Some People Ruin It For All Of Us: PART I....

Hey! S'been awhile, I know, but I have something to say here.

And since this is my forum, it's a good thing.

I have an account on YouTube, like a good many of you probably do. And like many of you, I enjoy watching the many videos that many others take the time and effort to post. Some are good, others bad, still others are just plain ugly, but again I appreciate the time they took to do so.

And YouTube is even a perfect place to not only showcase your talent (which I've also done therein) but to showcase the talents of others who would otherwise not get their works shown. It's just an all-in-all good thing.

BUT

(...and you all knew this part was coming...)

But, sometimes you will come across a video that there is not one copy of on all of YouTube and, without thinking, innocently put on YouTube, just because you think it's funny, well-done, cute, a good idea and/or you just plain like. All fair and good - again, it's all about sharing. But if you are not careful about what you post, it is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

Yes, this is the act of posting something that someone else is more than willing to sue you over or, best case scenario, send you a cease-and-desist order to take it off of YouTube before litigation can take place. Again, all fair and good; no need for fostering bad feelings online.

And yet, there are some people who are extremely confrontational about this. They regularly troll sites as Youtube and the like, looking for anyone unfortunate enough to have one of their videos in their account. And instead of asking in a nice way to please remove it, what happens? They get confrontational, they start with the name-calling, they get all in-your-face (or as in-your-face as you can from a PC screen) and start threatening you verbally, and sometimes violently.

These are the types of posters we like to call sociopaths.

Anyway, it would be different if these "people" showed a little decorum, let things go and be nice about their...difference in opinion, let's say, in what others hook up with on their own YouTube pages. But no: they're not and that is why people are so afraid to post ANYTHING on sites such as these.

What is it about the Internet that automatically makes everyone an immature jerk when they disagree? Is it the anonymity? Is it the surge of power they get in exerting the force they think they have? All I know is it;s a pain and makes enjoying sites like YouTube even harder when people who, even when they are right, make life miserable for people who made one silly little mistake and post one silly video, or two, or whatever.

Personal experience? Naaaahhhh....

But wouldn't this do just as good:

-----
Dear YouTube User:

I couldn't help but notice that you are using a video that was initially created by myself. Seeing as how legal costs and entanglements are as they are nowadays and neither one of us want to have to go through all that struggle, could you please do me a big favor and simply remove this video from your "My Videos" postings, or at least add a credit to me in the video itself?

Your cooperation in this as soon as possible is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, by the way, for being a fan of what I do!

Sincerely,
---blah blah blah...
-----

See? Isn't that nicer? And isn't it also a marked contrast from what so many idiots with "the original videos" post to people who wouldn't know better one way of the other without being notified?

I'll answer that one: YES.

That's all I wanted to say today. And no, no video today: I might get in trouble. :P

Dope out.

-TGWD