After running my videos on YouTube for a couple of weeks, including the new paid courses I've released, I've decided to go back to using a private video server for the future. I'm going to keep posting free videos to YouTube, like my TechHelp series, and of course the members-only Extended Cut videos, however PAID videos will be stored on my own server. Here's why:

1. Sharing. It's extraordinarily easy for people to share videos on YouTube. Even in the emedded player, YouTube's "share" link is right there the whole time in the upper-right corner. Can't turn it off. In order to set my videos up on YouTube, they have to be uploaded as "unlisted" but that means anyone can copy the video link and post it online. I know the vast majority of my students are honest, trustworthy people, but it only takes that one person to ruin everything. At least with a paid server, I can control this better. I can easily swap the links to whatever URL I want (on YouTube I would have to re-upload everything) or even change the link per user if I want (to track who copied what).

2. Terms of Service. I love YouTube. Let me emphasize this point: I REALLY LOVE YOUTUBE. They're fantastic. It's a wonderful site. I get lots of business from people finding me there. I have no complaints about them whatsoever. However, in their terms of service, it states that YouTube and other users have the right to reproduce and share my content, even if I upload unlisted videos. That means if someone did steal all my work, I would have no legal recourse. They also frown upon uploading commercial videos and placing them behind a "pay wall" or charging access for them. So it's best I don't do that. I wasn't aware of this policy a month ago.

3. Automated Removal. I recently read this article on CNet: YouTube automation removes 11 million videos in 3 months. They have bots that attempt to scan the content of videos to determine if there are copyright violations, restricted content, etc. Of course, my videos have none of that, but just in case, I want to be sure. If their bots malfunction and remove my videos, my whole business shuts down. At least with my own video server, I can control the content - and make backups. Can't do that on YouTube.

4. Post-Play Videos. I'm sure you've seen those thumbnails that pop up after a video has finished. There's no way to turn them off and they are distracting and confusing, especially for novices. When someone finishes Lesson 3, I want them to go right to Lesson 4, not see 10 other videos appear. Yes, they're still all my videos, but it's still distracting.

So, I'm going to keep hosting my videos on a private video server. I've set up an account with a relatively new player, Wasabi. They claim to be 80% cheaper than Amazon S3 which is what I was using before. So, we'll see. I just finished uploading all of my videos there and switching over my links. So let me know if you run across any videos that don't play right or give you error messages. Some of my videos will be playing from YouTube still (like the TechHelp videos and other free tips).

I am currently working on enhancing the video experience for watching classes. I just recently added links below the video window so you can resize the player. There's Small, Medium, Large, XLarge and FS (Full Screen). I'm also working on adding the ability to speed up the video (1.5x, 2x, etc.), jump back 15 seconds, and of course tracking where you left off. I'm not sure if I'll be able to store your position inside a video, but tracking the last video you played will not be a problem. I've already got the technology half-built in the My Views page above. Right now it only shows full courses, but I'm going to update it for individual videos soon.

The one thing that my videos won't have that YouTube offers is the automatic closed captioning. Sorry folks. In the 16 years I've been doing this though, only a couple people have asked for it. There's no easy way for me to add them with my current video player software. 

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. After all, you guys watch my videos a lot more than I do, so I want to know what you think. A lot of the times I design my systems for ME, and I really should design them around YOU. Help me to understand what you're thinking.