Mindy McAdams has an interesting post on You Witness the News, the latest big media effort to bring into UGC.

She notes:

I’m just pondering the whole idea of motivation. If I thought I could get paid — there’s one kind of motivation. If I thought I would get some degree of fame or respect — well, that’s another motivation. But these videos have nothing more than a little credit line — the shooter’s first and last name. No link. No e-mail. Nada.

I left the following comments:

What do you get if you upload your Rodney King video to YouTube? You don’t get your real name, unless it happens use that as your screen name; you don’t get a link to your web site (though you can add the URL to your video or notes); you don’t get a link to your e-mail, though you do get a message box.

What you do get is community and a chance to partake in conversation.

That seems to be what is missing from the Yahoo! site.

… and you’re Rodney King video on YT, YT has the right to redistribute it with no additional compensation to you.