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11 tweets,
2 min read
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I've been thinking about the comments section moderation bot that YouTube has implemented. I remain incredibly skeptical about this service, but I think it should be given a chance. Now, don't get me wrong, I REALLY don't trust YouTube, and we all know why. (1/11)
With people's videos being undeservedly demonetized, deleted, or screwed by the algorithm, and waiting forever to get a reply, it's fair for all of us to think that this is just another in a long line of stupid ways to inconvenience YouTubers. (2/11)
YouTube's customer service is a nightmare. Content creators have been browbeaten by YouTube's shoddy policies for YEARS and you have to be lucky or patient to get a reply. I've even advocated for unionizing, because we literally have nowhere else to go with our content. (3/11)
Looking at this policy on the surface, it's ripe for abuse. Anyone could set up a sockpuppet account and sabotage the videos of people they don't like. Something like a 4Chan raid could easily ruin someone. We all know how many times the YouTube bots have been exploited. (4/11)
And don't even get me started on the ways that Silicon Valley has been shown to weaponize their platform to silence political dissidents and push agendas.(5/11)
But here's the kicker. The advertisers are going to pull away if YouTube doesn't do this. That means that we YouTubers lose money. I've been lucky to have loyal fans who give me money though other sources, but others, even ones more famous than I, are not so lucky. (6/11)
And so far, it doesn't yet seem like people have used this for false flagging and no one has been unfairly affected. It appears to only affect videos that include minors, so I know I'm safe. (7/11)
And reading this support.google.com/youtube/thread… there's a clear process to reinstate videos that might have been automatically flagged. It's an appeal (because of course it is) which is frustrating due to their crappy customer service. (8/11)
I am fully willing to be told I was wrong about this. If this turns out to be more stupidity by YouTube, I will bash it. If YouTube's customer service was better, I honestly think we'd be breathing easier, but we've been burned so many times that we just don't trust them. (9/11)
But in the end, YouTube has actually tried to make sure we still get to keep our money as well as protect children from sick people who want to hurt them and I do appreciate that. Was this the wisest decision? My gut says no, but I think time will tell. (10/11)
Pedophiles do not belong and I support measures that make life difficult for them, but I don't want any collateral damage either. This has been my two cents. (11/11)
