Although it is not a new concept, posting video clips on the Internet has never been as popular as it is now. With recent advances in mobile phone technology, people are capturing a record number of reality-based video clips with their 3G mobile phones and then flocking to any number of web hosts in order to share their personal videos with the rest of the world. In most cases, this global exposure is achieved with little more than a few clicks of a mouse.

The most famous video clip to appear on the Internet in recent months is known simply as 'Bus Uncle'. The six-minute-long video clip depicts a row between two men on a bus in Hong Kong. In the video, the younger man taps the older man on the shoulder and asks him not to speak so loudly on his mobile phone. In response, the older man explodes in anger letting loose a series of outbursts. His comment of 'I face pressure! You face pressure!' has become a catchphrase in Hong Ko(Eberth Rodriguez / istockphoto.com)ng. When the young man expresses his desire to end the argument, the older man screams, 'This is not resolved! This is not resolved! This is not resolved!' The video, recorded discreetly on the mobile phone of a nearby passenger, was viewed nearly two million times in the first three weeks of its posting, causing the two men to become instant celebrities in Hong Kong and around the world.

The episode became so sensational that it even extended beyond the realm of the Internet. The media, seeking to cash in on the incredible popularity of the clip, identified both men in the video and tried to set up a meeting between them. The young man, Elvis Ho, a 23-year-old property agent, was not impressed by the media frenzy and appealed: 'Don't bring him to see me, please. I don't want to be put under the spotlight so that you can use me to make more drama. I really hope that the whole saga dies down soon.' Mr Ho's remarks came shortly after Next Magazine identified Bus Uncle as Roger Chan Yuet-tung and interviewed the 51-year-old about the incident.

Like others who unknowingly appear in online video clips, Mr Ho feels that his privacy has been infringed upon. He neither chose to be in the video clip nor did he choose to have it posted on the Internet. The fact is that the increasing popularity of mobile phones with video capabilities and web sites that offer free uploading and downloading services have encouraged many people to disregard basic privacy laws. With video clips like that of Bus Uncle gaining such a huge Internet audience, it seems likely that Mr Ho will be joined by many more reluctant 'stars' in the future.

However, for others, appearing in a video is not an infringement upon their privacy, but, in fact, it is a way to gain instant stardom. Before Bus Uncle, the hottest stars were two college students calling themselves 'The Backdorm Boys'. They gained instant celebrity status by posting a video of themselves miming to a famous Backstreet Boys song. Their sudden popularity earned them spots in advertisements for Pepsi and Motorola. The Backdorm Boys are not the only ones to have ridden the wave of online video clips to success. Others seeking fame have even gone as far as making and posting their own ads for famous brands in an attempt to attract the attention of the products' manufacturers. It is a unique self-promotion strategy, and for some of the hopeful stars, it has begun to pay dividends, with high-paying contracts to appear on television as brand spokespeople.

Bus Uncle and the Backdorm Boys represent two very different experiences of Internet fame. For some, the attention of an Internet audience leads to an invasion of privacy. For others, it is a fast track to fame and fortune. However, whichever it is, as long as people have the necessary means and, more importantly, the desire to watch their neighbours on a global stage, online video clips are here to stay.

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