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#1
11-11-2009, 02:14 AM
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Veterans invade cyberspace
The government-sponsored YouTube channel aims to bring the Remembrance Day message to the Internet generation
Canada's war veterans are storming onto YouTube in a government bid to highlight their deeds and educate youth about Remembrance Day. Veterans Affairs Canada launched a channel called Canada Remembers on the youtube.com video-sharing site Friday to bring the message of Remembrance Day to the Internet generation. Over the weekend more than 67,000 people flocked to watch the videos and many contributed by uploading their own. "The response has been overwhelming for us," said Heather MacDonald, a spokeswoman for Veteran Affairs. "We had no idea it would take off as it has." MacDonald said surfers have been finding the Canada Remembers channel and a new page of the same name on the Facebook social networking site with little promotion by Veterans Affairs. There are already more than 6,000 posts from people sharing personal video and photos with the world. Even more have contributed to forums and chat boards, sharing memories of family members who served overseas. "There are veterans themselves that are posting comments on our Facebook page, such as an Afghanistan veteran or a Bosnian veteran," said MacDonald. "People are talking about their brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. They might be talking about their father who served overseas or their grandfather or grandmother who was part of World War II." She also said a message from Dr. Robert Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station, was a particular surprise. Over the weekend Thirsk found the group on his own and recorded a YouTube video from space, sharing his observations about Sir John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields and thanking Canada's veterans for all they have done. "It's an honour to share this solemn moment with you as we remember the men and women of our Canadian Forces who have given their lives," says Thirsk in his video. "To all the men and women who are serving our country, I salute you." Despite the buzz the online initiative has created among the veteran population, MacDonald believes the channels are also helping to educate average youth about why Remembrance Day is important. "Youth is one of our primary demographics. And the reason we want to get youth involved is because they carry the torch or remembrance for future generations," she said. "We know that if we want to engage youth, we need to go to where youth are." Google Inc., which owns Youtube, says Canadians are the heaviest users of YouTube on the planet. A recent study by Ipsos Reid found that more than eight in 10 Canadians regularly visit the online video storehouse. The website sees more than 700 million searches for videos by Canadians every month. According to a new poll released Monday by Ipsos Reid for the Historica-Dominion Institute, approximately 13 million adult Canadians say they have a direct relative who has served as a member of the Canadian Forces during a war or conflict or is currently serving in the Canadian Forces. The study also said 20 per cent of Canadians plan to attend an official Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11. See the videos and join the Facebook page: http://www.youtube.com/user/VeteransAffairsCa#p/search http://www.facebook.com/CanadaRemembers
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Unauthorized decoding of encrypted signals from either domestic or foreign providers is against the law. >>>I personally do not, nor condone such activities<<<  
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