Topic: Life
So, here I am at 2:00 am in the morning. Awake and restless while Ken lies peacefully beside me in a deep sleep... jerk! (Don't worry, I don't really mean it.)
Popping on here was probably a mistake given I am a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. Blogging, for me, means proof-reading repeatedly and correcting spelling and grammatical errors. In other words, writing a few paragraphs entails a couple of hours of work usually.
I am sitting here at the moment, contemplating the fate of YouTube and it's users while smoking 'Dreams' Belgian Blend Mocha cigarettes (yeah, yeah, I know... it's bad for me) and sipping Arizona Green Tea.
If you've been reading any of my entries lately in this blog, you are doubtlessly aware of my more personal issues with YouTube, my friends and their struggles with censorship, as well as their ideological battles. Battles, I often find myself in the middle of in some fashion.
Perhaps it's my warrior nature, or my inner tiger spirit, maybe it's in my Irish blood. In truth, I've always been the type that thumbs her nose at conflict, daring the consequences whatever they may be. An attitude that often directs me into a mess of trouble, and probably deservedly so.
A few days back, I had a couple of videos embedded in one of my blogs concerning recent suspensions and votebot attacks on YouTube. One of them, was about a user named Cozmikzen.
Cozmikzen, who later took on the identity 'Kozmikzen' due to the suspension of his channel, is a self-proclaimed anarchist and an atheist. Most of the video blogs that he made were angry diatribes against Christianity and their god, where he often profanely ranted against their religion.
He and I became somewhat friends recently. We discussed our differences in ideology respectively through PMs, and by all accounts I can say that he is honestly a decent guy and I enjoyed our conversations.
Kozmikzen had a razor-sharp edge when he presented his opinions in his videos, and he aspired, he told me, in being controversial. Unfortunately for him, however, it turned out that he was too controversial apparently. Both of the channels he created after YouTube shut down his innitial channel; Kozmikzen and CozmikzenArchives, have both been suspended as well.
I've since lost contact with him and do not know if he intends to return to YouTube.
The video that had been flagged for being 'inappropriate for minors' then later removed shortly before his suspension, was entitled "DEATH TO GOD". An inflammatory title to be sure, and the language within the video was indeed 'colorful', but I don't believe it deserved the censorship it received (Due to strong language and content, here is the link: (video "Death to God" no longer available). If you wish, you can judge for yourself.
To be honest, I am going to miss him. Although from appearances he might have appeared abrasive, outside the little box that played one side of him, he had a good heart and was open-minded about a great deal.
Perhaps, one could speculate due to the impending merger of YouTube with Hulu/Disney, Kozmikzen didn't fit into the wholesome and clean image that YouTube is trying to reform itself into, or so it is rumored.
The YouTube of 2009 is a completely different beast from the YouTube of 2006.
Gone is the original start page that listed the top favorite videos, replaced with a 'Popular' tab that usually lists clips of shows such as "American Idol", "The Ellen Show" and other network gems. There is an addition of pop-up ads that appear in the video along with a script of the same ad above the video description, and lets not forget the "partnered" channels who are part of the YouTube advertising community.
The motto, "Broadcast Yourself" should be replaced with "You Can't Broadcast Yourself, But You Can Watch Our Sponsers!".
It's a shame what YouTube has become.
Their site is plagued with hack software that can alter traffic statistics, ratings, even spam comments on videos to promote their websites. Monitoring and preventing these programs are a literal joke, as YouTube has yet to address and repair the issue that allows the effectiveness of these types of software. Meanwhile, there are idiots amok that falsely flag videos either because they simply disagree with the opinion in it, or equally invalid reasons and YouTube seemingly does no investigation into the claim and simply removes the video without question.
Their Terms of Service is a joke. In regards to people who do falsely or maliciously flag videos, none of these individuals ever seem to have their account suspended. The only people who are suspended are the individuals who's videos were flagged three times. Meanwhile, users like VenomFangX that file false DMCAs and use their channel to scam Christians out of money under the delusion of "charity" are left to flourish unmonitored without consequence. The kid had to make a legal public apology on YouTube for falsifying information (lying), and deception and yet is still on YouTube, more ironic, people are still sending him money!!
Why do I care? That's a question I have been asking myself recently. Why do I care about people I don't even know, about situations that don't directly involve me?
I suppose the answer to those questions are simple. It's a matter of free speech.
The internet has become the largest source of information. It is more powerful than newspaper, radio or television. It's instant access with no waiting in regards to news feeds, online books and encyclopedias, music and video at the touch of a keyboard. A medium from which the common man/woman can publicly take platform to express their beliefs and ideas, every second, from around the globe and they can do so independently without aide of a reporter or a camera man.
Millions of voices with millions of ideas. But if you deny one, just one the right to free speech, it is a chain reaction which subsequently will silence every voice... including yours and mine.
Who do you think will be next targets on the food chain once the atheists are silenced?
So, daily into the fray of YouTube I go. Receiving and seeking out videos who are unfairly flagged or removed and hosting mirrors of them on my channel. An often daunting, risky, and time consuming endeavor. If it negates the effects of censorship and promotes free speech then I believe it's worth the effort, but only time will tell.
The game will likely, and most assuredly change once Hulu and Disney become involved... if the rumors are true.
Anyway, that's what is on my mind at now 4 am in the morning, and I have a dentist appointment in a few hours so, I should probably try and get a little sleep.
Be well, brightest blessings, and I leave you with the following...