News outlets all across the media sphere yesterday published stories on YouTube’s decision to grow its pilot ad revenue sharing program to encompass interested parties in the general public.

The company, owned by Google, was known for several months to operate a limited, roughly 100-user program to formulate a system by which registered site members would be given a percentage – presumably quite small – of advertising income generated via AdSense.

According to YouTube, however, the site “will now accept partner applications from users in the US and Canada.”

Yes that means YouTube is opening up. That it’s working to satisfy a user demand. But don’t expect all who apply to gain admission to the green pastures way up there in Big G’s dominion.

What’s likely to be the case as time progresses is the company will do a sort of top-down check-off. Popular podcasts will likely get green lighted. As will generally well-known content providers. You know, YouTube “startups” (the LonelyGirl15 clones and so forth) that found themselves sizable viewerships over the course of their development. Those sorts of operations.

Maybe a good number of those viral phenomena, too. That “Evolution of Dance” synopsis that got tons of hits way back when. Tay Zonday at his “Chocolate Rain” clip. Generally speaking, the ones that surpass the million mark.

And that’s pretty much where YouTube will draw the line. No point getting in over their heads, right? Gotta keep things organized. And specialized. Everyone likes exclusives. If everyone were to be granted shares of the advertisement returns, the program would get real boring real fast. Diluted as hell. Besides, lowering the barrier to entry whilst maintaining a selective process touches the right button for many people. It makes people see the possible. That if you try hard enough – or kiss enough ass – you too can enjoy the spoils of the chosen few. And then you’ve effectively become one of the meritocratic elite! Fantastic.

And by the time all the lowly regular folk manage to sneak inside, you’ll have moved on. Pretty awesome, right?

Who knows. It’s all subjective. I get why YouTube’s playing discretionary gatekeeper, though. It’s because YouTube is YouTube. It’s not your average third-party web space with AdSense plastered all over its page(s). It’s Google’s own video land. It’s where Google does what Google wants and what Google thinks is best for you and I. No more, no less.

So let’s take it for what it is. Let’s not bother with any debate as to what’s fair and unfair about YouTube’s expanded revenue sharing system. It’s the company’s own prerogative to play its cards as it sees fit. Capishe?