Joost, the much-hyped, rarely-visited online video site, announced a web-based platform today in an effort to boost its paltry site visits. Joost formerly required a large download that required a reboot before activation, but executives hope the more user-friendly and immediately accessible web client will draw market share away from the YouTube juggernaut.

Presently, Joost isn't even in the top 20 online video providers in terms of market share, according to the most recent Nielsen Online results.

The new site will be entirely Adobe Flash-based within a month, operating through a plug-in system in the short term. A Flash-based interface surfaced over a year ago, but we have no idea why it took so long to be certified.

The biggest addition to the new Joost is a social networking feed that tells users what other users are watching in general, as well as what friends on the site have recently viewed. The site has to see this offering take hold; it's eaten a lot of venture money, and odds are a second web traffic flop will spell more than joost a redesign. 

For more:
- see the mediaweek.com analysis of the new Joost. Article [1]. 

Related Articles
Flash interface unveiled for Joost [2]
FreeWheel-ing Ad Management [3]