Similar to X, YouTube is adding community notes to videos

In our planet, where internet videos are the main way to get information and enjoy oneself, YouTube is improving its system by introducing a feature that permits viewers to include notes in videos. 

This creative method intends to enhance the viewer’s experience by supplying more context or details directly from them. Picture yourself watching a video, and then you see a note at the bottom explaining that this song is just making fun of another one or saying when there’s a newer version for the product being reviewed. It’s like having a knowledgeable friend whisper helpful insights in your ear.

YouTube starts with a test group of participants selected using a complex bridging-based algorithm. 

In a blog post, YouTube says this method ensures that only the most useful notes are included in this feature. It finds agreement among viewers’ thoughts and prefers those bridging gaps between various viewpoints. It’s a clever way to filter the noise and highlight useful information.

Notes will appear publicly under a video if they’re found to be broadly helpful. People will be asked whether they think a note is “helpful,” “somewhat helpful,” or “unhelpful” and why – for example, whether it cites high-quality sources or is written clearly and neutrally.

YouTube

But there’s a condition: for you to contribute, your YouTube channel must be at least six months old and have had no community guideline strikes in the last year. 

This is done so those contributing to the conversation can be seen as accountable and trustworthy YouTube community members. Initially, YouTube will use third-party evaluators to judge how valuable notes are. But later on, it’s planned that this role will be given to the general public for evaluation.

This move is a component of YouTube’s more extensive campaign to fight against false information and increase the information given with videos. The platform has been working on various alterations, such as displaying panels containing data above search results and necessitating labels for content made by AI. 

With notes, YouTube’s goal goes beyond informative videos—it also aims to ensure its platform can be trusted. With more experimental features coming up, like channel QR codes or AI-created chat summaries, big changes are happening in how we engage with video content on YouTube.

In the end, it comes down to your opinion. Do you believe these notes will improve your watching experience, or are they just another thing we scroll past? Only time can answer this question for sure. 

However, what is clear from all of this discussion and speculation is that YouTube does not fear innovation. It always looks for fresh methods to make its platform more engaging and knowledgeable for the billions who use it regularly.