Month: March 2018

A Call to Action on youtube

Many are infuriated that YouTube has rolled out new policies against firearms content and channels. I’m one of them. I’ve heard many ideas on what to do about it from boycotting to moving to another platform.

I disagree the ideas I’ve heard so far. I believe the only way to beat them is to use the same approach as those that started the anti-gun initiative there. In short we need to use their own platform and policies against them.

In order for this to work we would need much support. I have no following so if you agree with my proposal please help get the word out to all, not just those of us that enjoy our hobby, but to everyone. Today it’s guns, whose voice will they suppress tomorrow?

I propose reading, and understanding ALL of their policies, regardless how vague and begin watching videos (not gun related) and flag every video that goes against any policy they have put in place. Taken on face value the majority of the popular videos on their site will violate at least one policy. Pro or collegiate sports and most televised content violates copyright policy. Extreme sports or people doing stupid stuff violates dangerous activity policy. Any video recording illegal activity (and what is not illegal somewhere) is against their illegal activity policy, etc.

Be sure to look at the links as well. If they link to a retailer, does that retailer sell firearms or accessories for firearms? Walmart and Amazon sell firearms or accessories, which is against their new firearms policy.

I would like to see their staff completely inundated with videos to review wasting their time and resources. At the same time some of the videos flagged will end up being pulled, reducing their revenue.

If the content is not online their subscriber base and ad revenue both suffer.

If they want to play, let’s take off the gloves.

YouTube’s Gun Control Censorship

My Message to youtube

Just read of your new firearm policy, and am quite disturbed with the read. The firearm content I enjoy watching is primarily educational and informative. I would like to know why it is now against your policy to post instructional videos on reloading ammunition and assembling firearms. Both are perfectly legal activities and completely safe to do when done correctly. Depriving educational videos and instruction from those wishing to get into these hobbies could make it far more dangerous to the beginner that will no longer have valuable instructions available to him from your platform.

Taken to the extreme this policy will outright remove all firearm content from your platform, which seems to be what you wish to do.

I do not believe it is a valid justification to silence pro gun members of the community because at the moment firearms in general are a controversial topic. I just read youtube mission statements and this policy contradicts every aspect of those statements. I (obviously mistakenly) took you at your word that you wanted to give everyone a voice. When one side or the other is silenced it is not condusive to an honest debate.

I have always liked Google/Youtube, but this decision is extremely discouraging to me. However, It is your business to run as you see fit. With that said I will continue to use your products (until something better comes along) albeit doing so in a way as to reduce as much as possible any profit you may make from that use.

By the way when this goes into effect I expect to also see ANY video with a link to Wal-Mart removed as they still sell firearms.