Moderating YouTube is probably a full-time job, what with the number of videos that are uploaded on a daily basis, the number of comments, and so on. However it seems like YouTube has decided to outsource that job to the community by launching what they are calling “YouTube Heroes”.
According to YouTube, “YouTube Heroes is a global community of contributors who help create the best possible YouTube experience for everyone. Heroes flag inappropriate content, add captions and subtitles to videos, and share their knowledge with other users on the YouTube forum, unlocking exclusive benefits along the way.”
From what we can tell, it sounds like YouTube is trying to entice users to be a moderator of sorts for them essentially for free, but at the same time they are paid in perks and early access, such as exclusive workshops and sneak previews of products before they are officially launched. Prior to this, channel owners were pretty much in charge of policing their own channel and comments, save for exceptions such as copyrighted videos which is where YouTube steps in.
By appealing to the community, it should make moderation more efficient, although we have to wonder if this could end up with moderators and channel owners butting heads. In any case if you’re interested in being a YouTube Hero, head on over here to sign up, but note that you won’t necessarily be chosen.
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