zlacker

> How popular things are is a part of the context of pop culture, and most youtube content is pop culture.

I can't think of any traditional medium that tells you the popularity of something before you consume it. Movie theaters, TV stations, radio stations, etc. have no concept of "view counts" telling you whether or not to consume something.

>>smt88+(OP)
> I can't think of any

Well, information IS available, beforehand in nielson ratings and films' grossing numbers, but you're essentially right.

That's the problem: opaqueness leaves us vulnerable to being misled. Some PR company calls it "the hottest ticket of the season," and we have no way of corroborating this claim.

>>smt88+(OP)
Uh, they don't have view counts, but they certainly tell you when things are popular. These are bad examples because all of these have very public "view counter"-alikes. First-weekend box office for ""popular"" movies is reported in news media. TV stations have ratings. Pop music has Billboard. In fact we have a local "Top 50" station which only plays ""popular"" music.

View counts ~= box office take ~= TV ratings ~= Billboard.

Every type of media you list has gatekeepers, kingmakers, and counters, and other things influencing your to or not to consume.

>>verall+t2
I have never met anyone who chooses their movies based on box office, nor have I met anyone who chooses TV shows based on their ratings. Those are all after-the-fact consumption stats, unlike YouTube view counts, which are shown to you upfront (without you looking for them).