So online videos are all the rage. The Washington Post has a story about their use in politics. Lots of other media outlets have stories about the trend. The growth is driven by the introduction of inexpensive digital video cameras, the adoption of broadband and the launch of free video hosting services like Youtube and Google Videos. It is a significant development, no doubt.

But if you think about it, online videos have been passed around informally since the launch of the Internet. Videos have always been viral. Technology has just made it easier to do what we’ve always wanted to do: share funny or interesting videos with our friends.

Wikipedia has a great entry on Internet phenomenons, and lists out some of the most prominent memes that have gripped the Internet over the years. The entry has a section on Internet videos, most of which predate Youtube or Google Videos. It’s a good read. Here are some of videos they mention that I remember checking out over the years.

	Office worker destroys his computer in a fit of rage (1997)
	Kid reenacts scenes from Star wars (2002)
	Teenage girl featured in Apple television commercials becomes an Internet star (2002)
	Chinese teenagers sing Backstreet Boys songs (2005)