Washington Post: YouTube, among others, has tried a variety of tactics, including real-name requirements using Google+, designed to subdue the beast, “flagging” by users to alert its moderators to content for possible removal and an elite corps of “Trusted Flaggers,” which the Google-owned company says “gives users access to more advanced flagging tools as well as periodic feedback, making flagging more effective and efficient.”
All this to modest avail, despite the fact that, as YouTube reports, “over 90 million people have flagged videos on YouTube since 2006 — that’s more than the population of Egypt — and over a third of these people have flagged more than one video.”
So on Thursday it proposed something new, “YouTube Heroes,” essentially a gaming effort to entice users into, among other things, “mass flagging” of offensive content, which would then be reviewed by professionals and removed if warranted. Here’s how it’s supposed to work, according to the YouTube blog post:
YouTube Heroes will have access to a dedicated YouTube Heroes community site that is separate from the main YouTube site, where participants can learn from one another. Through the program, participants will be able to earn points and unlock rewards to help them reach the next level. For example, Level 2 Heroes get access to training through exclusive workshops and Hero hangouts, while Level 3 Heroes who have demonstrated their proficiency will be able to flag multiple videos at a time (something Trusted Flaggers can already do) and help moderate content strictly within the YouTube Heroes Community site.
