Just found out about onBeing, the Washington Post’s experiment with video vignettes from ordinary people. onBeing’s Jennifer Crandall explains the purpose on the site as follows:
onBeing is a project based on the simple notion that we should get to know one another a little better. What you’ll find here is a series of videos that takes you into the musings, passions, histories and quirks of all sorts of people. The essence of who they are, who we are.
There will be a new video every Wednesday, so check back often. In the meantime, feel free to add your thoughts to the comments section and tell us about someone you’d like to see in onBeing. Over time, we should end up with a pretty cool community. — Jenn
I’ve just clicked on a couple of videos, so it’s too early for me to form a judgment. But my overall impression is that the videos, while interesting, are too long. But at least the people at the Post are trying something, so good for them.
Other views from blogdom:
Pro: “All in all, it has a very iTunes-like feel. Totally un-newspaper-like.”
Con: “It’s like some undergrad documentary project that’s not interesting enough to make it onto the 3 a.m. slot of a third tier cable network and not edgy enough to get noticed as modern art.”
Andy writes! 
I just found this site today and like what they’re doing. Sure there will be all sorts of ways to pick it apart, but I think they’ve done a nice job of using current media (video) to deliver content that is somewhat relevant to their model.
When the L.A. Times decided to run their editorials via wiki, I think we got a glimpse of how a newspaper can go too far with new media. This, on the other hand, is clearly edited and has a professional polish, which I think is appropriate.
What I don’t get from the site is why the Post thinks I should care about these folks. I like that we get a glimpse into who they are, but it’s a bit too random for me. Give me their social web or the motivation for profiling these particular people. Let folks upload their own clips. Sure the uploaded stuff probably won’t work in their sophisticated player, but we’d start to see a network develop around the onBeing initiative.
Charlie:
I feel the same way. I don’t understand the audience for it, and it isn’t exactly a social networking site.