Sunday, November 6, 2011

It really is YouTube

I've never had a YouTube account. My inclination to shoot video is so negligible that, for example, the game-changing Flip camera was released, became insanely popular, gradually cooled off, and was eventually discontinued — all before I ever thought about getting one.

I recently felt like posting a comment on someone else's video, which required me to register a username on the site. I tried to choose the name "benbass" and here's what happened:




As you can see, YouTube replied that the name "benbass" was unavailable, surely due to my many imitators, but suggested various other options:
  • MsBenbass:  Do they know something about me that I don't?
  • benbassful:  I suppose I am if anyone is, but is that something I want to make into an Internet username? (On a related note, Megan F. and Maria K. in the 3212 Clifton Crew used to refer to me as "benbasstic.")
  • benbassify and benbassification:   Although I am generally in favor of the benbassification of this country (and, indeed, world), all right-thinking people vehemently disagree with me. Again, who would go this route when choosing a YouTube username?
  • SuperBenbass: Thanks for the compliment, but the shameless suckupery is off-putting, and even among people vain enough to name blogs after themselves, this seems obnoxious and preposterous to the extreme.
Apparently, YouTube really is all about you.

2 comments:

Rose Gomez MD said...

How about benboss?

Elaine said...

I have a really nice shot of a bass I caught on my blog....

Bass-hook?
Landed Bass?
Bass-o-profundo?

Hmm, there are some directions one shouldn't go, however.

MrBenBass?
BenBassEsq?

This was how I felt when I found out 'Mean Old Lady' was taken as a blogspot registration. Not in use, just reserved! So unfair.