• In order to participate in all of the great features that YouTube has to offer, you must create an account.

1. Go to http://www.youtube.com
2. Click on the Sign Up link located in the top-right corner:
3. Fill in the sign-up form.
   
4. Go to your e-mail account and click on the hyperlink sent by YouTube. This verifies your identity and activates your YouTube account.
5. Once your e-mail is confirmed, you officially become a member of the YouTube community. 

1. If you have a specific term in mind, just type it into the search box near the top of YouTube's home page:
2. The "Sort by" links can help you narrow down your search results

• If you don't have a specific term in mind, you can search through general categories. For example, let's say you'd like to watch something funny. In this case, you'll want the "Comedy" category. You can find it by:

1. Clicking on the Categories tab located at the top of any YouTube page
2. On the left sidebar, you'll notice the different YouTube categories
3. Click on the Comedy category.

• Finally, if you're just browsing, YouTube has some special sections to help you find the latest and greatest. These sections can all be found on the homepage:

1. Check out what other YouTube users are watching right now
2. Videos that have been chosen by the YouTube staff. These "Featured Videos" can be sorted by: Most Viewed, Most Discussed, & Top Favorites

• Comments turn each video into a conversation. Some of the most watched videos can sometimes generate thousands of comments.

• Many people who upload videos love to get positive feedback, especially if they're showing off one of their talents. It makes them feel like a star!

• If you would like to express your opinion, you can do it in one of two ways: Text Comment or Video Comment
• If you respond with a video comment, you'll be given three choices:
  

1. Record a video
2. Choose from a video that you already have
3. Upload a new video

Helpful Tip

• When leaving a comment, be smart. In their Community Guidelines, YouTube spells out what they will not stand for:

• -We encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points of view. But we don't permit hate speech which contains slurs or the malicious use of stereotypes intended to attack or demean a particular gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or nationality.
• -There is zero tolerance for predatory behavior, stalking, threats, harassment, invading privacy, or the revealing of other members' personal information. Anyone caught doing these things may be permanently banned from YouTube.

• You can also rate comments that are made by others. If you find a comment that you like, you can give it a "thumbs up." Likewise, comments that you don't like can be given a "thumbs down." Just click on the respective icon to cast your vote:

• Comments can then be sorted based on these ratings.
  

• Every YouTube member gets their very own YouTube Channel. This channel contains all videos that have been uploaded by that specific user.

• If you like the types of videos that a particular user uploads, you can Subscribe to that person's channel.

• To search for a channel:

1. Click on the Channels tab
2. You can then browse through the channel categories
3. You can also view any person's channel by clicking on the From: link to the right of every video

• Click this link to visit uploader's channel
• Once you find a channel you'd like to subscribe to, just click on the Subscribe button:
• You will now receive all new videos as they are uploaded to your subscribed to channels. To watch these videos:
  

1. Go to the YouTube homepage.
2. Click on any of the videos located in the Your Subscriptions bar:
   • You can also click on the My Subcriptions link located on the YouTube homepage:

• To Unsubscribe from a channel, go back to the channel's home page and click the Unsubscribe button

•  group is a central location where multiple users can upload videos and then have conversations based on those videos. To find and join a group:

1. Click on the Community tab:
2. Click on Groups in the left sidebar.
   
3. You can now browse through the different categories of groups, which are located in the left sidebar:
4. If you have a specific term in mind, and would like to see if a group exists for that term
5. Type the term into the search box located at the top of the YouTube page
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the results page.
7. Click on the Groups link
8. When you find a group that you like, you can join by clicking on the Join This Group link located on the group's homepage. If the group is open to anyone, you'll automatically become a member. However, if this is a private group, the group owner will have to accept your request to join.

• There are plenty of groups to choose from. However, if you cannot find one that suits your needs, you can create one yourself; and then invite others to join it.

• To create your own group:

1. Click on the Create a Group button located on the left sidebar:
2. A form will open up where you must fill out the group name, details, and privacy permissions.
   
3. Click the Create Group button at the bottom when you are finished.

• Should your group be public or private? The answer to this question will vary from person to person. If you'd like a group reserved for only family and friends, you'll be better off creating a private group. However, if you want everyone to have access to the conversation, public groups are the way to go.

• If you create a public group, how will others find out about it? Well, they can find it by searching through YouTube; so make sure to pick accurate tags when setting up your group. You can also e-mail your friends, post it to your blog, and (when relevant) post comments on other videos alerting others that you've created a group that they may enjoy.

• If you're creative with the video camera, and like to win prizes, you can enter one of your videos into a contest. With YouTube Contests, users submit videos which are then voted on by other users. The rewards for each contest vary.

• To check out the active contests:

1. Click on the Community tab:
2. In the left sidebar, click on Contests
   
3. After finding a contest that you like, click on it.
   
4. Make sure to read all of the rules and be aware of the video submission deadline. You don't want to put in a lot of hard work in creating a video only to find out you missed the deadline.

• The timeline for submissions is located to the left of the "Submit a Video" button, which is the button you click when you're ready to enter your video:
• Contest Submission Timeline

• Only paid advertisers have the ability to create an official contest. However, you can run an unofficial contest through one of your Groups.

• YouTube gives the following recommendations for running an unofficial contest:

1. YouTube doesn't collect registration information. If this is necessary for your contest, you'll need to collect registrations through a separate site, or just correspond with users through their YouTube accounts.
2. We recommend that contests run no longer than eight weeks, as users may lose interest if it goes on too long.
3. Prizes provide motivation to enter a contest. Make sure yours are ones to which people will respond.
4. Keep the rules as simple as possible. If they're too difficult, people won't participate.
5. Even though the contest is on YouTube, you aren't guaranteed entries. You may want to promote the contest through your own email lists or website.
6. The owner/moderator of the Group should set preferences to approve videos before they are submitted to the Group to help avoid irrelevant submissions.