YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels • Hacker News Board

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#111

Post by JackCh » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:33 PM UTC

busterarm wrote: post #109

JackCh wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe this makes this problem a candidate for nationalization then, but it's questionable at best if that would actually improve the situation (particularly for people residing outside of the country that nationalized it, presumably America.) I'm just spitballing here, but if Youtube were handed over to the United States Postal Service (which has a reasonable but far from untarnished reputation for being content neut…

I don't think nationalization is the answer, but busting up that monopoly probably is. Google's entire business model seems to be to operate everything as a loss-leader for AdSense. It turns out that that's extremely anti-competitive and I'm growing to think that it probably should be illegal. The only way that anyone can compete with the free services that Google provides is to run it off the profits from a massive…

But as otakucode points out, the resulting Baby Youtubes from a broken up Youtube probably wouldn't be economically viable. Independent 'Baby Youtubes' would probably be surmounted by another nu-Youtube kicked off by the likes of Facebook or Amazon; companies that could afford to subsidize the platform to out-compete independent video platforms. It would become the Google/Youtube situation all over again. And sure, you could break that one up too, but it would just turn into a truly awful demoralizing game of wack-a-mole.

I'm far from confident that nationalization is the answer, but I don't know what is. I think we're perhaps dealing with a new sort of problem that requires a new sort of solution, that has yet to be devised.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#112

Post by akvadrako » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:36 PM UTC

politician wrote: post #106

akvadrako wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't have a monopoly - what an absurd idea. You can just publish videos on your own site.

Microsoft didn't abuse a monopoly on Windows in the 90s either, as you could just run a Linux distribution on your own machine. Right? Wrong. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Cor... . Just because someone can run a small-time operation out of their garage, doesn't mean another company doesn't have a monopoly.

Ms had a monopoly because of market forces - but it's very easy to not use youtube.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#113

Post by akvadrako » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:39 PM UTC

s73v3r_ wrote: post #46

LoSboccacc wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sure, feel free to use any of these alternative services that offer a large potential reach and allow easy monetization of user content:

None of the alternative services will get there if no one is willing to use them. There is always the old fashioned way of getting sponsors yourself and hosting the video on your site.

and it's not like youtube pays out very well - it's 90% towards google at the minimum.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#114

Post by ComputerGuru » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:41 PM UTC

YouTube has a monopoly on free online video and this is what monopoly looks like.

When Google bought out YouTube, as those that were online back then can attest, there were dozens of not hundreds of competing sites. None of those could hold a candle to the resources Google’s cash could buy, and they quickly dropped out of the running. The only site still around is probably vimeo, and only because they were smart enough to not target the masses and instead pick a niche to serve.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#115

Post by 21 » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:44 PM UTC

pboutros wrote: post #5

kristofferR wrote: post #2

This is really scary. People who warned of the slippery slope of censorship were definitely right.

There's a difference between "removing false/misleading videos that perpetuate a scam" and Fahrenheit 451

So it would be fine by you if YouTube removed a video titled "Python is the best programming language in the world" because it is misleading.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#116

Post by tanilama » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:45 PM UTC

kawfey wrote: post #72

New Ask HN thread: where are creators migrating to in lieu of YouTube? Vimeo? Twitch? Facebook? Metacafe or Dailymotion? There are also also already dozens of dapps for streaming like dtube, lbry, viewly, lino, flixxo....(etc, just see https://www.google.com/search?q=decentralized+youtube ), but I don't see any particular venue rising above the rest, as a lot of creators seem to choose "all of the above" as an answer…

They talk about it, but they never leave. There is NO true alternative, that can make real money other than YouTube

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#117

Post by 21 » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:47 PM UTC

kawfey wrote: post #72

New Ask HN thread: where are creators migrating to in lieu of YouTube? Vimeo? Twitch? Facebook? Metacafe or Dailymotion? There are also also already dozens of dapps for streaming like dtube, lbry, viewly, lino, flixxo....(etc, just see https://www.google.com/search?q=decentralized+youtube ), but I don't see any particular venue rising above the rest, as a lot of creators seem to choose "all of the above" as an answer…

There is nowhere to go, no platform wants to host polarizing videos, which will alternatively be attacked by both the far left and the far right (mostly by the left today since tech companies employees mostly sympathize with them thus they get more favorable outcomes)

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#118

Post by dghughes » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:50 PM UTC

jrhurst wrote: post #26

jerf wrote: post #9

"Cronin’s YouTube channel was up to about 22,000 subscribers when he received a notice from YouTube about one of his videos, “Relax and Improve Your Sleep with Natural Calm Magnesium.” The notice said the video had been removed for violating YouTube’s community guidelines, but didn’t specify further." Magnesium isn't even a nootropic. That is, while it may have some ability to boost cognition, it isn't a substance pr…

Problem is medical claims are highly regulated in the West. So there is a likely legal liability for youtube in the US and in the UK. In fact, they might have already had pressure from regulators.

Meanwhile MontrealHealthyGirls' YouTube channel is far worse. Her cancer and diabetes "cures" she's downright dangerous, and nuts.

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#119

Post by AnimalMuppet » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:52 PM UTC

JackCh wrote: post #107

otakucode wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

YouTube isn't going after 'crazy idea[s] in need of being censored.' They're going after anything they can to shut down as many small channels as they can. Their end goal is a situation akin to traditional TV networks. Far less variety, very much walled off from participation, and much more centralized. This will enable Eric Schmidt and his colleagues to exercise much more control over human culture. He explained tha…

I think this may be a case where the truth is difficult for the general public to believe because it sounds too "conspiratorial".

No, I don't believe it because it sounds like a really stupid idea. YouTube isn't going to have much less variety, because YouTube makes money by selling ads to viewers, and they're going to have a significant number fewer viewers if they try to do that.

And I suspect that they want to make money even more than they want to reshape the culture into the image of what they think it should be...

Re: YouTube Is Removing Some Nootropics Channels

#120

Post by Barrin92 » Mon, Apr 30, 2018, 10:53 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #9

"Cronin’s YouTube channel was up to about 22,000 subscribers when he received a notice from YouTube about one of his videos, “Relax and Improve Your Sleep with Natural Calm Magnesium.” The notice said the video had been removed for violating YouTube’s community guidelines, but didn’t specify further." Magnesium isn't even a nootropic. That is, while it may have some ability to boost cognition, it isn't a substance pr…

>while science isn't saying you should use magnesium for sleep per se, it isn't necessarily a crazy idea

taking nutritional supplements without any evidence that they accomplish anything useful and without a physician's advice is generally a bad idea (the default mode is not 'take until suggested otherwise' but 'only take if necessary'), and trying to make money off it by marketing them on youtube is even more miserable.

I'm very much in favour of youtube taking a proactive stance here. As a related note on nootropics, most of the products advertised under that label don't actually do anything at all. There's two very well known nootropics, caffeine and nicotine. So the next time someone tries to sell you weird nutrition supplements, just get a good old cup of coffee.