mad at YouTube

[yenni]

I thought youtube was supposed to be more of a family friendly sort of place. It states in their community guidelines:

YouTube is not for pornography or sexually explicit content. If this describes your video, even if it's a video of yourself, don't post it on YouTube. Also, be advised that we work closely with law enforcement and we report child exploitation. Please read our Safety Tips and stay safe on YouTube.

Yet my brother who is struggling with such an addiction, is able to find pornographic material on YouTube! Instead of filtering the materials themselves they want us to filter it for them by flagging every offense we come across. This is ridiculous. I've been trying really hard to help my brother by getting rid of Safari and using only Firefox for its customizability, it's add ons and such. In the end it's taken 3 parental control add ons as well as an ad blocker for me to finally be able to filter the adult content that shouldn't be on YouTube in the first place! I don't want to ban the site altogether because there's still a lot of great things I enjoy watching. This is just frustrating, the never-ending battle against sin I suppose.

[Elphaba]

It's unrealistic to expect Youtube's employees to police all of the millions of videos uploaded to the site.

If you must take on the responsibility of what your brother watches, and are trying to eliminate all possibilities of him seeing pornography, then in my opinion, you need to remove the option of visiting Youtube altogether.

Elphaba

[Elphaba]

I thought youtube was supposed to be more of a family friendly sort of place. . . . Instead of filtering the materials themselves they want us to filter it for them by flagging every offense we come across. This is ridiculous.

It's unrealistic to expect Youtube's employees to police all of the millions of videos uploaded to the site. I would think anyone interested in keeping pornography off the site would be glad to flag offensive videos.

If you must take on the responsibility of what your brother watches, and are trying to eliminate all possibilities of him seeing pornography, then in my opinion, you need to remove the option of visiting Youtube altogether.

Elphaba

Edited February 27, 2009 by Elphaba

[yenni]

I've thought of that possibility and it just...sucks. It's not that I'm not willing to remove that it, I am and may end up doing so. I'm just so sick and tired of this. I've pretty much stopped watching television because they can't go 5 mins without showing something sexually suggestive. It's hard to take refuge on the internet because it has tendencies to be a million times worse than tv if you're not careful. I just want to be able to go about my day and enjoy the things I want without having to be on constant vigilance. I know youtube can't block everything that's uploaded, but there has to be a better filtering system they can put into place or something. Even google has search options that filter content. Bleh >_<

[Elphaba]

I just want to be able to go about my day and enjoy the things I want without having to be on constant vigilance.

I know this is personal, but why is it your job to make sure your brother doesn't see anything suggestive or pornographic?

Elphaba

[yenni]

He's asked for my help. Usually he hops on the computer does his facebook thing and that's that. But sometimes it's not. And it is my computer after all which is usually the only one he comes across. Most the time he's too busy with his video games to bother with going on but temptation calls when I'm not at home. I haven't bothered blocking anything before cause it's not a problem for me and mostly I just use my computer for graphic design stuff since that's what I do.

[FunkyTown]

Have you considered just banning him from using your computer? You could password protect your computer.

[TheyCallMeMom]

I know what you mean.. aside from the fact of your brothers issue. This applies to all of us who want to enjoy a safe site. I have a 3 year old who is computer savvy and enjoys watching Laurie Berkner, Veggie Tales, Silly animals etc.. He knows how to use you tube and I let him play on his own.. I have added many videos to favorites so he watches mostly those but also see's new videos.. he has never clicked on a video that wasnt a similar type video but he has clicked on a Dora swearing or other inappropriate mocking wonder pets etc type videos..

I of course report them all. but it is frustrating how much there is.. even when doing a basic search you come across images.

I do offer one possible solution.. Tangle

they use to be God tube but have changed and expanded.. Its a wonderful alternative.. we still use You tube.. but I do not need to hover when they use Tangle

[Elphaba]

I have a 3 year old who is computer savvy and enjoys watching Laurie Berkner, Veggie Tales, Silly animals etc.. He knows how to use you tube and I let him play on his own..

That is one smart three year old.

However, if I had a three-year-old savvy enough to use Youtube, there is no way I'd let him on the site alone.

I'm fifty three years old, and am savvy enough on Youtube to know how easily a benign search devolves to pornography.

For instance, I recently searched Youtube for a happy birthday song only to have videos pop up with people in their birthday suits.

Elphaba

[yenni]

That's the annoyances I'm talking about. YouTube COULD easily prevent those sort of videos...if they really wanted to...

[Elgama]

ok just me but part of what makes youtube a fantastic resource is the freedom it has for people to post things, we can take measues like removing the comments etc.. but if we start pushing for it to be completely family friendly then people can start objecting to the religious videos etc. As soon as one groups starts removing certain types of video another one will want another removd

-Charley

[yenni]

I would agree except the thing is what I stated in my first post about YouTube not being for pornography or sexually explicit content, is because it is not for pornography or sexually explicit content. That's just not me wishing that, that's on the YouTube website. This content was pornographic and there is a lot of it.

Pornography isn't the only thing YouTube is not meant for. Such as real life violence and hate videos (and more I can't remember) which have been posted (and eventually removed).

Edited February 27, 2009 by yenni

[Jbs2763]

this issue is where i differ from most "conservative" type folk.... if it something you don't wanna see...DON'T WATCH IT, something you don't wanna hear on the radio, instead of writing a letter, TURN THE DIAL, or if you are offended by something you see on youtube, flag teh doggone video and move on. take personal responsibilty, don't blame your issues on the rest of the world, blame them on yourself...if your brother has a porn addiction...its not youtube's fault, its not the internets fault..its his own dang fault, and he needs to gain some intestinal fortitude, and quit blaming everyone else, "oh, i wouldn't be addcited to porn if i couldn't get it online" people who are addicts are addicts, I'm a recovering alcoholic, and who's fault was it that i got hooked on booze and drugs...MINE, I couldnt' quit until I decided that I was to blame...not mommy and daddy, I didn't start smoking because there was a cartoon camel smoking..i started smoking cause my A-hole freinds smoked, and i thought it woudl be cool. same with teh booze..... to curb my booze addction, i don't avoid the liquor stores, or the beer isle at the grocery, I just man up and deal with it. NO ONE in our society takes PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY, you gotta man, be an ADULT and deal with it....

that was slightly off topic...but back to dora cussing....that is hacky, not very funny, i've got a wicked twisted sense of humor, i think putting BEEPS in dora would be funnier, there are alot of people that have a dark/twisted sense of humor, and just beacuse you want youtube to babysit for you...don't spoil the rest of our fun...

im sure i just ticked a bunch of y'all off...and i don't care..i say what i think is needed, and if it does tick you off, if you think.."how dare he, i/he/she isn't to blame for the addiction....maybe you should hit your knees, turn off the dang computer, and lock down and have SELF CONTROL..... yes i know its not easy to blame yourself for your problems...not mommy and daddy, not the government, not the economy... Look back at where you screwed up your life, and work to fix it..

its something i had to do..and if y'all would have known me 8 years ago...I was drunk and or high for 3 years of my life....did alot of things i regret...but guess who is to blame...ME, I decided I couldn't deal with my issues, and instead of doing the hard thing and facing them...i crawled in a bottle of burbon, and didn't crawl out for several years....

life sucks...deal

[RachelleDrew]

It is not Youtube's responsibility to keep your brother from masturbating. Sorry.

I know they don't intend the site to be pornographic, but people are uploading videos every second of the day. The company could not possibly keep up with all the flagging that gets done. Not even if they "really wanted to."

You just need to put a password on your computer so your brother doesn't have access when you aren't around. He obviously doesn't have the self control necessary to use a computer in a responsible way. This isn't an insult on him, just the truth.

[pam]

I've always thought of YouTube as a site just like any other site that provides "entertainment" that can be shared. You get the good with the bad.

I'm with JBS, you come across something that is offensive, click out of it. Unfortunately those with addictions don't always have that mindset....so again as Elphaba said...block YouTube or as Funky said...block from your computer.

There will always be those that want to push the limits on what is appropriate. YouTube is no exception. Luckily there are 1,000's of videos that are good and wholesome to watch.

[pam]

It is not Youtube's responsibility to keep your brother from masturbating. Sorry.

I went through this thread and I didn't see where Yenni mentioned anything about this. Only about watching pornographic material.

[Connie]

"Hmm, let's see... take responsiblity for my own life or blame you? Dingdingdingdingding! Blame you wins hands down! "

Meet the Robinsons

Oops! Wrong thread, sorry.

[hordak]

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY,

I would just add that i have never actually seen porn on youtube even when i tried looking for it back in the day. (normally they show a pretty girl for 5 seconds then hit you with a scream and a pic from the exorcist:eek:) Not to say it isn't there but i never found it.

Being LDS I imagine you have a different definition then most of "sexually explicate" or "pornography" and will run across things not up to your standards but it isn't Mormontube it is youtube.

That being said if you actually find "real porn" (people having sex) then flag it. I can't imagine the amount of people they would need to hire to actually watch every submitted video.

[Elgama]

I would just add that i have never actually seen porn on youtube even when i tried looking for it back in the day. (normally they show a pretty girl for 5 seconds then hit you with a scream and a pic from the exorcist:eek:) Not to say it isn't there but i never found it.

Being LDS I imagine you have a different definition then most of "sexually explicate" or "pornography" and will run across things not up to your standards but it isn't Mormontube it is youtube.

That being said if you actually find "real porn" (people having sex) then flag it. I can't imagine the amount of people they would need to hire to actually watch every submitted video.

you should try having 2 kids into Lazy Town some of it is inappropriate and borderline porn. I just flag it and report it, and just make sure I check things out before I let the kids watch it

I am annoyed at youtube too lol my favourite singer singing my favourite hymn has been deleted in past couple of days lol but I love being able to show my kids old shows, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy etc

_Charley

[hordak]

you should try having 2 kids into Lazy Town some of it is inappropriate and borderline porn.

:confused:I don't get it? The show in general and the idea it's borderline porn.

[Elgama]

:confused:I don't get it? The show in general and the idea it's borderline porn.

no the way the videos get tweaked:) there is the one where Stephanie went to Bangkok etc

-Charley

[tubaloth]

In the end it's taken 3 parental control add ons as well as an ad blocker for me to finally be able to filter the adult content that shouldn't

I don't know if this is a parental control that is with firefox or with your computer in general. I have found the K9

K9 Web Protection - Free Internet Filtering and Parental Controls Software

with its password protection well filter 97% of all the bad on the internet. The other 3 or so percent are the sites that you have to actually be LOOKING for pornography to find it. They probaboly would be Youtube type sites (that say they are clean but can get infected).

But again, that means you are looking for it! If you are not, its hard to find.

[Jbs2763]

btw, if you plug that lil chica into imdb..she's "out and proud" ...my lil brother had a crush on her, so i plugged her name into google...and yeah.... made me laugh...but i aint right

[Heavenguard]

Sorry, but I have to become YouTube's advocate here.

YouTube has never claimed itself to be family friendly, only that it's purpose excludes pornography and explicit stuff. There's a difference between a movie that's Rated R and one rated X, but there's still a difference between the movie rated R and G (or even PG). (And, of course, society at large's definition of explicit is different than the LDS one too.)

YouTube is also not responsible for its content (except for the ones where they contact people to make specific videos). It is user-generated content, the responsibility resides with the user. YouTube is just the medium through which you receive the content. That's the same as being mad at Microsoft because you saw inappropriate content through their IE browser, and blaming IE for not having filters to block that content, or a way to prevent other users from uploading such things through it.

YouTube is only responsible at the point where they are informed about specific incidences of inappropriate content and fail to remove them in a timely manner. You have to keep in mind millions of videos are added daily - it's a slow process. There isn't a computer in the world smart enough yet to be able to watch a video and decipher whether or not it's appropriate. You know how when you sign up for an account somewhere, and you're told to enter the jumbled letters in the picture to prevent bots from creating spam accounts? A computer can't yet decipher a still image - imagine a moving video. It's just technologically so far beyond our grasp.

I understand your frustration, but it's not as though YouTube is making or condoning these videos. You're not so much angry at YouTube than the accessibility your brother has through it. Your brother either has to stay off the Internet entirely, or can only check his email/Facebook with you or someone else around (password protected).

[RachelleDrew]

I went through this thread and I didn't see where Yenni mentioned anything about this. Only about watching pornographic material.

That's like saying her brother is buying crack, just not smoking it.

Sorry, I don't buy it.