dislikes Archives * Page 2 of 2 * ceres.org

The notion of providing negative feedback on video content without cost is a practice wherein individuals seek to artificially inflate the number of “dislike” votes on YouTube videos. This activity often involves the use of automated systems or coordinated efforts to rapidly increase the count of unfavorable ratings. An instance of this would be a user employing a bot network to register numerous “dislike” votes on a competitor’s uploaded video.

The appeal of artificially manipulating disapproval ratings lies primarily in the potential for perceived damage to a video’s reputation and visibility. A high ratio of negative feedback may deter other viewers from watching the content, potentially impacting the creator’s channel growth, advertising revenue, and overall engagement. Historically, this type of manipulation has been attempted for reasons ranging from simple mischief to orchestrated campaigns aimed at discrediting individuals or organizations.

6+ Why YouTube Dislikes Disabled by Owner? Find Out!

The ability to remove public visibility of the dislike count on YouTube videos is a feature implemented by the platform allowing content creators to hide the number of dislikes their videos receive. This function does not eliminate the dislike button itself; viewers can still register their negative feedback, but the collective count remains unseen by both the public and other viewers. A practical instance would be a creator experiencing targeted dislike campaigns opting to hide the metric to mitigate potential negative impact on viewer perception.

This functionality is intended to protect creators from targeted harassment and dislike mobs, fostering a more positive environment, particularly for smaller channels or those experimenting with new content. Historically, the public dislike count was viewed as a critical metric, providing feedback on content quality and relevance. However, its susceptibility to manipulation and potential for discouraging creators led to the introduction of the option to conceal this information. The intended benefit is to shift the focus from quantitative metrics to qualitative engagement through comments and viewership patterns.