Overview
YouBoo is a web content sharing platform that uses television industry
metaphors. The goal is to allow multiple users to view the same content and
additionally 'boo' it off and contribute to the lineup in real time.
This is not some variation of a critic/fan playlist nor is it some
algorithm designed to predict human taste. This is live interactive TV as
has been promised for a long time but has never materialized... until
now.
Is this Television?
Hopefully it will feel somewhat like YouBoo turned TV into a game. The
rules are basically those of old school TV. The option to be passive, which
is a charm or curse of TV, can be combined with the freedom and choice of
the internet. We would like to turn your phone into a remote control and
your computer into a television. In fact, turn off cable and hook this box
into your TV's digital input now!
But TV Sucks!
Mostly. But now you can contribute to the line up and boo a show off, or
just sit there numb until the next thing pops on. Hopefully the real time
experience will provoke you to share things you have found on the internet
with people that are watching right now!
Beyond Viewing, Booing or Cueing - you can own a network, create stations
with themes and rules and affiliate those stations with others. You can have
private, open or anonymous networks. You can invite people into a network
you are in and they can affiliate one or more of their stations with your
network. The end result is a channel which you can View, Boo or Cue (add to
the line up) in real time.
Or just go to an anonymous network and live dangerously.
Scenarios:
Create a network and invite your friends. Create a station and
affiliate it with your friends network. Plug the internet into the TV and
view your channel. Watch in the same room and Boo and Cue from one or more
devices or phones with web browsers. Or watch at different locations at the
same time. No more interrupting the video to search for something else! No
more super nerd monopolizing the viddy!
Note: currently only YouTube content is supported but other content
sources will be added as we devolve.
Advertising
You know how cool internet sites like this start with no advertising and
then inevitably are ruined by advertising once the user base grows? YouBoo
will make advertising part of the game. Stay tuned for further developments.