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Why Did YouTube Remove Likes?
In March 2018, YouTube removed the dislike count. This was a major change that resulted in a YouTube video named the 2018 Rewind video becoming the most disliked video on the website. Not only was the dislike count removed, but it also removed context from controversial or viral content. This is especially problematic for creators, as comments give viewers a lot of context about their videos. In a recent article for Mashable, we explore the reasons why YouTube removed dislikes and why it is a bad idea to remove them.
Misleading viewers
Earlier this year, YouTube removed the dislike count from some creators. The move came after many smaller creators were the victims of “dislike attacks,” in which users deliberately drive up the dislike count of a video. On the same subject : How to Grow Your YouTube Channel – 3 Tips to Make Your Videos Longer and Increase Your Subscribers. Videos with a high dislike count received fewer views and interactions than ones with lower dislike counts. With increased legislative pressure to clean up the content on its platform, YouTube has been making changes to its policy.
In addition to protecting its creators, the change will also make it harder for creators to become victims of dislike bombing, where groups of people try to cause a video to receive negative comments. The YouTube team heard the complaints from new and smaller creators, and they took action to reduce the incentives for creators to use dislike bombing. By removing the dislike count altogether, YouTube hopes to reduce the amount of stress creators experience from their content.
The company says that it has tested the effects of removing dislike counts, but declined to reveal details. The company conducted multiple months of tests and analyzed their impact before coming to the final decision. It experimented with various designs of removing dislike counts before settling on one that would be less disruptive. Ultimately, the move was welcomed by both creators and viewers. The issue, however, is one of free speech.
Trolling creators
If you’ve noticed, YouTube removed the dislike button after an update last December. This change was the result of groups of viewers making the dislike bar a game and giving videos heavy ratios for the wrong reasons. This may interest you : How to Download a YouTube Video. Although YouTube has always allowed you to change your dislikes before an update, this decision is especially problematic for creators who trolley other users. In this article, we’ll explore how this change impacts you.
YouTube’s move to remove dislikes for trolling creators has a lot of people upset. Those people who are disgruntled by the dislike count are likely to leave more inflammatory comments. However, the removal of the dislike count isn’t entirely bad for creators. Despite the negative effects, creators who are under the threat of being trolled will still see their dislike count, which is still very helpful in gauging the quality of their videos.
Another benefit is that creators who receive fewer dislikes will be less likely to be targeted by trolling attacks. This is important for small-scale content creators, as they’re less likely to get targeted by mean-spirited people. However, creators should also consider how the removal of dislikes will affect their mental health. If YouTube removes dislikes for trolling creators, it will be most beneficial to small-scale content creators.
Protecting them from harassment
In order to protect smaller creators from the dislike mobs, YouTube has decided to remove dislikes from videos. While this change is a welcome change, the policy doesn’t go far enough to address the real problem: users are still leaving hateful comments. This may interest you : How to Play YouTube in Background. YouTube says it will require extra information to make the dislikes public. It has also suggested graying out the dislike button until users have watched a certain amount of a creator’s video.
The removal of dislikes from videos is being phased out. Many creators are frustrated by the large number of hateful comments they receive, and they have taken the site down. However, this doesn’t mean creators will become extinct overnight. It is a stance that YouTube takes seriously. The policy is not just limited to the dislikes of videos, but also applies to comments left on other platforms.
Though dislike counts will no longer be public, creators will still be able to see how many people have “disliked” a video. YouTube says the move is intended to protect them from “dislike bombing,” a trend where users deliberately dislike a video to put off potential viewers. While some content creators have criticized the decision, others say it’s the right thing to do for their mental health.
