Manipulating the YouTube Algorithm - (Part 1/3) Smarter Every Day 213
Manipulating the YouTube Algorithm - (Part 1/3) Smarter Every Day 213 on HackerTube: recommended by 2 Hacker News commenters across 2 separate months, 2019–2021.
Part 1 of Smarter Every Day's three-part series on manipulating the YouTube algorithm. It features Renee DiResta and examples of how social media platforms can be manipulated.
What HN commenters said
8 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
xelxebarJun 2020Strongly recommends
> no wonder people don’t believe in global warming, these “experts” prioritize politics over everything I read this as a clear expression of your frustration. Completely reasonable given the situation. Are you familiar with the YouTube channel "Smarter Every Day"? There's this three-part series that might offer a new perspective on the distrust and disillusionment you seem to be feeling: [1]: ▶ this video [2]: [link] [3]: [link] In particular, the channel creator Destin Sandlin explores how YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are being used as a sort of vanguard in a meta-game to undermine our trust in the social institutions we rely on. It's a pretty dystopian-sounding and bleak theme. However, Destin is really good at conveying a message of hope. Use your Critical Mind, of course, but also realize that there's a personal cost to adopting absolutist views like `"experts" prioritize politics over everything.'
in “America is giving up on the pandemic?” · View on HN
AuncheNov 2019Recommends
> I am just trying to point out how we're quick to flip out about Facebook ads bought in Rubles, yet when it comes to Chinese troll artistry we are completely silent meanwhile Russia is a declining power and China is a mercantilist adversary. You don't have to worried about things that are "obviously propaganda." If you even mention a nuanced take on what the CCP is doing in Xinjiang, you'll instantly get downvoted to oblivion (like this comment) and branded a shill, so the same would happen to legitimate disinformation. The Russian propaganda used in the US was designed to create more divides in order to weaken democracy. For example, an fake advertisement may advocate to "teach the controversy" of evolution in a blue state to encourage atheists to be hostile to Christians and vice versa. Smarter every day has an interesting miniseries about this: ▶ this video
in “TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram” · View on HN
takedaJun 2021Cites it
I don't know it's actually youtube that does it. It's actually known that you can just buy an influence by purchasing access to bot accounts[1]. This happens on YT, Twitter, FB and other places, and it isn't just likes/dislikes but also comments. [1] ▶ this video ha he has more videos about that
in “YouTube removed 3.9M dislikes for White House” · View on HN
takedaJun 2021Cites it
Well, I know I didn't keep track 2017-2020 and I don't know any site that did. Do you have site that actually did? If I would own 81m.org site which only purpose is to monitor whitehouse youtube channel (very specific) and believed that the end justifies the means, why wouldn't I hire a botnets to help with that effort? If my botnet works I can show that general population is dissatisfied. If youtube removes my spam I can use that to show that YouTube is partisan. Either way I win. [1] ▶ this video
in “YouTube removed 3.9M dislikes for White House” · View on HN
NoOneNewNov 2020Cites it
Yea, that's well known. Not just from federal law enforcement with proof of it, but twitter, youtube and facebook know it and admit to it too. Smarter Everyday interviewed all 3 and their folks talk about this directly. [link] ▶ this video [link] The actual social media platforms saying it's happening. At the same time though, it's not all their fault. It takes two to tango and if you're gullible enough to wreck your own life on the words of someone you've never, and will never meet... that's a special kind of stupid. Here's my hope. All of this gets out of our systems. After whoever wins this election, folks are going to go, "Hold on, we're all acting like crazy people. Let's be sensible and stop going to the extremes and work together." This is the fantasy that fills my dreams. Not flying, being rich or anything like that. That, society being sensible and taking some personal responsibility. That's my crazy, wild fantasy...
in “YouTube's Fake Animal Rescue Ring [video]” · View on HN
specialistNov 2020Cites it
"...both referring me to nominet to resolve" How should the system work? I ask because I'm trying to understand how predators like Grubhub (the their proxies like Seamless) gobble up idle domains and phone numbers. And then try to figure out ways to mitigate, prevent, and more quickly resolve disputes. FWIW, I found Nominet's Domain Dispute's explainer. [link] Next, I'll see what USA firms do. I'm especially interested in the legal framework (laws, rules, procedures). Any pointers are greatly appreciated, thanks. -- This Vice article is that one that got me spun up about this issue: [link] This Smarter Everyday 3-parter gives example of impersonation happening on Instagram: ▶ this video
in “Taking Over 20K DigitalOcean Domains via a Lax Domain Import System (2016)” · View on HN
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gregmacMar 2020Cites it
>> The problem with auto-generated voices in videos like this is as a viewer I can't distinguish between work that someone put deliberate production time into, and something churned out by a content farm. > If machine voiced vs human voiced is the only discernible difference in the end, this seems like a non-argument. The problem is getting to the end -- I don't want to spend several minutes trying to decide if it's spam or useful. It's simply easier and safer for me to use "contains auto-generated voice" as a filter to avoid watching garbage. Specifically I'm talking about videos like the ones discussed in this video [1]. Though I'd generally agree that good quality content is good quality content, I personally think there's something lost by using a machine-generated voice. Good human narrators add nuance and emphasis and energy, and it's much more interesting when someone is passionate or excited about the topic they're talking about and you can hear that come through. Some humans are bad narrators, of course, and the machine-generated voice may not be worse by comparison. The problem is I'd just rather not listen to an emotionless voice -- whether it's machine-generated or human -- read a script, I'd rather just read it myself. Maybe I'm wrong and the generated voices are much better than I've heard (any examples?) but I think part of the problem remains in that unless I'm forced to watch (eg, internal training) or have a recommendation come from someone I trust, it's sti
in “Show HN: From Markdown to Video” · View on HN
tylerlApr 2019Critical
I remember specifically the same video the author was talking about ( ▶ this video ), and I also cringed when Destin read the ad copy for ExpressVPN. Commercial VPNs are the homeopathy of the Internet. They're selling snake oil. For all but the most impossibly pathological customer scenario, nothing that a commercial VPN can give you will actually protect you in any meaningful way. But they can hurt you. Since there's no quality control of any sort, and since their customers are self-selecting for dangerous behavior, it's a horrible environment to go mixing your traffic into.
in “VPN – Very Precarious Narrative” · View on HN