But thanks to an overtaxed infrastructure, the profitable vein could shrivel

Everyone knows about the 1849 “gold rush,” when eager entrepreneurs from all over the world flooded California in hopes of striking it rich. In just six years, though, the rush was over, leaving in its wake a few millionaires but a lot more paupers.

The Internet is kind of the gold rush of the 21st century. eBay, iTunes, and video sharing site MetaCafe are all ways in which modern prospectors are making money (some a little, some a lot) online. Video, the hottest of Internet content, could also be the most lucrative. The New York Times yesterday reported that “how-to videos” could be the biggest revenue generator of user-generated vids: A Florida-based producer, whose clips are on varied topics like “how to turn a flashlight into a laser” and “how to simulate a gunshot wound,” earned more than $102,000 in a year from MetaCafe, which pays content owners according to how many views their videos garner.

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