2.1 Research hypothesis: adding a user-controlled meta-moderation to the YouTube flagging system would make it more democratic.
This thesis is a qualitative analysis of the flagging system on YouTube to see how it works now and how it would work in a more democratic way when flagging would be combined with Slashdot’s system of meta-moderation. The motivation behind this is that YouTube is and can remain a communication system for new experiences, new modes of understanding and new frames of reference. But with the rising popularity comes the increase in business and commercial use of the site as well as the rise of spammers, trollers and haters. Leading to the possibility that users will abandon YouTube in the search of a new unspoiled playground. To avoid this I’d like to propose democratizing the moderation system by introducing flagging to a system of ranks and ratings, similar to Slashdot’s system of meta-moderation.
Which would involve not only giving the users more agency, but also more accountability. And why this would, in my eyes, boost the YouTube community and diminish the activity of spammers, trollers and haters. And where it can grow on to be a place that encourages debate and engenders an exchange of ideas, opinions and concerns in a democratic fashion.