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YouTube Is Looking for Volunteers To Improve Its Site (fortune.com)

Posted by msmash on from the good-things dept.

The video-sharing site is looking for "heroes." YouTube is looking for a few good users who want to be "Heroes." Google's video-sharing site wants volunteers to help moderate its content by flagging inappropriate content, fielding questions in YouTube Help forums, and contributing video captions and subtitles, reports Reuters. From the report:Performing those types of tasks will help users earn points in the site's new crowdsourcing program, called "YouTube Heroes." YouTube announced the "Heroes" program in a post on the site's help channel on Wednesday that included a video showing prospective volunteers how they can participate and the perks they can earn. "You work hard to make YouTube better for everyone and, like all heroes, you deserve a place to call home," YouTube says in the video.

19 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Making millions in value-add for Google as an unpaid volunteer.

    1. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by sycodon · · Score: 2

      Bastards are too cheap to hire, train, and pay people to censor stuff.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    2. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by bobmajdakjr · · Score: 5, Interesting

      i'd rather spend my time looking at and sharing inappropriate content than flagging it for removal.

    3. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's going to be exactly the problem. The only people who will volunteer for something like this are people with an agenda.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by malditaenvidia · · Score: 2

      So they can pay for slashdot trolls but not for content moderators? What the fuck, google?

    5. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by lgw · · Score: 2

      That's going to be exactly the problem. The only people who will volunteer for something like this are people with an agenda.

      This. Feminists will volunteer, and flag all MRA vids. MRAs will volunteer, and flag all feminist videos. PS4 fanboys will join and flag all videos portraying XBox in a good light, XBox fanboys ...

      And Goggle will be silent on all of it and just mysteriously take down or demonitize videos left and right with no explanation ever given.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    6. Re:Yeah, that's how I want to spend my free time by GNious · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think Google tried this - the issue was the subsequent mental-health changes in those employees.

  2. Great idea by Atrox666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I not only get to donate my time for free to a scummy multi billion dollar company but I get to promote censorship at the same time.

  3. YouTube slaves by The-Ixian · · Score: 2

    We are a multibillion $ company and the YouTube property makes us a ton of cash.

    That said... well, we would LIKE to pay people to help make our site better.... but, well, our executives won't let us... something about buying an island... anyway, thanks!

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  4. Wikipedia Editors by vossman77 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds like wikipedia editors, camping out on a particular topic and not allowing any view counter to their own. I assume some limitations will be there, but seems potential for abuse, because the system is already abused.

  5. The " by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The perks are crap.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  6. The Uber of Online Videos by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm looking for volunteers to fluff my pillow and scratch my balls.

    It's an unpaid position, but think how good it will look on your resume.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:The Uber of Online Videos by toonces33 · · Score: 3, Funny

      My cat will scratch your balls for you, but her claws are pretty sharp.

  7. Re:crowdsourcing moderation.... by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    On reading TFA my first thought was like fuck that, if I want to work for nothing I'll do it for the kids' school or old soldiers or something.

    But you're right, there are rewards other than money, and one of them is teh lulz.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  8. Hmm by geek · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "YouTube Is Looking for Volunteers To Improve Its Site"

    Fuck you pay me

  9. This is going to be abused by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you think that YouTube getting "free" aid is a problem, think again. Ponder for a moment who would willingly become a "free" moderator. Well? Right. Someone who has a reason to do so. The perks? Peanuts.

    The ability to dictate what is and isn't "appropriate"? Bingo.

    I predict that before the PR-note is out that the first moderators have taken the helm, we'll already have a juicy edit war on our hands. Some controversial video poster will be flagged "inappropriate" by his or her opponents, only to get an immediate response by the other side for their controversial figure. In the end, it will depend on who can field more armchair revolutionaries and opinion dictators.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:This is going to be abused by SuricouRaven · · Score: 2

      I don't think Youtube even wants those political videos, really. They cost disproportionately more to police, and advertisers are put off by them - because they don't want their advert to play right before a man starts screaming at the camera about how liberals/conservatives are destroying America.

      What youtube wants are videos with insane hit counts but no serious content. Music videos are good, they get repeat views. Gaming channels are great - high view counts, no politics, and very clear demographics to make the advertisers happy.

  10. Re:Pay someone? by Maltheus · · Score: 2

    There are many people who live to stick their noses in other people's business. Why waste money by paying them?

  11. waiting patiently ... by swell · · Score: 5, Funny

    For a similar offer from Slashdot. Moderating is so yesterday, I want to be a Slashdot Hero !

    --
    ...omphaloskepsis often...