I Pissed Off YouTube’s AI.
I got a community strike. From an algorithm that couldn’t care less about the truth.
I make content for PayDayGG, and one of my favorite creative methods is the long-form interview. My most recent chat with Chris Alphenaar was blocked by the bots at YouTube because it was deemed inappropriate content.
After the recent events in the life of DoubleLift and his team’s subsequent NA LCS event win, I thought it a great story to chat with a Masters level therapist and expert on the human psyche about how people deal with tragedy and loss.
Chris and I never mentioned details around how DoubleLift lost his mother. Honestly, I didn’t care. I sought to explore with an expert how humans in general move forward from this kind of horrible event.
So imagine my surprise upon signing in and seeing this:
Thanks a ton, YouTube.
I Feel Honored. Kinda.
I actually feel good for being blocked. I mean, my content caught the attention of YouTube’s AI. Any attention is good attention. Right?
Of course this is merely me fooling myself into not smashing my laptop. YouTube has randomly attacked content creators recently for reasons vaguely defined as “inappropriate content.”
Inappropriate is randomly defined as what the coder felt like that day. Probably was running behind and couldn’t get the right amount of caffeine into his system to where he would tolerate his job enough to care.
I can rant about more vile content than this not even getting a sideways glance. I can also point at how the Google and Facebook police attack certain political viewpoints.
Insert emotional statement about Facebook and Diamond and Silk here.
But it won’t change a thing because I’m arguing with a machine programmed by biased humans. Sure, we appealed and will probably get some lame general explanation, no apology, and the strike removed.
Whatever.
YouTube is a monolithic monster that cares little for me. I’m screaming into the abyss and the void is shrugging its shoulders at me.
Add this post to the ever-growing pile. Then step back as Google lights a match, sets the pile on fire, and warms itself on the dark, suffocating glow of our frustration.
Bill Wagner is the Chief Strategy Officer for PayDay.GG. He also runs a social media and content creation business called Safe Strategies. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
