Shelly says YouTube is like television snacks.

YouTube is not Television. It is a video-based social network that facilitates the consumption of video snacks. These are short (under 5 minutes), relatively low-resolution video clips that are meant to be consumed immediately while leaning forward (like at your computer). The Google sales department has a PowerPoint deck that says that prime time for YouTube is during the business day and on Saturday afternoons. This is not when most Television is consumed — YouTube is a new and important video art form.

When you think of all of the other places one might consume video snacks, the first thing that comes to mind is mobile. Aside from your personal computer, your mobile device is probably the next most powerful computer you own. At your office, you can consume video snacks while sorting through your email. They’re short and if your boss doesn’t catch you, it’s a nice way to break up the day. But, in a very real way, a mobile device may provide an even better environment to consume video snacks. Especially if the iPhone lives up to its promise and delivers clips in contextual, rich media emails or widgets from trusted sources in your social network.

He’s arguing of course for the iPhone. Is this YouTube’s model? To be the snack vendor of entertainment?

If you are thinking that YouTube is filled with user-generated content that no one wants to watch, you are falling into a very dangerous, last-century line of thought. Quality is a highly subjective, and very fluid concept. Do not use your level of taste or your personal perception of “quality content” to impact your understanding of the potentially dramatic sociological change that is occurring around us. Popularity has never been a measure of quality and quality has certainly never been a measure of popularity.

And, most important of all — the pure production value of this medium will steadily increase until it is indistinguishable from other video consumption tools. Over time, tastes change — this is an axiom of evolution. Need a history lesson? Look at video production prior to and post the launch of MTV or have a look at the 1971 and 2005 versions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Camera angles, lighting, shot composition, editorial, directorial — you name the production element, and you can be sure the concept of quality has changed over time.

Those two paragraphs are the nightmares of the top TV executives.