As far as efforts to make better use of the Internet for local benefit, Bloomingtube is a good one. It is a bit rough around the edges, but the idea of having a community site for posting and viewing videos (like YouTube or Google Video) can have the effect of lowering barriers to entry for those wanting not only to publish but also to find things of local relevance.
Bloomingtube allows anyone to create an account and then upload a video to share with the Bloomington community. Just a few weeks old, the ‘Tube already has eight videos categorized for Environment, Family, IU, Music, Politics and Society.
The site is being developed by Ansette, the web host and design firm powering the Bloomington Alternative, a weekly print and online newspaper launched in 2002 as an alternative to the Herald-Times.
Bloomington Alternative posts weekly news updates in video form and embeds the content into their front page.
