Being a YouTuber: What was it like back in 2007?

Before the thumbs-up and thumbs-down options,  creators didn't ask for likes. We received  

ratings. Can you imagine rating your high school  teachers? What would it be like if stars flashed  

above each classroom door and from day to day  the ratings for a teacher varied from one to  

five stars? Everyone would see what the students  thought about each teacher. That's how it was  

on YouTube in the beginning. I fervently  hoped to be more like a classy five-star  

restaurant instead of a two-star diner with  chipped plates and mediocre food. Truthfully,  

I was on a budget, and although I didn't  even own a tripod let alone a nice camera,  

I aimed to deliver quality content. I focused  on my teaching, but like other creators,  

I was conditioned early on  to pay attention to ratings.