortunately when you do click on a link, the video stops and starts, halting your viewing of small dogs dressed in tutus.

Currently in beta, there are a few kinks to iron out, but I can see it catching on with the kids. sigh

Example video at YouTube
(via Silicon Alley Insider)

Related posts: YouTube lawsuit threatens internet, says Google | Prince bans videos being uploaded to YouTube

Katherine Hannaford
For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv