Video search site YouTube has unveiled a reconfigured Web site in response to a relaunch by rival Yahoo of its own service.
YouTube's members are now able to become their own channels-though not in the traditional definition of the word. Instead of providing a linear video feed, a YouTube channel allows a member to aggregate programming of their own creation or offer a collection of programs from other sources. The change will encourage the formation of communities around successful channels, be they content creators or collectors.
In addition, a new tool allows members to upload a video in response to another video on the channel where they find it. Other new tools offered on YouTube allow users to more easily link videos inside blogs and measure the number of times those videos are linked or embedded on other pages.
YouTube registers 50 million views and 50,000 video uploads each day. In an effort to stay competitive, Yahoo also restructured its video search capabilities around a more channel-centric format.
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