Decentralizing Through Unification

I started on Youtube back in 2017 with the discovery of cryptocurrencies. I launched my channel as an attempt to continue learning while sharing what I learn in this risky yet exciting space. I've been on Youtube now for 3 years and built up over 81,000 subscribers and nearly 12,000 on Twitter. But the last 24 hours have been scary, frustrating and mind numbing.

I recently went live and published a video related to Capital Gains tax. Merely a way to educate people on what it means to swing trade and dump alts for Bitcoin, fees and long and short term capital gains tax. That video was flagged as containing harmful or dangerous content. My entire channel was terminated without warning or explanation.

I thought my career as a content provider was now over in a flash.

I tweeted about the situation and was shocked at the outpouring of support not only from followers, but from all of the other Youtubers. https://twitter.com/jasonappleton/status/1248070866170253312?s=20

Hundreds of retweets in less than a day began spilling into Twitter. I ended up writing an article about it on https://cryptocrow.io/crypto-youtuber-crypto-crow-terminated-by-youtube-without-explanation-censorship-or-mistake/ and Tweeted that out and again, hundreds of retweets.

Many were theorizing that its part of the censorship conspiracy against Crypto Youtubers. Some were saying it was a troll or group of trolls abusing the system. I believed the latter. Knowing that Youtube is such a large company, with so much content being delivered under their watch while trying to appease advertisers and stay out of trouble, they have ultimately automated their systems with an Ironfisted algorithm. I believed the issue was a mistake and would be resolved, but I didn't know when and to what extent the damage would be overall.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/youtube-bans-and-restores-crypto-crow-in-within-days

This afternoon, I was notified that my channel was back online. I didn't get any notice, but it was there. I couldn't believe it. I immediately went live to thank everyone for their support in what became a pretty emotional yet slightly embarrassing video. I felt I owed it to all of my supporters to just bear my soul a bit and sincerely show my appreciation for all they did to help me. Almost immediately, that video too was flagged as Harmful and Dangerous and taken down.

I now had 1 warning and 1 strike without any clear understanding of what was happening.

I ended up not only appealing that video, but I appealed the previous video's violation while I was at it. The thankful video was almost immediately REJECTED! I thought, ok....maybe this is some sort of censorship issue, even though I didn't do anything wrong, maybe I was being pushed out somehow. But why bring my channel back at all?

Suddenly, a couple of hours later, both videos that were under violation were restored and my community strikes were all cleared. I STILL don't have any explanation of what happened, but it appears I weathered a Troll Storm.

I simply dont believe that Youtube is doing this to people intentionally. I think they are trying to manage an amount of content that mortal man can barely fathom each and every hour and they created a frail system by which to police all of it and it's being abused by people. I'm not at all trying to toot my own horn, but I feel strongly that my reputation for being a brutally honest no bullshit kind of guy with a big heart is well deserved. I dont do shady things on my Youtube Channel and I don't ever try to mislead anyone. Hell I am a partner in a Bitcoin Co-Location Mining farm and I tell people not to buy the miners right now because its better to just buy the Bitcoin and hold that the likely yield of miners for the same money spent. I have some haters though. Nasty people are disgusted by me according to my wife. One Youtube troll even wrote a huge article about me that took 10% of truth mixed in with a very dramatic and imaginative narrative that wreaked of jealousy and spite. Some believe members of his community are who are trolling other Youtubers by abusing Youtube's system.

I love Youtube. I'm a Premium member and proud of it. Youtube has been very good to me as a content creator and has given me a platform to voice my opinions, educate others and make a living. But the system is flawed.

I would propose Youtube even launches some sort of monthly subscription service specifically for Youtubers that believe its valuable to be able to contact someone person to person to remedy these troll attempts or false reporting of content. I would be glad to pay in addition to my Premium service. My losing and regaining my channel within a 24 hour period free of strikes is not the norm. Many have been out weeks waiting for resolution.

In the meantime, I am going to decentralize my efforts online from now on. But I could use your help.
My entire channel has been added to LBRY: https://open.lbry.com/@cryptocrow#2

I am also in the process of adding my Videos to Dtube. with my first video being:

I attempted to upload another video, thinking I would stay up all night and just upload everything to Dtube by tomorrow, but apparently I don't have enough RC? I'm not entirely sure what they even is or how to get it but I will be diving much deeper into these platforms and I encourage you to follow me on both from now on in addition to Youtube.

The unity I witnessed through out this dramatic scene has inspired me to make sure my content and message is seen in as many places as possible and another example of why Decentralization of all things is the way of the future for the people and by the people.

Thank you for reading my first Steemit blog post.
(I had an old Steemit account but I couldn't find my keys, oops)