Some internet exhibitionists have talent, others just crave attention, and for many, YouTube, the Google-owned video-sharing site, has become the online showcase of choice.
Since thousands of fresh videos hit YouTube every day, it remains difficult to get yourself noticed, let alone reach the top of the viewing charts. Gaining the attention of a traditional mass-media outlet - a newspaper, radio or television - can help enormously, says Heather Polinsky, a professor at Central Michigan University's school of broadcast and cinematic arts. Instead of relying on the slow progress of word-of-mouth marketing, savvy video-clip posters send press releases to media outlets or tap friends-of-friends who have connections in the mass media.
Bringing the press on board is half the battle. The posting also needs to be infused with 'news value', she says. 'Whether it is prominence, timeliness, novelty or conflict, the post needs to hit the culture at the right time and place.'
Blogging and joining the community on a large social networking site are also a good start. They offer audience exposure to your videos, with the possibility of their being picked up by a fan and posted on YouTube.
The chances of making a name for yourself on the site increase if you were lucky enough to be armed with a camcorder at the scene of a spectacular crash by a catwalk model or at an acrimonious public quarrel, such as in the 'Bus Uncle' episode - a profanity-laced hit video filmed in Hong Kong on a camera-phone in April last year.