Why YouTube SHOULD and MUST take sides - this isn't about Scientology anymore

YouTube, like it or not, contains the voice of the people. Individuals, who are by themselves, not powerful or important. They struggle to get their message out, and only succeed by the pure brilliance and value of their content.

Anonymous is the very heart and soul of what makes YouTube so wonderful. YouTube is individuals with a message. YouTube is a town hall in a video democracy.

But on the other side of things, you have the corporations. Corporations and organizations with powerful influence and money, and they don't need to shine with amazing content. If they don't like the topic of the global town hall, they pay to have the representation that they require within the confines of the format.

YouTube certainly has a right to accept money from advertisers, but their ethics are called into question when that financial influence is used to attack the very users of the system. YouTube has a serious conflict of interest that they need to resolve.

And on that note, they're setting an unwelcome precedence. Why would I want to protest or make any unfavorable reference to a financed organization, when they can fire back, not with the value of their ideas, but the size of their wallets? Why should a Greenpeace blogger rant on YouTube, when YouTube will stab them in the back the moment Exxon shows up with dollar bills in hand?

YOUTUBE, TELL US. WHO COMES FIRST? THE ADVERTISERS, OR THE USERS?

Originally Posted by Strategy Accumulator

YOUTUBE, TELL US. WHO COMES FIRST? THE ADVERTISERS, OR THE USERS?

They answered this already.

... and it was the advertisers in case anyone was wondering.

[rant]

1. There has not been some campaign from YouTube to shut down anti-CoS profiles. Mine is still up. If you have one, I would assume it is also still up, or we would probably have heard about it (BAAAAW-ing and all that).

2. Inconvenient events are inconvenient. Live with it. Adapt to it. Srsly guise.

3. "their ethics are called into question when that financial influence is used to attack the very users of the system"

Prove that this is happening. Tory's account was hyperflagged and auto-suspended; when YouTube was bombed with whines, they undid it. They have a bullshit excuse for the WBM thing, but really. Suspicious, yes. But without any actual evidence, tinfoil tinfoil is tinfoil.

4. STAY ON FUCKING TARGET.

[/rant]

Originally Posted by twelve

[rant]3. "their ethics are called into question when that financial influence is used to attack the very users of the system"[/rant]

A huge advertisement FOR Scientology to the right of your content, content that is anti-Scientology, is YouTube profiting by stabbing you in the back. Yeah, I know, you can take it anon, but it is wrong.

Google owns YouTube. Google's motto is to put the users and the user experience first, then find out how to monitize it later. They're also the great "don't do evil" people.

Taking your content, then taking someone else's money to stab you in the back is not putting the user experience first, and is evil.

Capitalist, yes. Their rights to do, yes. But if they're as ethical and pro-user as they say, they shouldn't.

Putting an ad beside your video is not stabbing you in the back. The Scilon ads on Enturb are lulzy and cost them money. The Scilon ads beside anti-Scilon vids on YouTube are lulzy and cost them money.

Originally Posted by twelve

Putting an ad beside your video is not stabbing you in the back. The Scilon ads on Enturb are lulzy and cost them money. The Scilon ads beside anti-Scilon vids on YouTube are lulzy and cost them money.

"Get the FACTS?"

$ci's FAIL to the side, and focusing on the topic at hand, which is YouTube, they're telling users that their going to sell them out to the very people that they rant about. How much? To what degree? I'd be interested to know that, as well.

We already know that someone can buy an advertisement that is directly opposed to your message, on your very content's page.

Could someone buy special influence to get an account removed?

Or perhaps receive expert advice on how to work the system to achieve the same goals? "Your detractor mentioned 'Xenu locked in a mountain' in their video, didn't they? Well, that is word-for-word and covered under YOUR copyright on YOUR sacred text, is it not? They have used your copyrighted material. Here's how to go about getting it removed..."

Yes, this issue of balacing users versus advertisers isn't Anonymous' battle. But this would make a good case study for the media rags. And it is a good indication for anyone, protesting anything on YouTube, of how the target can turn the tables with money, and not by a worthy response.

Keep in mind that Scientologists can be very persuasive...
Google Bullbaiting, Fair game, TR0 and other "handling" tech.

Summer Redstone, Steven Spielberg and the IRS are proof that Scientology "tech" is effective in getting what they want and the CoS is beholden to no man and no authority. They believe themselves above men (Homo Novis).
They are the cancer that is killing democracy.

Imho, hard as it may seem, Youtube may be the victim here.

Originally Posted by Strategy Accumulator

"Get the FACTS?"

's FAIL to the side, and focusing on the topic at hand, which is YouTube, they're telling users that their going to sell them out to the very people that they rant about. How much? To what degree? I'd be interested to know that, as well.

We already know that someone can buy an advertisement that is directly opposed to your message, on your very content's page.

Could someone buy special influence to get an account removed?

Or perhaps receive expert advice on how to work the system to achieve the same goals? "Your detractor mentioned 'Xenu locked in a mountain' in their video, didn't they? Well, that is word-for-word and covered under YOUR copyright on YOUR sacred text, is it not? They have used your copyrighted material. Here's how to go about getting it removed..."

They can buy ads, ergo -> they can buy YouTube-peen. Maybe YouTube is even renting out hitmen to them, too. Seriously. Their ads are keyworded. Keyworded to "xenu", we know, and I would only assume keyworded to "scientology". Guess what tag we all put on our videos? And that is why the ads show up next to them. There is no YouTube/Scilon conspiracy.

I mean, hell, how many Sci-types had their accounts suspended in the last couple of days? defendscientology, torymagoo69, and so on, and so forth. Doesn't mean that psychs control YouTube.

Yes, this issue of balacing users versus advertisers isn't Anonymous' battle. But this would make a good case study for the media rags. And it is a good indication for anyone, protesting anything on YouTube, of how the target can turn the tables with money, and not by a worthy response.

A legitimate point, except that there is no real evidence that the CoS was involved in WBM's suspension. Suspicious, yes. Evidence, no. And putting up ads is hardly "turning the tables", or even playing unfairly.

Originally Posted by Strategy Accumulator

focusing on the topic at hand, which is YouTube,

Your focus may be YouTube. Mine is the Church of Scientology.

I have better things to do with my time than continuing to hammer at youtube trying to get a single account restored. Especially since WBM can just distribute his vids elsewhere.

Yes, I think youtube's response is stupid. Yes, I think that the CoS probably applied pressure to get the account removed. I still think it is a waste of my time and effort at this point to try to get it reinstated. I hope that VF and WBM can work something out, and if youtube pulls some more crazy crap I might jump back in. As it stands though, I'm moving on to other things.

WBM can just distribute his videos on YT by giving them to someone else to put on their account.

Originally Posted by twelve

And putting up ads is hardly "turning the tables", or even playing unfairly.

You go through the effort of producing content. It advocates a certain point of view. Your point of view sinks or swims based completely based on its merit. And YOU have the power to elect if you want comments, or video replies. YOU are the one given this power, because YOU are the one who is providing the value.

Now, we say, "I don't care if you allowed comments or video replies or not. If someone pays the right amount of money, they can say whatever they want next to your video." Or, on a wider scale, attacking an entire community of users.

That is stabbing the community in the back to take some advertising dollars, no matter how you want to spin it.

In any case, gratz. You've derailed the thread into a hopeless left-vs-right Fox News style debate. You win, sir!

Why not just...
Post in suggestions to demand the right to remove certain ads on your channel?

Now, we say, "I don't care if you allowed comments or video replies or not. If someone pays the right amount of money, they can say whatever they want next to your video." Or, on a wider scale, attacking an entire community of users.

Once again, their ads are keyworded. Just like every other ad on YouTube. If you don't want Scientology-related ads by your videos, stop tagging them with Scientology-related terms. If you don't want Nike-related ads by your videos, don't tag them with "nike nike nike nike nike". That's how the Internet works. Not saying it's a good thing, but there is no conspiracy. YouTube is not backstabbing you. Google is not raeping your freedom of expression. And if someone pays more attention to the ad than they do to the vid, either they are idiots or the vid is fail.

Why not just...
Post in suggestions to demand the right to remove certain ads on your channel?

Although this is a good idea. Will definitely do.

Originally Posted by twelve

Although this is a good idea. Will definitely do.

Also agreed! Something productive may come out of this, yet.

They can buy ads, ergo -> they can buy YouTube-peen. Maybe YouTube is even renting out hitmen to them, too. Seriously. Their ads are keyworded. Keyworded to "xenu", we know, and I would only assume keyworded to "scientology". Guess what tag we all put on our videos? And that is why the ads show up next to them. There is no YouTube/Scilon conspiracy.

I noticed that and decided to take "Scientology" off my tags and put in "CoS" instead. I for one, do NOT want ads from the cult beside my videos.

Whether or not my idea will work?
...it's a wait and see thing.

EDIT: Now that I've said this and knowing there are Scilons here watching, I'm sure they will add "CoS" to their ad keywords as well. Watch.

Pissing in the wind and all that, but, HAVE the scientology ads, as Andreas of Xenu.net would say, "Let them have their free speech. Let people decide who they want to believe and follow."