Wow. Father Guido Sarducci! How long has it been since I last saw him on Saturday Night Live? (Too long to think about–too depressing.)
But I really enjoyed this bit “The Five Minute University.” And I must say, an interesting choice for a homework assignment from you, Professor Gold—about a minute into the routine I thought, “Remind me again, WHY am I spending money on returning to college?” : )
I didn’t find too many differences in the original link and the “You Tube” version. The You Tube version was larger, which was nice, and you got to see how many people viewed the video, the category, a “star rating” (four out of five stars!) and people’s comments. It was fun to read people’s reactions to the video (”this is freakin’ awesome!̶ 
but other than that, I didn’t think watching the video in the YouTube forum changed the experience all that much for me.
HOWEVER…!!! That said, I do very much enjoy viewing videos on YouTube. When I’m viewing something I’ve specifically searched for (a particular musician’s performance, a great play from a baseball game), I love reading the responses from other people who have viewed the video. And when a particular clip moves me, I respond in kind.
So, to review Father Sarducci’s Five Minute University:
Spanish language Comprehension?
“Como esta used? Muy bien, gracias!”
Economics?
“Supply and Demand”—Buy something, sell it for more.
Theology: “Where is God?” “God is everywhere!” “Why?” “Because he likes you!”
Okay, I’m ready for my Masters Degree! : )
Okay, I’m ready for my Masters Degree! : )
Given your perceptive contributions to the Discussion Board, you may be right about that.
My question about the viewing experience of the two videos was intentionally misleading: it’s the ways in which the context of the video-watching experience shapes our understanding of the video itself in different ways that interests me. Your notes about YouTube’s rating systems and comments are right on target, though you seem not to realize (or, at least, to articulate here) the ways in which those elements of the YouTube site affect the viewing experience.
For instance, will you be more skeptical of a video that has a lower rating from fellow users? More interested in a video that has 400 comments than you will be in a video that has only one comment?
As for the nature of the video itself, I’d ask you to think about the discussion we’ve been having on the discussion board about educational experiences. My pedagogical imperative in this class is not to teach you content that you’ll half-remember in five years; rather, I want to encourage habits of mind — a spirit of exploration — that will serve you for years to come (and that, in many ways, seems to arise naturally from the course subject itself).