Don't Quite Get It...

I joined YouTube because a guy I used to work with has been putting up videos: Randy Helzerman.

I get what he's talking about. Well, not quite, he reads books as fast as I eat junk food, and retains everything.

Anyway, what I don't quite get is why I had to "join" YouTube to get updates on what videos Randy (or anyone) produces. Why isn't RSS good enough? I don't see what I gain by "joining" YouTube, but I do know I have to get my updates via email, as opposed to my favorite aggregator.