Proposal for YouTube Community video rating system.

How do you think videos should be rated for content?

I propose the following rating system be used.

A - Adult content including adult material being discussed or shown
N - Nudity or frontal nudity; for adults only
X - Sex or sexuality which may include nudity
PG13 - Is not deemed appropriate for viewing by anyone under 13 years of age.  A PG13 video may be deemed such because of profanity, the topic discussed, violence (as a video from a war or news report) or any other reason that the viewer thinks the content is not appropriate for children.
T - Trash, any video which is deemed by the community to be trash and not worth watching.
    A "T-rated" or Trash video may also have content deemed offensive because of the
content, regardless of the nature of that content.
XXX - These videos would be deemed obscene or pornographic.
F - Family audience. Appropriate for general viewing by anyone (This is the category which all other videos fall into by default.)
                              
I think is this or a similar content based rating system were employed it would enable more people from a diverse world-wide audience to enjoy YouTube without the need for censorship.  Each time a person gives a rating these would be automatically counted and the totals shown so that everyone may know how the YouTube community rates a video.

What is interesting about such a rating system is that legally it is the community which determines what content is regarded as pornographic or obscene.  By empowering the YouTube community to rate the content of videos, then YouTube would be able to set up an automated system to remove any videos, such as those that the community standard rates as XXX.  Say a video is rated XXX 1,000 times, then it may automatically be flagged. Then YouTube editors could review the video and if they agree the content is XXX and not permitted by their TOS agreement, appropriate action could be taken, as by deleting the video.  Then perhaps an automated system could be established to even suspend an account, say if someone repeatedly uploads videos that are XXX rated 1,000 times by the YouTube community.

What is interesting about such a rating system is that it permits the community to rate the videos and the community to set the standard.  Therefore the editors of YouTube are not the censors; the community gets to say how videos are rated.  This would allow a greater diversity of content, even if some of that content may be "Trash" or not really appropriate for children.

Others may have their own ideas for how the YouTube Community may rate videos.  How do you think videos should be rated?  Do you think the YouTube Community should have a way to rate the content of videos.  Please comment, rate and favor this video. 


Visit our sponsor for great gifts and apparel at www.cafepressart.com

Copyright 2008 by TALGSD.  All rights reserved.