Dear YouTube...

Dear YouTube,

We have to talk. Firstly and I think this important, I’m a fan. I haven’t owned a television since 2002, or so. Once we had regular internet we as a family began watching videos on-line. In the beginning there were a few sights, including Wimp and others. So while I am older than most of your demographic I think it is fair to say I’ve been around a while.  I also think it is important to say that you are not going to like what I have to say, but it is very important you listen.

YouTube as a company has a real identity problem. It doesn’t know what it is and it now has so much money and power that it doesn’t know how to wield. It is predominantly is a distribution medium.

While it has a bunch of “policies” that it expects content creators to adhere to those rules are extremely vague. What YouTube says and what it does, differ wildly. It punishes content creators who question or try and get answers to the valid questions from the company. This is not healthy. It is bad business practice in the long run and it makes YouTube look terrible. All distribution mediums go through shock content phases especially when the medium is young. From books to comics, films to video games. It is a stage of growth.

This would be awkward and unpleasant if they didn’t seem to cherry pick certain kinds of content creators, namely straight white men, to promote, and indorse. Now money may be a motive, but is odd to me this demographic is so spectacularly endorsed.

One of the best things about YouTube was that LGBTQ and POC were given an equal platform. It can be life changing to see yourself represented. It can make communities. It can even save lives. I am aware that there is a dark side. That there is hate speech and misogyny and racism too.

It is a lot of content and understand it can be difficult to know where the boundaries are. This is when clear and concise rules and communication are key. If something is demonetized the creator needs to know exactly in as clear a way possible why it was demonetized. It cannot simply be because they don’t like something YouTube is (but more often) not doing. It cannot be vague because this doesn’t let them know how they violated the policies.

While “polices” are all well and good, it is by your actions you as a company will be judged. While profit is not a bad thing to want to achieve it cannot be the only guiding force.  If YouTube is the platform for a bunch of artists (which it is) it has got to be more transparent. It also has to stand for something. Because if it continues to behave the way it currently operates two things will happen. Content creators will find another platform. This is their livelihoods and people have rent to pay and people whom depend on them. If you keep messing with that they will have to find an alternative. Secondly YouTube will morph from a liberal, open and inclusive medium to an Alt-right one.

There are simple ways to fix this. Employ more folks to watch things, preferably diverse folks that understand satire. Secondly get some actual rules, not “polices”. Communicate better with creators and stop shutting things down that talk about these issues.

Rules will show where and what YouTube stands on all kinds of issues. From hate-speech to obscenities. From body positive and nipple phobia, and pornography. If older rules for publishing or television seem archaic and not fit for purpose re-write them. Use some of that huge amount of advertising funding to get some decent lawyers and figure it out. Talk to people in the comic book and video game industry. Learn from their successes and failures. Understand you have to evolve and be better. You have failed a great many folks with your recent choices. You appear callous and sort of awful. You are the only people whom can fix that. Know that while I used to watch 90% of my viewing on YouTube I now watch Twitch far more. Maybe up to 8 hours of content a week that used to come to you.

Part of this is that I get a choice where I give my money and support. That I chose inclusive, LGBTQ+, and POC positive content. It is also smart and funny.

You opened a door. You created something amazing and real, truly changed the world. Creators young, old, new and seasoned will keep creating they will just find other outlets. You cannot un-break the glass ceiling. You can get left behind, a footnote in a creative revolution. A lesson in avarice and short-sightedness. The choice is yours.