Monday, June 16, 2008

Web sites show you how it’s done

Instructional videos can make you a better magician, pastry chef or yoga practitioner. There probably isn't a hobby or interest out there that doesn't have a corresponding video sitting on a server somewhere.

There are Web sites that cater to this "how to" market and in this column I want to introduce readers to ExpertVillage.com, WonderHowTo.com, Howcast.com and eHow.com.

Each site obtains its content differently. Expert Village recruits certified expert to create videos for its library. Howcast.com also has user-provided content; WonderHowTo.com collects videos from existing sources such as YouTube; and eHow.com consists mostly of self-help articles but also has a small collection of videos and photos.

All the sites are free and supported by advertising.

1 comment:

Matt said...

One site that you missed, but is growing rapidly, is MonkeySee.com. They have over 8,000 how to videos, all of which are professionally produced and shot in high-defition. Plus, unlike other sites, such as Howcast and VideoJug, they use actual experts instead of actors.