Fascinating thread - I've got 15 minutes for lunch break so I hope to get a chance to read it later.
I post on YouTube for some of these reasons:
1. It's a great way to monitor progress. I started playing actively about 3 years ago, and posting 2 years ago. It's great to see improvement.
2. I do it only for family and friends and it's a wonderful way to dedicate a song to someone significant in my life. There's a 'permanent" record for my children, etc. (should they care some day
If anyone else cares to look that's fine, but.........
3. I did start posting on the "Show and Tell" section of AGF, and that has been a great way to get superb feedback and ideas for improvement. Also, the guys there are amazingly encouraging - and that works well for me. It's a motivator to keep me working at it and wanting to do it better.
4. For me personally, YouTube creates an incentive to get a tune down and it's amazing how being in front of a camera forces you to think about every tiny little aspect of your playing. I think it's been the best thing I can think of, short of public performance, for forcing me out of sloppy habits and learning tunes half-way.
5. It's been a fabulous way to expand my musical horizons, following other fingerstyle players, and getting new tunes and ideas. I will take a tune I like, and alter it to my style; sometimes almost re-writing it to the point where it's like a new tune.
6. There is a true community niche aspect amongst folks I've met who share guitar styles. I've met folks who share a passion and we share ideas and tunes.
7. The drawback, for me, to YouTube, is the "suggested sites" that they post on the right side of the screen. No way to shut it out.
I could think of more positive aspects, but gotta go..............