5 ms·

I think de-monetizing is part of Google's profit plan. They provide content for no cost, but can still show ads and earn revenues. It's a giant scam.

paxys 7y ago
> but can still show ads and earn revenues De-monetized videos do not show ads or earn revenue, so that actually hurts Google as well (of course it has indirect effects that are beneficial for Google overall).
- hinkley 7y ago
  "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."
warent 7y ago
This is a little too cynical for my taste. Google isn't exactly a monument of ethical business, but I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos for the purpose of stealing from content creators.
- stcredzero 7y ago
  Google isn't exactly a monument of ethical business, but I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos for the purpose of stealing from content creators. Whether it's intentional or accidental, it's readily apparent that their incentive structure doesn't motivate them a bit to correct the situation. Also, this mechanism makes it very easy for lower level employees with a political axe to grind, to punish viewpoints they don't like.
- la_barba 7y ago
  Yes, whats more likely is that one of the countless bean counters at Google saw the long-tail revenue pie chart/breakdown and thought to themselves "Hmm! Would you look at that!" and just decided to not upset the apple cart..
- senorjazz 7y ago
  Often used to hear the same accusations when adsense was a bigger thing. Accounts with expected big payouts would always get banned a few days before payout. They would accept all traffic you send them for the month, then just before paying out, banned. Perhaps a coincidence sure, but when accusations keep getting made about underhanded tactics, maybe there is somethig there <takes_off_hat_made_of_tinfoil>
  - drusepth 7y ago
    We're seeing a lot of sentiment similar to this on Quora as well, now that they pay question askers. This is the first time I've been on "the other side" and see what's actually going on, rather than just seeing blog posts about "I made $X and got banned a day before payout!" At least in Quora's case, almost everyone making thousands and getting banned right before a payout are gaming/scamming the system to make those thousands, and just play the "right before I got paid!" card whenever they get caught because, well, there _was_ another payday coming... even though they should have been demonetized a long time prior.
  - amfsn 7y ago
    That happened to me too. Min payment was 120€ or so, and when I had amassed that amount (it took me like one year), bam, banned a few days before I could cash out. Obviously on purpose. That was ten years ago or so I think.
  - bduerst 7y ago
    Except demonetized channel videos don't show ads. This whole conspiracy falls flat when Google doesn't generate revenue off of demonetized video ads.
    - jessaustin 7y ago
      The hypothesis is that the channel was only demonetized after a long period during which it generated ad revenue. Flipping the demonetization switch doesn't make that revenue disappear. Rather, that causes the revenue to stay in Google's pocket instead of being distributed to the channel owner.
- tastygreenapple 7y ago
  Well, let's look at Google's ethics here - they still run ads on demonetized videos, right? So Google is okay making money off that, they just don't want the creator to make money off demonetized videos.
  - aiiane 7y ago
    No, they don't. Fully demonetized videos don't run ads because that's the entire point of demonetization - that the video was deemed unsuitable for showing ads (because ad buyers don't want their ads showing next to certain content). Partially demonetized videos may show ads, but from a reduced set of advertisers - those videos will make money but possibly not as much due to less desire for the ad space on that content.
- TAForObvReasons 7y ago
  The AdSense settlement (http://www.adsensepublishersettlement.com/ http://www.adsensepublishersettlement.com/) was quite literally that exact pattern: Google would do a review once you cleared the $100 threshold for a payout and conveniently block you, but there was no evidence that the ad customers were being refunded
- xvector 7y ago
  Decisions like these aren't mistakes.
- hinkley 7y ago
  Why is it 'too cynical'? It's metric dysfunction. A division of the company is getting results with a cost that is way below what it should be. Nobody in management wants to know how the sausage is made. It would tank their revenue reports for the next quarter. It takes leadership that most companies no longer possess to avoid situations like this, and Wall Street enforces this behavior (see also, B Corporations).
- fareesh 7y ago
  Are any of these business models transparent? I think a lot of it runs on pure faith. If I spend $10,000 on an ad, is there a way to prove that I got $10,000 worth of advertising and not $8,000? If I am a content creator and my content generated $500 in total revenue of which I have a share, is there a way to prove that it generated $500 and not $1,000?
- sumedh 7y ago
  > I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos Upper Management will never say that directly but when they keep saying we need higher revenue and lowers costs, the people working under them find ways to achieve the targets and get their bonus. Check Wells Fargo fake accounts story.
untog 7y ago
I thought there were no ads shown against demonetized videos?
amiga_500 7y ago
Isn’t this just yet another internet service that is not viable if vetted properly? Same as Facebook.

paxys 7y ago

> but can still show ads and earn revenues De-monetized videos do not show ads or earn revenue, so that actually hurts Google as well (of course it has indirect effects that are beneficial for Google overall).

hinkley 7y ago
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

warent 7y ago

This is a little too cynical for my taste. Google isn't exactly a monument of ethical business, but I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos for the purpose of stealing from content creators.

stcredzero 7y ago
Google isn't exactly a monument of ethical business, but I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos for the purpose of stealing from content creators. Whether it's intentional or accidental, it's readily apparent that their incentive structure doesn't motivate them a bit to correct the situation. Also, this mechanism makes it very easy for lower level employees with a political axe to grind, to punish viewpoints they don't like.
la_barba 7y ago
Yes, whats more likely is that one of the countless bean counters at Google saw the long-tail revenue pie chart/breakdown and thought to themselves "Hmm! Would you look at that!" and just decided to not upset the apple cart..
senorjazz 7y ago
Often used to hear the same accusations when adsense was a bigger thing. Accounts with expected big payouts would always get banned a few days before payout. They would accept all traffic you send them for the month, then just before paying out, banned. Perhaps a coincidence sure, but when accusations keep getting made about underhanded tactics, maybe there is somethig there <takes_off_hat_made_of_tinfoil>
- drusepth 7y ago
  We're seeing a lot of sentiment similar to this on Quora as well, now that they pay question askers. This is the first time I've been on "the other side" and see what's actually going on, rather than just seeing blog posts about "I made $X and got banned a day before payout!" At least in Quora's case, almost everyone making thousands and getting banned right before a payout are gaming/scamming the system to make those thousands, and just play the "right before I got paid!" card whenever they get caught because, well, there _was_ another payday coming... even though they should have been demonetized a long time prior.
- amfsn 7y ago
  That happened to me too. Min payment was 120€ or so, and when I had amassed that amount (it took me like one year), bam, banned a few days before I could cash out. Obviously on purpose. That was ten years ago or so I think.
- bduerst 7y ago
  Except demonetized channel videos don't show ads. This whole conspiracy falls flat when Google doesn't generate revenue off of demonetized video ads.
  - jessaustin 7y ago
    The hypothesis is that the channel was only demonetized after a long period during which it generated ad revenue. Flipping the demonetization switch doesn't make that revenue disappear. Rather, that causes the revenue to stay in Google's pocket instead of being distributed to the channel owner.
tastygreenapple 7y ago
Well, let's look at Google's ethics here - they still run ads on demonetized videos, right? So Google is okay making money off that, they just don't want the creator to make money off demonetized videos.
- aiiane 7y ago
  No, they don't. Fully demonetized videos don't run ads because that's the entire point of demonetization - that the video was deemed unsuitable for showing ads (because ad buyers don't want their ads showing next to certain content). Partially demonetized videos may show ads, but from a reduced set of advertisers - those videos will make money but possibly not as much due to less desire for the ad space on that content.
TAForObvReasons 7y ago
The AdSense settlement (http://www.adsensepublishersettlement.com/ http://www.adsensepublishersettlement.com/) was quite literally that exact pattern: Google would do a review once you cleared the $100 threshold for a payout and conveniently block you, but there was no evidence that the ad customers were being refunded
xvector 7y ago
Decisions like these aren't mistakes.
hinkley 7y ago
Why is it 'too cynical'? It's metric dysfunction. A division of the company is getting results with a cost that is way below what it should be. Nobody in management wants to know how the sausage is made. It would tank their revenue reports for the next quarter. It takes leadership that most companies no longer possess to avoid situations like this, and Wall Street enforces this behavior (see also, B Corporations).
fareesh 7y ago
Are any of these business models transparent? I think a lot of it runs on pure faith. If I spend $10,000 on an ad, is there a way to prove that I got $10,000 worth of advertising and not $8,000? If I am a content creator and my content generated $500 in total revenue of which I have a share, is there a way to prove that it generated $500 and not $1,000?
sumedh 7y ago
> I seriously doubt that Google would intentionally demonetize videos Upper Management will never say that directly but when they keep saying we need higher revenue and lowers costs, the people working under them find ways to achieve the targets and get their bonus. Check Wells Fargo fake accounts story.

untog 7y ago

I thought there were no ads shown against demonetized videos?

amiga_500 7y ago

Isn’t this just yet another internet service that is not viable if vetted properly? Same as Facebook.