Well, I am pleased to announce that we’ve just entered into an era of online scientific video sharing as there exists now a nascent niche market around. After the first mover JoVE (Journal of Visualized Expermients, covered many times here), LabAction.com was launched on 21st March 07 with as many as 3 biology-related videos. And I am more happy since one of my post had a little role as founder Ian Brown emailed me: “I read one of your blog on Science: video protocols can help to share the tacit dimension that appeared in October 06. It really inspired me to do a YouTube for LifeScientists. It took me quite some time to figure out what it takes to built a video sharing site but yes that was a good experience. I have recently launched a site www.labaction.com for sharing Biology videos.”
Ok, so LabAction is a definitely a YouTube-like video sharing surface, where everybody can upload their scientific related videos on protocols, products and so on. That means there won’t be any quality control here in contrast with JoVE’s editorial review process due to the novelty and required quality of video science publishing, but on the other hand LabAction could be popular because everybody can upload videos here. It could become a pop science site and for instance it may also be the place of high tech product adverstising, just like this cool microarray video ad, where at the turntable there is a guru made out of pipette tips scratching with a magnetic mixer, while eppendorf hiphop freaks are enjoying the perfomance of microarray built high tech break dancers.
From Ian’s writeup: LabAction.com presents a portal where researchers can share the much needed information on essential steps of new protocols and techniques. Videos and commentaries on every aspect of biology ranging from basic molecular biology to complex protein microarray experiments or trickiest surgery could be made accessible using video formats. Read the rest of this entry »
