YouTube Taking Feature Advice From XKCD

from the ok,-that's-just-awesome dept

Thu, Oct 9th 2008 10:31am — Mike Masnick

While any open online forum has its share of trolls and poorly written comments, YouTube is infamous for having a quality level below pretty much everywhere else. The (absolutely worth reading) online comic strip, xkcd ran a strip recently joking about one possible "cure" for this: having a virus written that would read a YouTuber's comment outloud before requesting final approval to post it. The idea was that any sane person would recognize how idiotic their comments sounded: Listen to Yourself

Apparently, the folks at YouTube/Google thought it was such a good idea that they've actually created just such a button. Of course, those who need to use it most probably won't do so. At least with the xkcd version, the virus forced people to listen to their comments.

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Filed Under: audio, comments, features, xkcd
Companies: google, youtube

27 Comments

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some old guy, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:35am

Another feature suggestion
if a particular persons comment moderation history falls below a certain threshold, youtube could kick off mandatory listen-before-accept feature.

That way the people that really need to hear themselves will be forced to, and everyone else won't.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:37am

no comment
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:41am

Re:
Why would you anonymously comment "no comment"?
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:44am

This, along with gmail's recent "Mail Goggles" thing has led me to believe that Google are the most awesome company ever, purely on principle.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:53am

Re:
Google is the new... oh, wait, that was Google, too.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:07am

BuT CaN wE StILl TyPe LiKe THiS?
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Dave, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:13am

Re: Re:
What would you anonymously comment on that person's anonymous comment about not making a comment?
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Twinrova, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:14am

It could be worse...
... these people could be doing this in real life.

"Irregardless" is a prime example of this. *shiver* That word makes me cringe about as much as seeing someone wearing socks with sandals.

I don't visit YouTube, but this sounds interesting.

Mike, add it here?
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:36am

Re: Re: Re:
The anonymous bit wasn't my concern. Why would ANYONE comment, "no comment"?
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
no comment
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Another Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:47am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I refuse to dignify that with a response
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:49am

Re: Re:
no comment
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another mike, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:00pm

this is full of epic win
I've seen this all over the place (/., fark, digg, i think it was even on wired) but I saw it on xkcd first. I hope Randall has a good webhost.
The best part of this feature is that youtube moved the submit button over and put the read-it button in its place. there've been lots of comments about how people, not noticing the buttons have moved, thought it really was a virus.
I still like the firefox addon that hides mispelled comments.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:03pm

Re: Re:
if you think about it really hard your brain may solve divide by zero.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:24pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Because
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:30pm

I personally think this is one of the best, if not most humorous, developments in the last 6 months.
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D$, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:33pm

Viva XKCD
I have enjoyed XKCD for quiet some time, and I am so very happy that a company as cool as Google is paying attention as well. XKCD is the reason I'm getting my first Linux machine, and why I'm currently learning python. Keep up the good work!

D$

P.S. Thank you techdirt for brining this to our attention, I haven't been to YouTube in ages, and will have to check it out now. I wonder if the comments are going to get worse now with this "feature" though. my favorite back in elementary school was to run "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" through the reader program, ah what shenanigans I got up to... *sigh*
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:45pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
You make my head hurt, too.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:50pm

I gave the feature a try and was summarily disappointed that my comment was not presented by the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman.
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Lucretious, 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:50pm

While any open online forum has its share of trolls and poorly written comments....

don't talk about me that way Mike.....
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 9 Oct 2008 @ 12:52pm

Hey
What is to stop people from just turning off their volume? That is, if they were absolutely forced to listen, like a virus.

Anyways, @TwinRova
HEY! What is wrong with wearing sandals with socks? Keeps the feet from getting sweaty in the sandals (and I am not talking flip flops either, I could see them, but I mean snap on sandals, not even velco) Yet still has more air flow than shoes. Or are those not considered sandals?
I may have to fight you over this one. =P
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 2:20pm

Re: Re:
because thats how he rolls
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 3:02pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Seriously, get the camera's out of my face. No Comment.
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Chris Charabaruk (profile), 9 Oct 2008 @ 8:09pm

Re: Viva XKCD
Can you fly yet?
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Devon Boling (A.K.A. D$), 10 Oct 2008 @ 10:12am

Re: Re: Viva XKCD
No, but I can get the computer to greet you by name, and if your name is Travis it will tell you it doesn't want you to get AIDS. Besides, I didn't think that happened until you learned LISP. I could be mistaken though... I'll have to go back and read through the site again.
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Devon Boling (A.K.A. D$), 10 Oct 2008 @ 10:29am

Re: Re: Re: Viva XKCD
Oh! yeah, ok! Nope can't fly. I could have sworn something awesome happens when you learn LISP as well. I think the flight thing is because he learned it in one night. I'll probably never get to fly... But it's something to hope for! *sigh*
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2009 @ 2:23pm

hey
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