That bar thing is the Gimmee Members site playlist. Using it, you can get to every video on the site.
Across the top are the category tabs. If you hover your mouse over the tabs, starting from the left to the right, you'll notice that they start moving across the top, revealing all the different categories. You can scroll them back to the beginning again by hovering the mouse over the left side of the tab list. (Go ahead, it's right up there! Try it!)
Under the tabs are the video teasers. They work the same way as the tabs, scrolling from side to side as you move the mouse over them. Once you've scrolled all the way to the right, you can click the little arrow to load the next group of teasers. Naturally clicking the left arrow returns the previous group.
To view all the teasers, choose a category tab and click on it. Then peruse the library of videos, choosing the ones you want to watch. When you want to move on, just choose another category by clicking a new tab.
We've been saying all along that we thought we'd be live sometime in October of 2009. While we're still really hopeful about that, certain unforeseen delays have made us move that projection back at least into December.
Once you've created some content at the site, your image will appear in the upper left corner of your screen. You can upload a video or start a poll question.
The video player on your profile page is set to display only videos you have uploaded. Your uploaded videos are shown in the attached playlist.
If you haven't uploaded any videos yet, then there are none to display, and the Profile player just 'sits and spins'. Uploading a video will make everything look great.
(draft)
When a video is uploaded to the Members site, it is immediately listed in the Members site Playlist and the 'Just In' tab on The Front Page. Go ahead and start the voting by voting for your video as soon as it's uploaded.
Anyone who visits the Members site can vote, regardless of whether they are a Member or not. Each visitor is allowed 1 vote per video. Votes can be canceled or changed, but will always be counted as 1 vote. Duplicate votes are not allowed.
Videos are eligible for voting for 2 months after being uploaded.
Any video selected for viewing on television will be ineligible for further voting. Videos selected for television will be moved to the 'As Shown on TV' tab on The Front Page.
The answer to that might be different for individual Members. Gimmee doesn't limit the number of videos, but instead limits the amount of storage space you can use on our servers.
Gold Members ( the standard membership ) are allowed 80MB, so you can store as many videos as you can fit into that 80MB. You'll notice that the file size limit per upload is also 80MB, so it's possible that you can only upload 1 video, if your video file size is very large. AVI files are typically larger than MPG or WMV files, so it's possible to get more files by paying attention to the format. Our testing has shown that using WMV files, the filesizes are usually less than 10MB, allowing for at least 8 videos to be uploaded at a time for each Member.
When you reach your limit, you might want to look at the older videos. Each video's eligibility for television viewing expires after 2 months, so if the older ones aren't getting the votes you want, you might want to delete them to free up some space in your account. (Or you might just need to promote them more on your other social networks,)
If your file sizes are going to be huge, you might want to consider upgrading your account.
If you'd like to help with the alpha-testing phase of the Members site, just let us know.
There are lots of reasons why you should help out. The biggest reason?
Videos uploaded by the alpha-testers will be used in the 1st month's television commercials.
No guarantees you'll get the votes but the odds are better without millions of videos to compete with...
If you're sitting in the back of your parents car, riding across the high plains of New Mexico, you might see this.
(Supplied unknowingly and without permission by Zhan Knight. Thanks man, you rock!)
Only one vote per computer. Sorry.
This is something we're looking at really hard. Allowing more than one vote per computer opens the whole system up to gaming on a colossal scale. Then again, there's usually more than one person using a particular machine...
It's a tough call.
Generally speaking, there is no subject that is 'off-limits', but there are some guidelines you should be aware of.
Nothing which promotes hate towards any group of people is allowed. There are ways to express your displeasure without resorting to hate-mongering. Use your brain and temper it with your heart. You want your ideas expressed to millions of people on television, right?
Nudity is not allowed. Nudity is overrated anyway. You want to make a really hot, steamy video? You can come up with something better than flesh. Covering it up is usually more exciting than showing it all anyway. Remember, even if it's after midnight, we're not letting it all hang out.
Certain speech is regulated by the FCC. They are the guys who make the rules, and Gimmee follows those rules. Such speech includes certain words which have been deemed unacceptable for television broadcast. Don't use those words.
If there is something specific you want to do , but you're not sure it's acceptable, send your question to Gimmee.
Any 'kind' of music is just fine. From Classical to Head-Banging - it's all good if you like it. One thing though: you cannot use a song that's been copyrighted unless you own the copyright.
So you cannot use your favorite NKOTB tune. You cannot use Maynard's (Tool) singing. You cannot use Ringo's drum solo on Nillson's 'Jump Into The Fire'. You cannot use your little girl singing Madonna's 'Material Girl'. You cannot use anything at all that has a copyright attached to it.
Remember, this isn't YouTube. Over there you can get away with uploading just about anything without worrying about the copyrights. Over there if somebody complains (think RIAA) then your video just gets pulled.
If you upload a video at the Members site and we find that it contains copyrighted material, we are required by law to remove the video. Naturally, there aren't enough of us here to check every single video, so you might be able to get away with the upload. But if the video is voted up and wins a spot on tv it will be watched carefully by at least 2 different people. If they find any copyrighted material, it will be disqualified and removed from the site.
Videos that are voted to the real tube absolutely must conform to copyright law or they simply will not be eligible to get to the tv, regardless of the number of votes. Once the video is aired on television, Gimmee becomes legally responsible for its content. One copyright infringement could stop us all.
There are lots of ways to get your video on the Members site, even if you don't have a 'video camera'. Without trying to include EVERYTHING, here are a few ideas you can try...
Mobile Phones
Do you have a mobile phone? Many mobile phones today have built-in cameras, and many of those allow you to use that camera as a video recorder. So, if you've got a phone, check it out! You may own a video camera and just didn't realize it!
PC Pictures
But what if your phone doesn't do that? Well, you probably have lots of pictures on your computer.
If you're using Windows, you can look through your programs and find one called Windows Movie Maker. With Movie Maker you can set up a rolling slideshow of your pics, add captions, titles, music and effects and generally create a compelling video to upload.
If you're using an Apple computer, the iMovie app is available to do pretty much the same thing.
To be used in the tv commercials, your video should be no longer than 30 seconds. It doesn't have to be exactly 30 seconds, but it cannot be even 1 second longer.
Yes, you can search the Members site using the search box in the right sidebar. Just type in any word that you know is part of the video, whether it's the title, the producer's name, or the description.
For best results in a Google search, just enter "Gimmee" before the terms you're searching for. So, if I wanted to search for the video 'Easter Island' by Zhan E Lee, I could go to Google and type
gimmee easter island
or I could type
gimmee zhan e lee
and either way the video I'm looking for will be in the top results.
When your video is selected for a tv spot, you'll get a message here on the site. If you've setup your Gimmee account to notify you of new messages, then you'll get an email letting you know we've sent you a message. If not, then you'll see a new message notification in the left sidebar the next time you login to the Members site.
By all means, vote for your own video! As soon as you've uploaded and saved it, it's right in front of you and ready for the 1st vote! So go ahead and vote for it!
You can use any idea for your video. It does not have to be about Gimmee, the Members site or the Gimmee Browser Add-on. It can be about the lemonade your 4 year-old daughter made last Saturday. It can be about the way the dog and the cat share their dinner. It can be about a real business you're wanting to promote. It can be about a rock band you're in. It can be about asking your best friend to marry you. It can be about the wind blowing in your hair (in your memory, baldy). It can be about just about anything in the world, so it might be best to ask what your video cannot be about.
It cannot include anything that is hateful. It cannot include copyrighted material of any sort. It cannot include any speech or behaviors that are specifically restricted by applicable law. It cannot include anything which promotes exploitation generally or specifically of any group of people. If it can't be shown on prime time television then don't bother sending it in. Remember, these videos will be shown on television. There's a good chance that children will see them. Be considerate.
Try promoting your video on twitter. The easiest way to do this is to click the twitter icon on the video page. When you do that, the location of your video is automatically included in your tweet. Your tweeps can just click the link and they'll go straight to your video.
One thing about twitter is that it moves fast. Your tweet has a couple of minutes at most to be noticed before it's replaced by newer tweets. A good strategy might include tweeting your video link several times at different times of the day. Remember, not all your followers are on at the same time of day.
You can do something similar with facebook. Just click the icon to post the link to your video page. When your friends read it they can click the link and find your video. Since facebook is a little slower moving than twitter, your links will stay visible longer.
If you belong to other social groups, make sure they know your video needs some votes. You don't have to stay on the web either. Talk to your friends in the physical world - some of them may not use social networking on the web. Their votes count just as much as anyone else', you've just got to get them to watch your stuff.
See that bar thing at the top of the page? That bar thing is the Gimmee Members site playlist. Using it, you can get to every video on the site.
Across the top are the category tabs. If you hover your mouse over the tabs, starting from the left to the right, you'll notice that they start moving across the top, revealing all the different categories. You can scroll them back to the beginning again by hovering the mouse over the left side of the tab list. (Go ahead, it's right up there! Try it!)
Under the tabs are the video teasers. They work the same way as the tabs, scrolling from side to side as you move the mouse over them. Once you've scrolled all the way to the right, you can click the little arrow to load the next group of teasers. Naturally clicking the left arrow returns the previous group.
To view all the teasers, choose a category tab and click on it. Then peruse the library of videos, choosing the ones you want to watch. When you want to move on, just choose another category by clicking a new tab.
If you're a Member, you'll see some extra information over in the right sidebar when you're on each video page. In addition to the producer's name and picture, you'll see a playlist of all the videos that producer has currently on the site. You can also hook-up to that producer, giving you a quick and easy way to keep up with new videos as they're added.
While you're watching the videos around the site, don't forget to vote! And if you see one you think is really great, use the social networking links to spread it around.
Everybody can vote, and everybody can tell their friends on twitter, facebook, myspace and the others. Remember, the votes determine which videos you'll see on your television. Everybody's vote counts!
The Gimmee Members site is being designed specifically for folks living in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There are few restraints built into the site, though, so it's essentially open to anyone with an internet connection.
Non-member visitors don't have complete run of the place, like Members do, but they still get to use most of the site's functions. The main thing they get to do is vote on the videos. It's the votes that decide which videos make it and which ones don't. So even if you're not a Member, you still get a vote.
The biggest benefit of being a Gimmee Member is, without a doubt, being able to upload video.
The simple answer is: The Members community decides by vote.
For more detailed information check the Terms of Service.
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