http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/12/usenet-hosts-do.html

How a Linux Download Topped YouTube's Hit List

By Jenna Wortham EmailDecember 21, 2007 | 3:19:27 PMCategories:
Advertising, Behind the Scenes, DIY, Viral Video, Web/Tech

The hottest thing on YouTube this month isn't The Dark Knight trailer or that clip of a baby giving an evil eye. It's video of somebody downloading a copy of Ubuntu, a Linux-based operating system.

How did something so completely boring top the list? The makers of UseNext, a download client that lets users grab files from Usenet
newsgroups, are hosting a Usenet Download World Record contest to spread the gospel about their product. Users who submit a YouTube
video detailing a hyperfast transfer are eligible for a $1,000 jackpot. To land the fat prize, UseNext users must download an Ubuntu
image, videotape the download process and e-mail the clip. The fastest download wins.

Two such clips currently sit atop YouTube's monthly most-viewed list, with the No. 1 video garnering more than 7 million views since its
Nov. 20 addition.

As previously reported by Wired News, Usenet news groups are a hotbed of activity for file sharers looking for pirated movies in
less-policed areas of the internet. Usenet news groups offer a level of anonymity not available through popular P2P sites like BitTorrent
or Kazaa.

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