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October 05, 2008

In Search Of: Customer Support from YouTube

During the past couple of years, I have enjoyed using the services of YouTube. YouTube has been the place I have shared life moments from various events, conferences and concerts that I have been part of. Not only have I enjoyed this service, but my individual YouTube videos are routinely visited by literally thousands of users each week.

I continue to be a fan of YouTube.

My archives are usually viewable over at http://www.youtube.com/jeffpulver.

But, this morning when I tried to log into YouTube, the message “Your account has been permanently disabled” appeared without any previous warning.

There has been no communication with me regarding why my account has been disabled. I have built a considerable audience and devoted an extraordinary amount of time and effort to attract viewers to my site and your service. It is confounding as to why this action has been taken. I presume, due to lack of notice, that this is simply a technical error or some other hiccup by YouTube.

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Dear YouTube,

I have no clue why my account was disabled. If I have inadvertently done anything to violate YouTube rules, which I don’t believe I have, I hereby apologize and will work to correct any error on my part. But, I suspect the problem is an arbitrary decision or error on your end. Frankly, suddenly losing access to all my video memories without warning or notice is shocking.

I request my YouTube account be reinstated. If for some reason that is not possible, I strongly request arranging some method so that I may be able DOWNLOAD and recover the archives of videos that I uploaded during the past couple of years. This is not simply “data”: we’re talking about irreplaceable memories of family and friends. Most of the original source material has disappeared from hard drives from computers that failed.

So, YouTube, PLEASE reactive my account and provide me with the ability to DOWNLOAD my archives. I recognize that the hosting service is yours, but those video memories were mine. And now I want them back.

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My hope is that someone who reads my plea might know someone who knows someone at YouTube. And should someone from YouTube read this, please feel free to contact me - jeffp@pulver.com and let me know what is needed in order to reactive my account.

My recent experience is a reminder of the downside of using outsourced Web 2.0 services. Maybe what is needed is a digital bank. A place to store my digital images and videos so that the memories are never lost. A place where I don’t have to be worried by anyone judging my content. A place which I can call my digital home.

But for now, my hope is that someone from YouTube customer support will find a way to re-enable my YouTube account.


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Posted by jeff on October 5, 2008 02:03 AM | Permalink

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Posted by: warhammer gold at October 17, 2008 09:42 AM

Posted by: fshe at October 16, 2008 04:22 AM

My account has been restored!

Special thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. :)

Posted by: Jeff Pulver at October 8, 2008 03:47 PM

Posted by: edebiyathocasi at October 7, 2008 07:52 AM

Thanks for the heads up. I trust it will all be resolved soon.

Posted by: Mimi at October 6, 2008 11:15 AM

I do think it's unwise to upload items with significant sentimental or business value to somewhere like Youtube without keeping the original or a back up in one or more other locations (Obviously not Google Video!).

But it's ridiculous that any account is removed without any method to save or download the material, unless it is something which is illegal, in which case that video should be removed (And by that I mean videos of criminal offences etc).


Hopefully it's just an admin mistake which will get rectified asap, and just serve as an important reminder to everyone, but it's also an indication that so many sites we look at as Web 2.0, such as Google and Digg, actually have appalling standards of customer service.

Posted by: Dan Thornton at October 6, 2008 06:12 AM

I do think it's unwise to upload items with significant sentimental or business value to somewhere like Youtube without keeping the original or a back up in one or more other locations (Obviously not Google Video!).

But it's ridiculous that any account is removed without any method to save or download the material, unless it is something which is illegal, in which case that video should be removed (And by that I mean videos of criminal offences etc).


Hopefully it's just an admin mistake which will get rectified asap, and just serve as an important reminder to everyone, but it's also an indication that so many sites we look at as Web 2.0, such as Google and Digg, actually have appalling standards of customer service.

Posted by: Dan Thornton at October 6, 2008 06:12 AM

All I can say is: "YouTube sucks!" They have gotten more and more Draconian in their measures in recent times.

Posted by: Zoe Winters at October 5, 2008 06:33 PM

Thanks for the warning. I'll make sure not to trust YouTube with my videos unless I also have a backup somewhere else.

Don't feel like it's your fault. My Facebook was deleted a week after I joined and I don't have a clue why.

Posted by: Wesley at October 5, 2008 12:51 PM

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