1. A method comprising:
- receiving from a first user interface a first input from a first user specifying a first particular instant in a video other than a beginning of the video;
- in response to the first input, generating by one or more computer systems first data for inclusion in a link to the video, the first data representing the first particular instant in the video and being operable automatically to direct playback of the video at a second user interface to start at the first particular instant in the video in response to a second user selecting the link at the second user interface; and
- communicating the first data to a link generator for inclusion in the link to the video.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- receiving at the link generator the first data for inclusion in the link to the video;
- generating the link to the video and including the first data in the link; and
- communicating the link to the first user via the first user interface to facilitate the first user communicating the link including the first data to the second user at the second user interface.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the link to the video and including the first data in the link comprises:
- generating the link at a server remote from first and second client computer systems respectively providing the first and second user interfaces; and
- including the first data in the link at the server.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the link to the video and including the first data in the link comprises:
- generating the link at a client computer system providing the first user interface; and
- including the first data in the link at the client computer system.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data comprises generating the first data at a server remote from first and second client computer systems respectively providing the first and second user interfaces.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data comprises generating the first data at a client computer system providing the first user interface.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular instant in the video comprises:
- a particular frame of the video; or
- a particular point in time with respect to one or more of the beginning of the video or an end of the video.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- receiving from the first user interface a second input from the first user specifying a second particular instant in the video other than a beginning of the video and subsequent to the first particular instant in the video; and
- in response to the second input, generating by the one or more computer systems second data for inclusion in the link to the video, the second data representing the second particular instant in the video and being operable automatically to direct playback of the video at the second user interface to stop when the playback reaches the second particular instant in the video.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising putting the link to the video into:
- an e-mail to the second user;
- a web page accessible to the second user;
- a document accessible to the second user; or
- an instant message (IM) to the second user.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL); and
- the first data comprises a first portion specifying a first integer number of minutes from the beginning of the video and a second portion specifying a second integer number of seconds from the first integer number of minutes, the first integer number of minutes and the second integer number of seconds corresponding to the first particular instant in the video.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein a syntax of the first data comprises a document identifier (ID), the integer number of minutes, and the integer number of seconds.
12. An apparatus comprising:
- one or more computer-readable storage media; and
- software embodied in the one or more computer-readable storage media that is operable when executed to:
- receive from a first user interface a first input from a first user specifying a first particular instant in a video other than a beginning of the video;
- in response to the first input, generate first data for inclusion in a link to the video, the first data representing the first particular instant in the video and being operable automatically to direct playback of the video at a second user interface to start at the first particular instant in the video in response to a second user selecting the link at the second user interface; and
- communicate the first data to a link generator for inclusion in the link to the video.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:
- receive the first data at the link generator for inclusion in the link to the video;
- generate the link to the video and include the first data in the link; and
- communicate the link to the first user via the first user interface to facilitate the first user communicating the link including the first data to the second user at the second user interface.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software is operable when executed to generate the link to the video and include the first data in the link by:
- communicating at least the first input to a server remote from first and second client computer systems respectively providing the first and second user interfaces; and
- receiving the link from the server with the first data in the link.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software is operable when executed to:
- generate the link to the video at a client computer system providing the first user interface; and
- include the first data in the link at the client computer system.
16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the software is operable when executed to generate the first data by:
- communicating at least the first input to a server remote from first and second client computer systems respectively providing the first and second user interfaces; and
- receiving the first data from the server with the first data in the link.
17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the software is operable when executed to generate the first data at a client computer system providing the first user interface.
18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the particular instant in the video comprises:
- a particular frame of the video; or
- a particular point in time with respect to one or more of the beginning of the video or an end of the video.
19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:
- receive from the first user interface a second input from the first user specifying a second particular instant in the video other than a beginning of the video and subsequent to the first particular instant in the video; and
- in response to the second input, generate second data for inclusion in the link to the video, the second data representing the second particular instant in the video and being operable automatically to direct playback of the video at the second user interface to stop when the playback reaches the second particular instant in the video.
20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable when executed to put the link to the video into:
- an e-mail to the second user;
- a web page accessible to the second user;
- a document accessible to the second user; or an instant message (IM) to the second user.
21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
- the link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL); and
- the first data comprises a first portion specifying a first integer number of minutes from the beginning of the video and a second portion specifying a second integer number of seconds from the first integer number of minutes, the first integer number of minutes and the second integer number of seconds corresponding to the first particular instant in the video.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a syntax of the first data comprises a document identifier (ID), the integer number of minutes, and the integer number of seconds.
23. A system comprising:
- means for receiving from a first user interface a first input from a first user specifying a first particular instant in a video other than a beginning of the video;
- means for, in response to the first input, generating first data for inclusion in a link to the video, the first data representing the first particular instant in the video and being operable automatically to direct playback of the video at a second user interface to start at the first particular instant in the video in response to a second user selecting the link at the second user interface; and
- means for communicating the first data to a link generator for inclusion in the link to the video.
