![Watchitoo: Create Instant Community Around Online Video and Photos [Invites]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/043AIblSigJVeIL49PzZcpH/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647017806.jpg)
Connecting the dots between video conferencing applications like Skype and content platforms like YouTube is Watchitoo, a private beta site launching today that lets users create real-time community around Web content.
Watchitoo users can use the site to create shows (ie - mini social networks around content), view public shows, and check out what's popular. Users create up to four shows, which are either public to the site or private to a select group of users. Each show can include 100 or less different images and videos that users add by browsing content or uploading their own. Shows also include text and video chat, and admins can control what's shown, or allow participants to edit content and control content flow.
Since users can quickly search Photobucket, Yahoo Images, and YouTube for Web content to include in their shows, they can create a custom Web TV network of sorts that they can share and discuss with just friends or the entire site. Show content can also include photos, music, and video uploaded to the site, so families can video chat while viewing vacation photos, friends can exchange IMs together over personal videos, and business users can collaborate while sharing presentations.
With Facebook Connect and Sign in with Twitter becoming popular ways to create real-time shared experiences happening around notable events (think CNN's livestream of the Inauguration and Bravo's Virtual Viewing party), we believe that shared experiences will continue to trend in this direction.
Where Watchitoo can fill a small niche, however, is serving users who want something a little bit more personal, but still media rich and interactive, like peer-to-peer sharing of content. So, even though Watchitoo is pretty cool and impressive when it comes to functionality, and we recognize that there are a multitude of uses, we think the site might have a challenge attracting a large audience or retaining users.
Wachitoo is currently in private beta, but if you'd like to start using the site today, we have invites for the first 200 people to sign up here. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.
More collaborative tools from Mashable: