Comments on: Repressing Randi – Really?

By: the world of stupid, vol 1 « The Answer’s 42

the world of stupid, vol 1 « The Answer’s 42 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:01:54 +0000

[...] 1, 2009 I’m back again… I just read something on Cosmic Variance about how Youtube seems to have suspended the videos of the James Randi Educational Foundation. Needless to say it distracted me from a job form… oh dear. Anyway, here’s the [...]

By: Observer

Observer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:55:28 +0000

“YouTube has resolutely failed to respond to complaints about this and other free-speech related infringements”

Your complaints, or everyones? I’d say their response to John McCain is pretty detailed, and explains why they’re doing things in a certain way, and who’s forcing them to do that:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/youtube-responds-mccain-campaigns-letter

In general, it seems that organizations like the EFF and others have no trouble talking to YouTube or Google, and I suspect they listen to JREF as well (Randi did a talk in 2007, which is still available on YouTube, so I’m sure they know who he is). Maybe it’s just people ranting in comment boxes that are being ignored?

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:14:31 +0000

It’s a bit misleading to state that “YouTube has resolutely failed to respond to complaints”. YouTube, or rather Google, simply doesn’t respond much to complaints about anything. They’re notoriously bad at anything that can’t be automated, and dealing with user complaints definitely falls into that category.

Now, that may be a good enough reason for the JREF to decide to stop using YouTube. But let’s not be paranoid about it.

By: john evo

john evo — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:00:51 +0000

Somebody please, please, tell me this isn’t so. Sorry, can't do that. f it’s really the truth, please take whatever punitive action you can. There really is only one way to go with this since YouTube has resolutely failed to respond to complaints about this and other free-speech related infringements. It is going to be uncomfortable at first, but free-thinkers have to leave the YouTube forum and bring the strength of numbers into a new, less restrictive one. I'm thinking this may be the place to go

By: Blake Stacey

Blake Stacey — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:15:49 +0000

Word on the street is that some complaints were filed about the JREF's videos using copyrighted material. The DMCA provisions are such that the site hosting the challenged documents has to take them down first and ask questions later, so even if the complaints are entirely bogus, the videos go offline, at least temporarily.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:55:33 +0000

I strongly suspect it’s some sort of automated response, or at worst an overenthusiastic underling. I doubt it’s some sort of anti-skeptic prejudice. Will willingly boost my cynicism quotient if wrong.