In the first video posted to YouTube we learn that elephants at the zoo have really really long trunks, but it goes to show that everything is about perspective. People who love elephants and coolness will enjoy the information presented in the video just as it is. However, a person with a good business mind would learn that a good idea, which reaches a hungry niche market, and is properly funded, can make billions of dollars, and become a cultural icon. On the other hand, a person with a philosophical bent might learn that the most mundane occurrence can reach greatness with the right set of circumstances.
The first YouTube video, entitled “Me at the zoo,” was uploaded at 8:27 Pacific Time, Saturday April 23rd, 2005. The video was shot by a fellow named Yakov Lapitsky, and shows his friend Jawed Karim commenting on how cool really really long elephant trunks can be.
This first video was posted by username jawed was obviously a successful test because the video is still alive and well for elephant lovers and YouTube history buffs to view. There must be many lovers and buffs because this video has been viewed over four million times with more than twenty three thousand ‘likes.’ What is strange is that over two thousand viewers took the time to dislike the video, and that user jawed, to date, has only posted six other videos to the site!
The site’s founders, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, purchased the domain name ‘youtube.com’ on February 14, 2005. With the first video uploaded 68 days later it’s not surprising, nor was it necessary, that the three founders spent a lot of time working on that first video.