And The Bots Played On...

While This YouNoober Fights Back

Woke up to find yet another video was removed by YouTube’s bots…for linking to the photos sources on Wikimedia Commons.

What the actual fuck is wrong with these glitchy bots?!

It honestly seems like Google and Meta-Static are in a competition to see whose bots are the dumbest and most frustrating.

While I await the results of the appeal, with two active “community guideline” strikes, I’m restricted from posting new work for 14 days.

Good thing that second channel got monetized!
Though, to be honest, I’m less than excited about posting on YouTube.

The Google-owned platform’s overzealous censorship continues to target, in my opinion, LGBTQ+ content creators. And its virtual monopoly makes it a dangerous threat to free creative expression.

If your focus is celebrating the full (yet censored to be “advertiser-friendly”) range of human experiences and human sexualities, you better be prepared to face the bot police. And fight the powers that be when necessary.

Which makes me glad I now have the option to post on both Substack and our shop’s Supporters section. Both options offer fans, friends, and patrons free and paid tiers. I plan to be put them both to the test while the bot appeals court does its thing. (I don’t have any confidence they will do the right thing, for the record. And yet still…I fight!)

If you need/want a good belly laugh/head scratcher, I’ve included the full transcript (complete with bad grammar and typos) of me being a cranky bish to one support bot and asking to talk to the manager…only to discover it was yet another time-wasting bot. After almost an hour of their tedious bullxit first thing this morning, I’m THRILLED.

Oh, and they didn’t remove the video…but they did private it while it was starting a live premiere. Kicking a handful of waiting watchers out in the process. Nice job, YouTube. Disappointing subscribers AND pissing off content creators.

Bots think this is a game. Clint thinks this is a war.
Who will win? Who knows anymore?

Thanks for reading,
Clint

WAR GAMES: CHAT “SUPPORT” EDITION

5:44:27 AM Collide Press: Collide Press joined the conversation
5:44:28 AM Ellis: Ellis joined the conversation
5:44:29 AM Ellis: Welcome! Your Case ID is 0-9069000037123. Refer to this if you need to contact us again.
5:44:49 AM Ellis: Hey, I am Ellis from Google Support. I apologize for the inconvenience. Could you provide some details as to what's happening?
5:45:41 AM Ellis: I understand you have concerns with channel strikes correct? 
5:45:43 AM Collide Press: Hi, Ellis. Just woke up to a "strike" email about s montage of art photos (which I censored). Linking to Wikimedia Commons triggered the bots it seems. Dumb imo.
5:45:53 AM Ellis: I see. Thanks for the information.
5:45:55 AM Collide Press: Yes. 
5:46:38 AM Collide Press: I removed the link and the video still shows it's set to premiere.
5:47:27 AM Ellis: And you want to know how to resolve a Channel Community Guideline Warning, correct? 
5:48:07 AM Collide Press: I want to resolve this ongoing problem. Links to sources seem to get me in trouble. And it's truly infuriating.
5:48:34 AM Ellis: I see. Right, you want to know how to resolve a Channel Community Guideline Warning, correct?
5:49:03 AM Collide Press: I resent YT's bots and their censorship of. Based on your response, you're a bot. Great.
5:50:00 AM Ellis: Interesting opinion. 
5:50:25 AM Collide Press: Interesting response
5:50:33 AM Ellis: Yes sometimes I feel like a bot but still flesh and blood here.
5:50:57 AM Collide Press: Okay, then let's try to resolve this issue. Shall we?
5:51:07 AM Ellis: Absolutely!
5:51:32 AM Ellis: Thank you for bringing this up and voicing your concerns. I’m happy to help!
5:51:45 AM Ellis: Here in YouTube, we are proud to say that we make concerns resolvable on the creators end by giving the tools that would address their issues readily available.
5:51:52 AM Collide Press: How can I have a strike aand the video be removed but the premiere is still going on and the video is still live in YouTube Studio?
5:51:53 AM Ellis: However, at the same time this also prevents us from making changes on the partner's behalf. 
5:52:07 AM Ellis: First it's not a strike.
5:52:12 AM Ellis: It's a warning.
5:52:34 AM Ellis: Community Guidelines are the rules of the road for how to behave on YouTube. 
5:52:36 AM Collide Press: I'm locked out of changes for two weeks. It's a strike.
5:52:53 AM Collide Press: I'm aware. Let's not go into CG.
5:53:17 AM Collide Press: Active Community Guidelines strikes
2
5:53:39 AM Ellis: Okay, long story short, if you think we made a mistake, you can submit an appeal.
5:54:00 AM Ellis:  Appeal a Community Guidelines strike, warning or video removal https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/185111
5:54:20 AM Ellis: 1. Sign in to YouTube Studio. https://studio.youtube.com/
5:54:26 AM Ellis: 2. On the left Menu, click Content.
5:54:32 AM Ellis: 3. Go to the video that you want to appeal.
5:54:40 AM Ellis: 4. In the Restrictions column, hover your cursor over the restriction type and click APPEAL.
5:54:46 AM Collide Press: I did. And now I'm submitting to chat my immense frustration and confusion how bots are so dumb and rules seem to target creators of lgbtq+ content.
5:54:58 AM Collide Press: Done did
5:55:41 AM Collide Press: Please address how the email says it was removed and yet Studio shows it premiereing in 5 minutes.
5:55:54 AM Ellis: Understood and I thank you for your points on the matter.
5:56:08 AM Collide Press: And yet both still show a strike
5:56:29 AM Collide Press: Please send me to your manager. I don;'t think you read too good.
5:57:32 AM Ellis: I'm sorry if you feel that way. 
5:57:51 AM Collide Press: Me too. Manager please. More human.
5:58:08 AM Ellis: I understand your concern, but please know that we have thoroughly checked your request and, I’m afraid there is nothing more I can add at this stage.
5:58:37 AM Collide Press: That's why I'm asking for your manager. You have not addresssed my concern.
5:59:49 AM Ellis: Alright then, Let's check what we can do for you. Please stay on the line. 
5:59:55 AM Collide Press: Well the premiere went to private. Weird.
6:00:08 AM Ellis: Right.
6:00:09 AM Collide Press: Cool. Manager please.
6:00:15 AM Ellis: Alright then.
6:03:51 AM Collide Press: Any ETA for someone addressing my concern?
6:04:14 AM Ellis: Thanks for your patience! I’m still checking on your case, please give me a few more minutes, thanks!
6:04:27 AM Collide Press: OK
6:04:35 AM Ellis: Thanks! 
6:10:31 AM Ellis: Thanks for your patience! I’m still waiting for a manager to handle your case, please wait, thanks!
6:10:43 AM Collide Press: Ok
6:11:16 AM Ellis: Thank you! Let me transfer your concern to my supervisor, they will get back to you here on chat shortly
6:11:34 AM Collide Press: Much appreciated
6:11:57 AM Ellis: Ellis added participant(s): Jerick
6:11:58 AM Jerick: Jerick joined the conversation
6:12:05 AM Jerick: Hello there. I’m Jerick, a Manager from the YouTube Support team. 
6:12:28 AM Collide Press: Hi, Jerick. Hope you can help make sense of this mess.
6:12:59 AM Jerick: I can see that you're contacting us about this video that you removed from your channel.
6:13:39 AM Collide Press: I didn't remove anything but a link that your bots flagged
6:14:10 AM Jerick: Can you please share the link that you are referring to?
6:14:27 AM Collide Press: One sec
6:14:31 AM Ellis: Ellis left the conversation
6:14:33 AM Jerick: Sure.
6:15:09 AM Collide Press: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sasha_Kargaltsev
6:15:29 AM Jerick: Thanks for sharing the link.
6:15:30 AM Collide Press: It's listed on the unflagged Wikiepedia rticle as well
6:15:47 AM Collide Press: As an external source.
6:17:01 AM Collide Press: Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons violate policy? Seems kinda ridiculous. Tumblr I get. Which was my first strike. This one makes me wanna fight.
6:17:37 AM Jerick: Thanks for providing additional information.
6:18:03 AM Collide Press: Can we skip the canned autoreplies? They are annoying.
6:18:03 AM Jerick: Just to confirm, this link was flagged from this video. Is that correct?
6:18:11 AM Collide Press: Yes
6:18:42 AM Jerick: Thanks for confirming.
6:18:59 AM Jerick: Hold on please while I look into this. Please give me a few minutes.
6:19:06 AM Collide Press: Ok
6:19:10 AM Jerick: Thanks.
6:21:59 AM Collide Press: Reminder: This is an art/educational video about art photography
6:22:31 AM Jerick: Thanks for providing additional context about this external link.
6:22:47 AM Jerick: Hold on please while I continue to check here.
6:22:55 AM Collide Press: ok
6:23:01 AM Jerick: Thanks.
6:28:18 AM Collide Press: Just curious: Is this actually complicated or are you just stalling? I feel like my time is being wasted yet again by chat support.
6:29:02 AM Jerick: Thanks for waiting.
6:29:06 AM Jerick: I apologize for the delay.
6:29:14 AM Collide Press: ok
6:29:50 AM Jerick: I managed to check the channel violation and I can confirm that you've already submitted an appeal about this.
6:30:15 AM Collide Press: I said I did. Repeartedly.
6:30:21 AM Jerick: For now, kindly wait for the appeal decision and you should expect to receive an update.
6:30:35 AM Collide Press: Oh go kindly yourself. Stupid bots.
6:30:43 AM Jerick: I'm sorry but we're unable to assist you at the moment.
6:31:02 AM Collide Press: Bye. Tired of your useless support
6:31:18 AM Collide Press: zdisconnect so I can get the transcript
6:31:37 AM Collide Press: Thanks for wasting my time
6:31:40 AM Jerick: I’m sorry you are having this problem. Do you have any other questions or concerns?
6:31:53 AM Collide Press: Why is YT so damn dumb?
6:32:08 AM Jerick: I'm sorry if you feel that way.
6:32:09 AM Jerick: Bye for now and take care!
6:32:15 AM Jerick: Jerick left the conversation

---

ON SUBSTACK = IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

---

ON YOUTUBE = NEW + FEATURED

MORE FROM COLLIDE PRESS
Bluesky + Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop
+ Storefront + Threadless + YouTube