Banned From YouTube

[uglymike]

Big Brother is alive and well.

[WesBob]

Here's Steve from airgun exploration. Makes sense his thinking on what is happening. Real shame. Hopefully YouTube is not behind it as well and things can eventually be sorted out. Unfortunately those that lost their videos may never have them restored? I wonder if YouTube can even restore deleted videos if they want to?
Here's Steve:

[StevenG]

No, the aim is to not irritate companies that buy ads. They want to create the next cable tv, companies don't want to risk having their advertising on controversial content.

Okay, fair enough.  It's not about punishing content creators, it's about appeasing advertisers.  So does this mean the demonetization didn't take it far enough, and now the mere presence of videos about airguns is deemed so offensive to advertisers that Youtube has decided it must be completely removed from their site?  I can't imagine that's the case unless Robert Kyncl is a liar, liar, pants on fire.  I was thinking more likely this is a coordinated effort by activists to flag content for takedown and Youtube is behind the 8 ball because of the sheer volume.

I am sure there is plenty of both.

Even if videos don't have advertising they share the platform.

I am sure if they believe there is more money to be made one way or the other that will happen.


This is economics not politics. Complaining about one side or the other misses the point.

[Habanero69er]

I'd say the timing is a bit suspect.

[StevenG]

The power of so few people high in the tech world is pretty scary, but that is the reality given the cost of entry is now so incredibly high. How do you fight Google? Realistically there is no way? There really is no alternative, free markets can be closed out by incredibly high costs of entry.

The cost to start is very low, that is how Google started.

With new concepts the cost of entry can be low, but the ramps up quickly as players succeed and get larger. Now in tech this happens incredibly quickly.  You are not proposing a new product you are proposing competing with Google, to really do that would take a lot of investment.  Sure you can easily start a video company no one will visit or see?

You have to start somewhere.

The real challenge in competing with Google is not in getting an audience or userbase, the challenge is not getting the wrong userbase. Look at some of those new social media sites, they turn into nazi havens. I don't mean that as a slur, I mean actual nazis. As in uniforms, swastikas and the lot. The minute your site has that image you are done.

[toine]

I'd say the timing is a bit suspect.

I know first hand that this all started prior to the recent horrific mass shooting.

[Habanero69er]

Tony, why do you think YouTube started this? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

[Tonykarter]

So, how about all the videos of stupid people doing stupid things with guns?  Or the "what goes around comes around" karma compilation videos of robbers and bad guys having their shhhh!t blown away by armed store owners?  That's violence.  YouTube gonna' shut them down too?  How about Coalition Forces infra-red gun-cam footage from drones and warbirds depicting time of impact and the light colored body parts scattering in all directions? They gonna' delete that too?  How about the Rodney King riots?  How about the Black Lives Matter violent protest content?  How about the violent protests against conservative speakers on our college campuses?  That's violence.  Violent content is okay?  But gun content is not?  How about me using my crappie hooks to impale a minnow, before lowering it into the water to be drowned or...be eaten alive by another fish?  That's violence.  Where does it stop?

[Wayne52]

I couldn't have said it any better Ray !!!

[Bullfrog]

I think this is probably more to do with an organized push by anti-hunters than it is gun grabbers after the recent shooting.

Youtube started throttling the traffic on my channel a month ago that was coming from my airgun hunting videos. I get death threats from antis with some regularity thru my channel. I think they find airgun hunting especially offensive because our videos are usually scope cam or highly zoomed in and show impacts and aftermaths in slow motion. Even though videos and channels are being flagged and banned that don't show actual airgun hunting, most people who are into airguns are into them for hunting, or so the perception is.

I think they perceive us as weaker than the NRA protected firearm community and therefore an easier target.

[RAJOD]

This fellow claims Google+ was the issue for the banning.    Google+ is more restrictive and is tied in with the youtube.   He deleted all the Google+ material in hopes of not being flagged again.

[mata777]

I think this is probably more to do with an organized push by anti-hunters than it is gun grabbers after the recent shooting.

Youtube started throttling the traffic on my channel a month ago that was coming from my airgun hunting videos. I get death threats from antis with some regularity thru my channel. I think they find airgun hunting especially offensive because our videos are usually scope cam or highly zoomed in and show impacts and aftermaths in slow motion. Even though videos and channels are being flagged and banned that don't show actual airgun hunting, most people who are into airguns are into them for hunting, or so the perception is.

I think they perceive us as weaker than the NRA protected firearm community and therefore an easier target.

In my humble opinion the anti’s are going after anything that resembles a firearm. Several airgun channels that don’t have anything to do with hunting have been terminated. Several firearm channels that aslo have zero to do with hunting have also been terminated. The anti hunters that threaten people with death are just one step above sick. I’m sorry to hear that you (and many others) have received death threats.

I’m thinking that there is very large anti gun group that has a closed FB group coordinating the attacks, with YT happily obliging.

[outdoorman]

This fellow claims Google+ was the issue for the banning.   

  That video is from 2 years ago.

[LDP]

For everyone who has a channel with content I would say do the same as the other channels and privatize your channel and I would privatize your entire channel even your playlists, liked videos and channels you are subscribed to. That should at least keep your channel and content from being removed.

I think this is probably more to do with an organized push by anti-hunters than it is gun grabbers after the recent shooting.

Youtube started throttling the traffic on my channel a month ago that was coming from my airgun hunting videos. I get death threats from antis with some regularity thru my channel. I think they find airgun hunting especially offensive because our videos are usually scope cam or highly zoomed in and show impacts and aftermaths in slow motion. Even though videos and channels are being flagged and banned that don't show actual airgun hunting, most people who are into airguns are into them for hunting, or so the perception is.

I think they perceive us as weaker than the NRA protected firearm community and therefore an easier target.

That sounds like a very plausible scenario based on some peoples explanation about being flagged by viewers fast enough that they could not appeal the flags and reached the level for termination. Has anyone looked into youtube channels to see if there are large revenue generating channels that are connected to the groups of people who support the destruction of our lifestyle? If there are I wonder how youtube would respond if suddenly those channels were targeted in much the same way our community is and they started getting removed. I would think youtube would start to lose some serious revenue if there was a cyberwar played out on their front lawn. Maybe not I dont know how the ad revenue works but I would think if channels get removed the revenue is lost that channel generates.

[dsloan]

Wow,  That answered a lot of questions.  I just watched two videos last night on youtube and now I can not find them. 

I actually still trying to process this.  I'm new to air gunning and last night I watched several video's on reviews. (At a low volume).  Decided today to watch them where I could hear them and they were gone.

I apologize that I did not note the names.  One gentleman was from South Africa. (Great shooter and gave good reviews).  The second was from a guy here in the states.  (Took staples in his head).

Wow

Dave from diller

[primaz]

Here's Steve from airgun exploration. Makes sense his thinking on what is happening. Real shame. Hopefully YouTube is not behind it as well and things can eventually be sorted out. Unfortunately those that lost their videos may never have them restored? I wonder if YouTube can even restore deleted videos if they want to?
Here's Steve:

We should all comment on Steve's video and like it.  I have done so.  We need to show that many air guns are a sport and should not be banned from YouTube.

[unionrdr]

I started a couple groups on mewe.com. And also with Rick Uestler's badassairguns.com. But I think it's total idiotic to let people flag or even thumbs down a video and hide behind the system. They should have to reveal themselves publicly for the flag or thumbs down. If not, then booth them off! Or if they flag or thumbs down, and nothing is wrong with the video, then boot them off! See how fast the BS stops! It's happening because there is no system in place to hold them accountable.

[toine]

Tony, why do you think YouTube started this? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

So here's some background from what I've shared so far: https://www.airgunsarp.com/2018/02/25/youtubes-censorship-of-airguns-has-begun/

As to my thoughts...
I think it's two fold.

YouTube got caught with it's pants down over the whole Logan Paul incident. He was a YouTube partner, meaning his content was monetized and had a special relationship with YouTube. He had 15 million subscribers. He was an idiot, and posted some truly idiotic videos, including a few that resulted in some international condemnation and threats by YouTube's advertising partners to pull their ad dollars off the platform.

As a result YouTube publicly announced that they'd hire 10,000 new content reviewers. I think PART of the the issue has to do with these inexperienced and in light of recent events, potentially biased content reviewers.

Sheer speculation on my part is that there were some changes to how their algorithms are not identifying and categorizing content that is flagged as being in violation of their community guidelines.

Ultimately, YouTube has a ton of trash on it, and they NEED to do something to better police the content they allow on their platform. Unfortunately I think we'll see them revisit their Community Guidelines and be more restrictive in ways that will limit the 2A / Shooting sport related videos we see on the platform in the future.

[oldnamvet]

Every time I try to view something posted here I get the message "this video is restricted.  It must be approved for you to view it".  YouTube is pretty much worthless to me now.

[toine]

FYI - It appears AOA's channel is back up.