WHY I AM NO LONGER A YOU TUBE PARTNER

This was my second email from youtube letting me know I was accepted into the partner program:

Dear therealweeklynews,

(I will paraphrase this email to avoid any copyright issues since every email has a copyright on it.)

They thanked me for my interest in the partner program and let me know for the second time that my application was approved and they are awaiting me to complete my second and 3rd steps in the application process. They sent this second email to check in because I did not complete the other steps to begin in the revenue sharing process. They went on to say that if I was no longer interested in being in the partner program they would like to hear my feedback. So they let me know to feel free to reply with any concerns.

If they give me permission I will be more then happy to post their email to me in its complete form.

Sincerely,
The YouTube Team


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Hello,

I hope you take the time to read this and possibly forward this off to someone who handles some decisions regarding youtube and the direction it is headed. I came to this site originally because it was the best way to broadcast myself. I hope that if you actually take the time to read this and know that I just want the best for this site, the users and the partners. Maybe if the right person reads this we can get somewhere.

I just noticed this partner accepted email recently. I am still interested in the possibility of becoming a youtube partner.

I want a few things addressed before I continue with this process.

I want these two videos that were unjustly flagged by your staff to be reviewed an unflagged as soon as possible:

OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SINGING SCANDAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rMzPLaadEQ&feature=channel

SEX ON YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwrRDQQZT1U&feature=channel_page

Judging by the thousands of comments the community themselves feel that you messed up on allowing those videos to be flagged. I suggest you read 50 to 100 comments and you will find that your decision was a very poor one to allow them to be flagged when the rest of the community feels they should not have been.

Here is one of the best ones to give you an example of how mad people were that YOU allowed this to happen.

"This is the video that prompted me to join youtube and say something. I am so sick of the hypocrisy of show business and the people in it, especially against women and girls as young as these two. Both of them will grow up believing there was something "just not good enough" about them, and they will always carry it with them. Not to mention the stupidity of flagging this video. BTW, Janis Joplin was beautiful.

MiaJacobs1"

This was posted on my OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SINGING SCANDAL video if you want to find it.

As you know I will be giving all my money that I would make off of my videos to charity and I want the money to go directly to them, not me as I stated in this video almost a year ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smgNJPhRuz0

So I would like you to get back to me on this and let me know how you would like to proceed.

I am sure that many people at youtube know that I have not been real happy with the way that the users have been treated here including myself. I have spent a lof time here on youtube and I have really enjoyed meeting people through your site that I would never have met without being here. The first year I was on this site I had almost nothing bad to say about it. Being here was a very enjoyable experience.

When you look at a video like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GtNyGXKnOU

Then you see the hulu tube video. You may ask yourself how did we get here? The reason why we got here was because I tried to reach out to you tube on multiple occasions and never heard back from you. The reason why I have consistently had to air things out in public on videos was because no one ever bothered returning my emails. Maybe if someone wants to help people feel a LOT better about youtube and reach out to the community it would go a long way to building a better relationship with the users that feel very alienated by the way some things have been handled here.

I hope that this gets forwarded on to someone that really makes some decisions at youtube and they do care enough to get back to me. We all want to like this site. We all want to support this site, but it seems like you are doing your best to drive your own customers away from the site. This may or may not be intentional, but I have plenty of things from my time here to show otherwise. If you wonder why the hulu tube video went viral, it is because many people felt that video spoke for them too. This could have all been avoided had someone just taken the time to listen to us. you created a community counsel once in the effort to build the community, but look what happened, nothing. This shows that people dont feel that they are wanted here and that their opinion and feedback doesn’t matter.

Remember, we are the customers on this website. We are the ones that both provide content AND click on the advertisements. We should not be neglected. Yahoo was once the king of free email and search engines and now it is being dominated by you, "google". It is one thing to be on top, it is another to stay on top. I am sure youtube does not want to be the next yahoo. If you keep this up, you might find this to be an inevitability.

I hope this is not the case. I hope that someone who has some control over decisions regarding the community actually reads this and gets back to me so that this site can become what we all want it to be. What many people once called their favorite website.

Best Regards,

The Real Weekly News

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Reply from youtube:
Hi Realweeklynews,

(I will paraphrase this to avoid any copyright issues since every email has a copyright in it.)

They thanked me for my understanding, but they would not be able to support specific video inquiries. They said they will pass my email along to their policy manager. But they also let me know ahead of time that as a policy youtube does not comment on individual emails. They went on to send me a few links to their policy page.
Sincerely,

The YouTube Team

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I want to move forward on this partner process with you, but I want those videos reviewed and I want a person to actually LOOK at the videos again. Children to mothers and fathers all agree that you dropped the ball on this one and these 2 videos NEED to be unflagged.

The responses are over 99% in favor of unflagging the videos. It is painfully clear to everyone that you made a mistake and not fixing it when you can is not going to help things. Have someone look at them again and READ some of the comments.

OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SINGING SCANDAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rMzPLaadEQ&feature=channel
SEX ON YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwrRDQQZT1U&feature=channel_page

If you can take the time to review the videos (incorrectly as the community themselves say) then someone can take the time to review the video again and actually watch it this time. I am not trying to be rude, but when you have over 1000 comments by all people of both genders and all ages saying that these videos should NOT be flagged, you should have the professionalism to take the time to listen to what the community (your own customers) has to say on a subject and FIX the problem.

Since someone may not actually go to the video and look at the comments. I will paste the most recent 10 comments for each video. I could hand pick them, but I will just show the most recent 10 from each and it is still unanimous from the last 20 comments. It is pretty much unanimous with thousands of comments that there was a mistake on these two videos. Make this situation right. It is clear to everyone that this was a mistake and it only makes youtube look bad to not fix this problem.

Maybe you should have someone from public relations take a CLOSE look at this. Maybe they will get the point. Since there are close to a million views combined and more and more people see every day that you cant listen to the very community that your website provides content to. I keep my videos clean and to be honest I am insulted to think that anyone would find any video I make to be offensive to anyone. I make sure not to use cursing and foul language to get my points across.

I hope that you will seriously take the time to fix this obvious problem that everyone can clearly see.

READ BELOW.
KaiiNeko (7 hours ago)
This video may not be suitable for minors?
OMG theres nothing bad! stupid youtube from flaggiingg
lovekrittaya (13 hours ago)
Remove
Comment removed by author
ITrainOnCowsI (17 hours ago)
omfg flagged????
RandomDawgz (17 hours ago)
WTF was wis flagged, stupid idiots.
sum41fatguy (20 hours ago)
why da f%#k is this flagged
DeadHand1992 (1 day ago)
why is this flagged
fori222 (1 day ago)
probably for the models
scottytissue789 (1 day ago)
f%#k youtube for flagging
MasterChief702 (1 day ago)
flgged?
coreymon78 (1 day ago)
why was this flagged? this is true! we do it too and its wrong both ways. Why the hell was this flagged? Remove the flag!
setherz (12 hours ago)
Youtube flaged this video to prevent its number of views thats why because it revealed the truth about them
kizwit (21 hours ago)
Youtube flaged this video to prevent its number of views thats why because it revealed the truth about them
hoverbike (21 hours ago)
the irony... xD
imTKA (1 day ago)
I agree with you on the hulu, and this
But im sorry
The sxephil reference is really wrong
I cant describe everything with one comment, i have a lot to say-imTKA
rentrofmij (1 day ago)
agree with you
MasterChief702 (1 day ago)
Flagged? How? Why?
halowatch117 (1 day ago)
try to change the name cus if you didn't know what it was some 1 might think that it is x rated.
DOWN WITH HULUTUBE! I support old youtube.
jude360n (1 day ago)
have you seen the related vids on the side.
just proves even further this guy is right.
therhythmicmenace (2 days ago)
why do we need softporn on youtube when the ful mccoy is all over the rest of the net!!
its a distraction
ghudner (2 days ago)
FLAGGED??? haha! Just goes to show how rediculous their content teams are...

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I have no advertisements on my videos yet‏
Second follow up:
Hello,

I have no advertisements on my videos yet because no one has bothered to re-review my 2 flagged videos. I hope you will take the time to READ this below and re-evaluate those 2 videos that were UNJUSTLY flagged by your staff. The community virtually unanimously agrees about 99 to 1 saying these videos NEED to be unflagged. I sent this email below and I have heard nothing back from anyone so I have not moved forward with putting advertisements on any of my videos. I hope to hear back from someone soon.

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(I posted the previous email below in case for some reason it was received. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. That is why it is here again.)

I want to move forward on this partner process with you, but I want those videos reviewed and I want a person to actually LOOK at the videos again. Children to mothers and fathers all agree that you dropped the ball on this one and these 2 videos NEED to be unflagged.

The responses are over 99% in favor of unflagging the videos. It is painfully clear to everyone that you made a mistake and not fixing it when you can is not going to help things. Have someone look at them again and READ some of the comments.

OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SINGING SCANDAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rMzPLaadEQ&feature=channel
SEX ON YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwrRDQQZT1U&feature=channel_page

If you can take the time to review the videos (incorrectly as the community themselves say) then someone can take the time to review the video again and actually watch it this time. I am not trying to be rude, but when you have over 1000 comments by all people of both genders and all ages saying that these videos should NOT be flagged, you should have the professionalism to take the time to listen to what the community (your own customers) has to say on a subject and FIX the problem.

Since someone may not actually go to the video and look at the comments. I will paste the most recent 10 comments for each video. I could hand pick them, but I will just show the most recent 10 from each and it is still unanimous from the last 20 comments. It is pretty much unanimous with thousands of comments that there was a mistake on these two videos. Make this situation right. It is clear to everyone that this was a mistake and it only makes youtube look bad to not fix this problem.

Maybe you should have someone from public relations take a CLOSE look at this. Maybe they will get the point. Since there are close to a million views combined and more and more people see every day that you cant listen to the very community that your website provides content to. I keep my videos clean and to be honest I am insulted to think that anyone would find any video I make to be offensive to anyone. I make sure not to use cursing and foul language to get my points across.

I hope that you will seriously take the time to fix this obvious problem that everyone can clearly see.

READ BELOW.
KaiiNeko (7 hours ago)
This video may not be suitable for minors?
OMG theres nothing bad! stupid youtube from flaggiingg
lovekrittaya (13 hours ago)
Remove
Comment removed by author
ITrainOnCowsI (17 hours ago)
omfg flagged????
RandomDawgz (17 hours ago)
WTF was wis flagged, stupid idiots.
sum41fatguy (20 hours ago)
why da f%#k is this flagged
DeadHand1992 (1 day ago)
why is this flagged
fori222 (1 day ago)
probably for the models
scottytissue789 (1 day ago)
f%#k youtube for flagging
MasterChief702 (1 day ago)
flgged?
coreymon78 (1 day ago)
why was this flagged? this is true! we do it too and its wrong both ways. Why the hell was this flagged? Remove the flag!
setherz (12 hours ago)
Youtube flaged this video to prevent its number of views thats why because it revealed the truth about them
kizwit (21 hours ago)
Youtube flaged this video to prevent its number of views thats why because it revealed the truth about them
hoverbike (21 hours ago)
the irony... xD
imTKA (1 day ago)
I agree with you on the hulu, and this
But im sorry
The sxephil reference is really wrong
I cant describe everything with one comment, i have a lot to say-imTKA
rentrofmij (1 day ago)
agree with you
MasterChief702 (1 day ago)
Flagged? How? Why?
halowatch117 (1 day ago)
try to change the name cus if you didn't know what it was some 1 might think that it is x rated.
DOWN WITH HULUTUBE! I support old youtube.
jude360n (1 day ago)
have you seen the related vids on the side.
just proves even further this guy is right.
therhythmicmenace (2 days ago)
why do we need softporn on youtube when the ful mccoy is all over the rest of the net!!
its a distraction
ghudner (2 days ago)
FLAGGED??? haha! Just goes to show how rediculous their content teams are...

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(This was my final email to youtube)

REMOVE ME FROM THE PARTNER PROGRAM ASAP!!!‏ (Email Title)

Hello,

I have sent 3 emails to you about my account since I was made a partner with no one replying to me about my concerns with my channel or my videos. I went in detail about the 2 flagged videos that the 99% of the community felt were unjustly flagged among other things. I thought that being a partner would possibly improve relations with your company and that maybe you would actually show some consideration for my requests. I was wrong. I initially did not accept the partner program and complete the process to be in the system, but I finally decided after over a week to put some of the issues with your company and how it handled its business into the past and give it a shot. Only to find out that there was virtually no improvement in working with youtube even with being included into the partner program.

So effective immediately, remove me from the youtube partner program. I will not participate in revenue sharing with your company and allow advertisements to be placed on my videos. I will just promote the charities on my own and hope people will support them on their own.

I tried over and over again for over 2 years now to deal with your company in a fair and reasonable manner, only to have my emails repeatedly ignored and my requests or concerns brushed aside. My channel on youtube has always been in good standing and I have tried to help this site in any way that I could. My revenue sharing video, my youtube changes video and the sex tube video were all constructive and resulted in a positive outcome on more than one occasion. After my changes video along with many others you listened to the community and revamped the site to be much more user friendly. Also within months of the sex tube video you got rid of many of those sleazy videos that were cluttering the front pages of the day. Ironically you allowed that video to be flagged even though you agreed with it enough to make some of the changes listed in that video.

My later videos over the past month or so were a little more pointed because I really felt that it was going to hurt the smaller channels on here way to much and I needed to speak up for them. If only you ever listened and showed some respect to your very own users this could, and should have been avoided. We don’t ask for much. All most of us ask for is the opportunity to have our channels succeed, or fail, depending on the quality of our videos. Instead of letting this happen, you have tried to consistently tell us what is popular instead of the community itself deciding that automatically. You have chosen the business model based on the rich get richer as opposed to trying to find ways to grow the new and up and coming channels. You in essence have created a barrier to entry system that only serves to hinder the newer channels and grow the already successful channels by actively promoting them ad nauseam.

The simple fact that you have virtually removed the ratings from the top videos of the day sections like most viewed and most discussed so that people cant see the quality of the videos on the list just goes to show that quality is not the main concern at youtube. The ratings system is the best way for users to let other users know what is good and what is garbage or misleading. Yet you have buried that category at the very bottom of the pull down menu as if it had no value to your users in any way. This just goes to show that quality is not a chief concern here and your double standards here between the chosen channels and the ones you deem expendable is clearly apparent to everyone in the community.

Is it really that hard to return emails to your own customers, or even your new “partners”?

So again, please remove my partner status immediately!

The Real Weekly News

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(This was my entire communication history with youtube after I became a partner with the site)

So what does this tell you?

This proves to all of you what I have known all along. Even when it came to making money on my videos that have been seen millions of times, they found it easier to remove me from the partner program than to simply return my emails or address my concerns. In a nutshell, this is why youtube loses money. They are, quite honestly, some of the worst business managers I have ever seen.

I often hear some pathetic youtube sympathizers going on and on about how youtube needs to make money they need to change this or that. What they are so clueless on is how poorly they work with individuals as well as businesses. They have to have one of the worst records of conducting business that I have ever seen. There is a reason they are loosing so much money. They are flat out incompetent. All I am waiting for is them to ask Obama for a bailout and they would most likely get it the way he gives away money to big business.

I have heard people say that “if it were not for youtube, you would not know who I am. So I want to thank youtube for allowing me to post my videos and for free.” I would say that following. “Whatever success I have had online making videos, I would like to thank all the people in my life for making me who I am today. I would like to thank all of you that supported my channel and my videos. Whatever success I have had on youtube is not because of youtube, it was in spite of youtube.

Thanking youtube for success would be like the New York Giants to thank the television network for them winning the super bowl against the New England Patriots. You would never hear an athlete thank the network for their success. The network had nothing to do with it. They simply broadcast the performance. People need to wake up and not be thankful to people that had nothing to do with your success. There are some exceptions to this rule. Some channels owe everything to youtube for being popular. They are always getting promoted. So in some cases, they NEED to be VERY thankful because without youtubes promotion and protection they would be no where near their views and subscribers.

I hope you found this post helpful and see why I demanded they remove me from the partner program. I simply cant work with a company that shows absolute disdain for their own customers. This was one of the biggest reasons why I have not made more videos. The fact that they created a site called “YOU tube” with the words “broadcast YOURSELF” only to hinder so many potentially successful channels makes it very difficult to want to make more original content for the youtube web site.

The Real Weekly News.