YouTube is Hiding Dislikes. Here’s Why That Matters

An Open Letter From A Displeased YouTuber

This past week, YouTube has announced that dislikes are going the way of the dodo. For those not well versed in evolutionary biology, that means it’s dead. The button will still be there, but it won’t really do anything.

This is, ostentatiously, to protect small creators. As a creator, I can tell you that’s pure grade A bullshit. If a creator does not want that negative feedback, they can:

• Remove the likes/dislikes entirely — this has been an option for many years and this feature alone makes the removal of the like:dislike bar a farce. It’s solving a problem that doesn’t exist.
• Keep them on the page, but ignore them.
• Look at the dislikes and consider why they are getting them.
• Stop being an overgrown over sheltered baby and realize that there are people who might disagree with your video.

I’ve had videos that had more dislikes than likes. Why?

Because though I had valid criticisms of a large content creator with a cultish fanbase, I came across like a whiny little bitch. There’s no faster way to get dislikes than jealousy, even if it’s perceived rather than real. So I kept that in mind for the future.