YouTube on Murder & Rape Threats: Send In McGruff!
I spent 30 minutes tonight removing about 200 hate comments on my most-recent video… most from one user account (flamingAJ1213). The little fellow must have sat there for hours typing. Most likely he missed the sarcasm when I pretended to believe Nixon and Clinton were telling the truth, but Obama was lying when he said “what is required of us is a new era of responsibility.” I’ve considered humor subtitles for those lacking the gene to discern sarcasm, irony or humor– especially when politics are involved.
What surprises me, however, are two things. First, that these people know how to type on a keyboard, even if they tend to use “your” instead of the contraction “you’re” (and don’t care much when you correct their grammar. Second, and more importantly, I’m surprised to report how YouTube responded when I reported a quote like this one, written by YouTube user LittleNard19:
“I’d rather spend my time gutting Nalts and his children, then (expletive) his hot (expletive) wife in her tight (expletive).
After 3 years of reading tens of thousands of comments on my videos, I’m fairly immune to attention-seeking rants of the miserable. But I do quite prefer “I want to defecate in your mouth” to a suggestion of violence against my family.
Mind you, this situation pales in comparison to one months ago. We received very specific threats (from an ISP near us), and found a sliced break-line of a car parked in our driveway. The YouTuber referenced the crime (yes we reported it to the police, but YouTube could not provide the “smoking gun” without a warrant).
In this evening’s situation, I’m discovering that YouTube has degraded its abuse/violence process “to serve you better.” Try reporting these accounts of spam, terms of service violations, racism, sexual and death threats, and here’s what you have to look forward to (that’s assuming you’re a YouTube Partner… I’m not sure what happens when you’re just a regular Joe but it can’t be much worse):
Step one: Canned response.
Step two: A website menu with options.
Step three: Information but no forms or contact info. Basically they give you some tips from McGruff the crime dog, and suggest you call 911. No seriously. McGruff. Maybe they send Scrappy Doo if you’re not a partner.
- How about pulling someone’s account when there’s documented evidence of violation of YouTube’s terms of service? Several hundred comments aren’t hard to track, and all of our intra YouTube communication is databased.
- How about a form that allows me to provide a formal complaint, so at least YouTube can investigate an account with multiple acts of verbal threats and abuse? Or is fake at least I have some hope. It feels a little better than reading: “YouTube has literally MILLIONS of viewers every day and just like in the real world, most of the people are good, but some aren’t.” Yeah- some aren’t, and I tend to avoid places where they hang out.
- No I have a better idea. Let’s put our energy into censoring Winekone’s latest video because he used a clip (with permission) that was approved for Canadian tv but too naughty for YouTube.
To I sound bitter? Yeah I am. I know YouTube would self implode if it pursued every case like this, but I’d like to think someone at the company would care enough to make me think they’re doing something. Or even better, maybe they could do something.
wait, no comments? shoot.
Oh, yeah, nalts. I have school; something I need to keep up on (a D in english (SORRY MARILYN!) kinda told me I shouldn’t spend my homework time on youtube), so I won’t be watching or commenting on anything on youtube for several months (until June 12th, probably).
School and SAT kinda do that to you.
That is the biggest hand job they could give you. Deferring to law enforcement in the presence of written evidence of TOS violations. It shows that YT is unwilling to take steps to protect its users.
Hey I know! Why don’t you get in touch with the YourTubeAdvocate! LOL.
Bitter? No. I wonder how you can ignore the what is probably a torrent of hate and venom. You must have a really thick skin man.
Kudos.
Kevin I don’t know what you expect from You Tube really, don’t you know they are so busy taking down channels for political speech they just don’t have time to stop encouraging the bad behavior of kids who will eventually shoot up their school and classmates before the year’s out?
Imagine what will happen when these kids rents can’t buy them the new joy toy because of the collapsing economy…
Putting a ban user feature in isn’t that hard. I’ve used block user, but that doesn’t seem to stop them. Removing their comments and ignoring them works best. They are after all looking for attention, any attention. It’s desperation, clear signs of mental illness.
In my Monopoly Board imagination You Tube is Mediterranean and Baltic Ave on the web.
Eventually, one of these youtubers are going to go postal and when Google is sued then and only then will they do the right thing. Sadly, it’s the American way in business.
Lot of angry and bore people out there, mostly caused by bad parenting and failed relationships. In your drugged induced stupor I’m guessing you didn’t read the unapproved comments on “YouTube Critic Site More Popular Than Community Site?” Lot of misdirected anger looking for a home.
This kid thinks he’ll get users by spam flaming your channel. Linking to his channel from here is only going to encourage him, and when You Tube eventually remove his account he’ll blame you.
back up ensues.
Oh Nalts! You piece of filth, flarn, flarn, filth!
sorry to hear of the douche bags.
Youtube had no trouble sending mattandcory packing. I don’t know why they wouldn’t suspend that guy.
I have noticed lately that the haters have been in full bloom and swing though. My page personally has been getting swamped by the cronies of the notorious CharlesTrippy hater YTwatchdog, because of one comment I posted that disagreed with him. 2 weeks later, there have been some 45 hater comments on my page alone, not to mention all the ones about me on his page and on my videos. Let me warn any of you who have anything to say about YTwatchdog. That prick has MANPOWER.
Reubnick- that’s not resolved yet? You sure there wasn’t something else? It usually takes 3 strikes.
Jan- best analogy ever: In my Monopoly Board imagination You Tube is Mediterranean and Baltic Ave on the web.
You would think that after you’ve already gone through one round of death threats that included cutting your brakes that youtube would take the murder and rape comment a little bit more seriously.
It really is true that somebody is gonna have to be killed by a youtube hater gone postal before youtube starts taking these problem more seriously. You know, kind of like that guy on Jenny Jones who killed his friend who confessed he was gay and loved him?
Oh yeah, nothing really changed after that either.
Oh my God. Have you looked at littlenard19’s home page? He’s got aswastika as his icon and photos of dead bodies in ditches (presumably from the holocaust) all over his home page.
That guy is seriously fucked in the head. He scares the hell out of me. Reminds me of that guy in sweden who was on youtube and then went in to his school and shot a bunch of people.
@6
Nope, they are still suspended. As far as I know they didn’t do anything else wrong, but I can’t confirm that. Those two are tricky. All we know is that youtube tracked their emails and took all of them down with the original “Reubdick” account. But that would still only be 1 strike for Reubdick, though…
Anyway, I’ve decided to just move on. There’s nothing more I can do besides see if I can get Utubedrama to write something about it.
@5 me too – I’m getting comment attacks that are down right scary – not that I think these nut jobs will do me any physical harm, but the tone and the stuff they are saying is a concerns, and no matter how reasonable you are in your response each reply gives them a platform to say even more off the wall weird and offensive crap. It’s almost like a contagious mental illness that’s going around.
Anyone hear of some concerted effort by any organization to spew this garbage? It seems almost planned. The age range is weird too, anywhere from 24 through 35 which is what makes this even stranger. Of course they could be lying about their age, but my spidy sense tells me something is definitely up.
And adding to the BS You Tube now lets you erases your own comments. It’s going to be harder to keep track of the morons, you’ll have to print the page and attach it as a complaint, if your lucky enough to get it before they erase their words. They kick you then run.
I think the ban button is the best idea. Someone says the wrong thing, Boom! Gone. They’re can’t post to your channel or videos again. It’s the ultimate, for lack of a better word, castration. Unless You Tube wants to pay for babysitters.
I’m curious, we live in such a litigious society, other than copyright, why hasn’t any offended person sued You Tube yet?
Bit overdue, no?
I wonder why I don’t have any hater comments?
Oh yeah. I don’t have a channel.
Sorry. I was the one that posted the comment that this psycho was responding to. I think I have the magic touch when it comes to causing trouble.
I have two comments to this post:
#1: Anyone that verbally attacks your family is pond scum. That having been said, I think most of these people are wannabe “gangstas” who speak (or, in this case, type) loudly, but carry a small stick, if you get my drift.
#2: Since when have YOU ever cared if I corrected your spelling or grammar? 😉
Also, @1: Good for you. No offense, Nalts, but school is more important than you.
OK, I guess that was 3 comments. So sue me.
I have one guy that consistently comments on every video and writes me emails requests quite often. No threats… he just keeps requesting that I make a video where I’m peeing during the video.
Here is an example: “hey nut cheese you still got me waiting on that piss vid i hope you drink alot of water so the sound effects sound like i am right in there with you”
I now have a new fan that send me stuff like: “hey girl whats up its Lee from chicago i emailed you a few times before. will u ever belch again for your fans i miss watching u belch PLEASE 4 ME do 1 more belching video. do you do phone chat if so PLEASE send info on prices that would be a dream come true PLEASE RESPOND 1 OF YOUR BIG FANS LEE FROM CHICAGO”
I was going to call him until I noticed that he isn’t even subscribed to me! Fuck that… no burping beat off session for him!
Unlike your subscribers… mine are CLASSY!!!
I have to say that I agree with those who advocate just ignoring these people. That guy littlenard appears to have a channel that’s been around a while, so blocking him seems like the way to go. Now if you’re faced with someone like me, who keeps creating new accounts, again, just ignoring them would be the best idea. If you communicate with people like this, they are just encouraged. I should always be ignored! LOL!
This stuff feeds on itself, and haters try to outdo each other with their hatefulness.
Interestingly, I recently posted a scolding comment on a video of that guy getting hit by the monster truck in Wisconsin. I was sickened by people making fun of this guy’s death. Something about what I said stopped the hateful comments cold. For a few hours anyway (I know, because I’m such a freak that I kept checking to see).
So my point is that a lot of these are “copy-cat” crimes, as it were. I think it is possible to change the tone of the comments somewhat. I’ll certainly try to cut out all the snarkiness and nastiness, or just stop commenting altogether. Which I should have done long ago.
Not that I have so much power over the actions of others, but I do think that this thread wouldn’t have been necessary If I hadn’t encouraged that wacko.
Although I do remember that this started because that weirdo said he wanted to stick a hunting knife into Charles Trippy’s head. I guess that’s pretty bad. But it would have ended there if I hadn’t told him to go out and gut a poor little deer or something. Stupid.
Anyway, sorry.
@14
How much was he willing to pay for a live Nutcheese belch? Send him to me. For $25, I’ll give him a live Nutcheese belch. I might even throw in some background Nutcheese peeing.
snarky is funny
any threat of violence is criminal
jackass
Hey Nutcheese, the National Science Foundation wants your pee porn! Apply for a grant! Could be millions in it for you! (Please send me the standard 10 % finder’s fee)
must resist…
^ go on, knock yourself out!
I’m impressed you keep up with all those comments!
I have certain videos like my satirical look at Obama’s “fake” birth certificate that attract so much ire I just ignore them.
Speaking of murder and immoral big business:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=987_1233090708
I’ve always thought that people who are blocked enough ought to be automatically flagged somehow in the system, for YT staff to check into, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t actually happen.
I am horrified to hear that someone actually cut your breaks… and that you weren’t able to get a warrant for the information. I understand the reasons for privacy protection on websites but when something like that happens it shouldn’t be hard to prosecute someone when it’s so easy to trace them.
Maybe if enough of you big YouTubers (and the little ones) start making videos on the topic and sweep the site, they’ll have to pay attention and do something about it before real acts of violence occur and get out of hand. The community is still a strong force when it acts together.
YT hasn’t given a damn about the regular users for 2 years now, it was only a matter of time before their indifference spread to the partners.
Just wait until you’re pushed off the honors pages when they take it over with dozens of videos from that talent agency that signed up with the site.
Live by the $, die by the $.