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Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

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Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... no actually, not just people making weapons are getting demonetized. Everyone, across the board, is getting demonetized seemingly at random and with no explanation. A video can be demonetized if the cellphone of someone in that video's ringtone is a popular song. Even worse, they don't get demonetized and become the property of the person who wrote the song...

> not just people making weapons are getting demonetized. I didn't state that, I gave context as to how this union thing started. One specific user was upset his videos showing him defeating law enforcement armor with homemade projectile weapons was demonetized and took offense. Some of the channels that immediately started supporting him were channels like Taofledermaus (as I said above, along with why they were get…

I think you might be a bit confused. YouTube owes 100% of it's success to content creators. Without them, there would be no platform for advertisers to advertise. So no, YouTube is not an "advertising platform" and yes YouTube is a "hosting provider". A simplified version of the deal:

Content creators make content and post that content on YouTube. YouTube then makes money off of the advertising and gives the content creators a kick back encouraging them to continue creating content. YouTube then takes a portion of the left over money and spends it on server maintenance. The rest of it goes to YouTube employees. That was the deal and now YT is choosing to alter that deal under the noses of it's the community.

It's sort of like when a child grows up and has a great life due to the extreme generosity of its parents and then, once it learns to take care of itself, chooses to abandon those parents and claim complete responsibility for all of it's own success. At least that's how I see it.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I meant was that only websites that have google adwords embedded in their content show up in Google results. If you aren't generating revenue through google advertising blocks on your content, google doesn't show the content. Google things new, updated content on large sites is more relevant, but it's not. That content is recreated from older content on the web that doesn't have ads on it. I'm sure it's just tha…

I have been running an ad-free web site about a niche hobby since 2002. I've never attempted to do any optimization for search. My site still shows up in the first page of Google results for relevant search terms.

For you because you click on your links a lot. Your first page of relevancy is totally different for someone else -- from a different country, or county... or even just prior click history.

Google knows you want to click on that link. If your niche hobby had an ehow article how to do it, that'd be first for me I bet, unfortunately.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By that logic who needs YouTube when we can stare at the endless content of clouds moving in the sky.

This doesn't match the original statement, and doesn't reflect reality. People leave YouTube all the time, and crowds don't tend to follow them anywhere. They just watch different YouTubers who fill a similar niche. It's as if the cloud you were really enjoying blew away, but there were plenty of new clouds, so you didn't get into a car to follow the old ones.

You are arguing that there is anything resembling a perfect market for YouTube video content. Talk about a departure from reality.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#144

I wonder why the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) hasn't weighed in on this whole sector at all. The exploitation of entertainers is not exactly a new issue, and it has been tackled by existing unions before.

SAG-AFTRA has weighed in on this issue, both to the press[1] and on their website[2]. From their site: > Do you create your own content on YouTube or other social media platforms? > If a brand reaches out to promote their product (paid or product trade) on your platform, that is a commercial and SAG-AFTRA can have your back. > SAG-AFTRA covers advertisements on all platforms. Get fair compensation, access to health i…

So what you're saying is there already is a union for content creators, they just need to join it.

That seems like a way better approach. All content creators on the internet should join the same union -- preferably one that already exists -- rather than recreate a wheel that will water down their message.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... no actually, not just people making weapons are getting demonetized. Everyone, across the board, is getting demonetized seemingly at random and with no explanation. A video can be demonetized if the cellphone of someone in that video's ringtone is a popular song. Even worse, they don't get demonetized and become the property of the person who wrote the song...

> not just people making weapons are getting demonetized. I didn't state that, I gave context as to how this union thing started. One specific user was upset his videos showing him defeating law enforcement armor with homemade projectile weapons was demonetized and took offense. Some of the channels that immediately started supporting him were channels like Taofledermaus (as I said above, along with why they were get…

> content creators are NOT customers

Sure they are customers, i 'm sure if you search their Tos they will even call them customers. If they don't then they have to consider them employees, pay benefits etc. (Similarly to how Uber's clients are its drivers)

> YouTube servers don't grow in the wild

They do, youtube is losing money and is only kept alive because google pays for it. They make money indirectly even when demonetized videos are viewed, since they keep users returning to the site. Google has an anti-competitive interest to keep running youtube, they are not doing charity.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#146
post #72

Fundamentally I think the problem is that these platforms are not neutral, when YouTube's algorithm hoists your video to the front page they are "manipulating" the system. Personally, I would not be surprised to see Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act challenged on this notion and it as the basis for other challenges. Internet providers just serve bits, any effort to "manipulate" those bits based on who is…

It is pretty obvious that things like search results are manipulated to fit an agenda. Search Google Images for "white american family" and "black american family" and compare the results. You can replace "black american family" with indian or any other group and the results are similar. There are many interracial couples under "white american family" and none under "black american family". The only way I can explain…

Out of curiousity I did just that. And aside from skin tone, I got identical sets of people in khakis and button-downs hugging in front of houses, white picket fences, and couches. And found interracial families under black, but not white.

Something something anecdote not data.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been running an ad-free web site about a niche hobby since 2002. I've never attempted to do any optimization for search. My site still shows up in the first page of Google results for relevant search terms.

For you because you click on your links a lot. Your first page of relevancy is totally different for someone else -- from a different country, or county ... or even just prior click history. Google knows you want to click on that link. If your niche hobby had an ehow article how to do it, that'd be first for me I bet, unfortunately.

I tested again just now using the TOR browser bundle. After some tedious captcha-solving, the same search term again brings up my site in the first page of Google results.

Re: Watch Out Google, YouTubers Are Unionizing

#149
post #72

Fundamentally I think the problem is that these platforms are not neutral, when YouTube's algorithm hoists your video to the front page they are "manipulating" the system. Personally, I would not be surprised to see Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act challenged on this notion and it as the basis for other challenges. Internet providers just serve bits, any effort to "manipulate" those bits based on who is…

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