Almost 10-years ago, I had my first videos monetized on YouTube. Back then, you had to be invited to the program, and earnings were counted in pennies.
Wow, sounds like you started around the time we did in 2006! We were even invited to YouTube LIVE in 2008 (they flew us out to San Francisco and put us up in a hotel), around the same time we just started earning some money on YouTube, after two years!
We finally gave up in 2011 when practically one video after another was demonetized and/or removed without any real reason or rationale (basically, what's routinely happening to all YouTubers today, unless you're Katy Perry of course)...
Instead of me rambling on about it, if you're interested, I wrote all about it a month or so ago here: YouTuber's Guide to Re-Monetizing with STEEMIT!
I believe your story. I managed a channel that was shut down last year, without notice or explanation (got a generic response from the appeal).
Only 6-months earlier we were on the phone with YouTube. They were praising our work, and trying to help us optimize the marketing.
I couldn't make this shit up!
Someone who's worth more to YT probably filed a complaint against us. Fair game, it's their business.
But now we have this amazing combo of blockchain + community funding. Hope we can make the most of it!
My feelings exactly @gigafart! Before that it hadn't really been an issue. youtube support would just say, "oh no problem!" and soon after our videos would be live again.
Next thing we knew we're being told if we kept "bugging them" they'd take our whole channel down. And Margaret Healy (head of YouTube "strategic partnerships" at the time), basically said leave her alone too, there was nothing she could do (we had even met her in person multiple times at the Manhattan googleplex).
Some "partnership" it turned out to be! We simply decided there's no way we can keep going under these circumstances. Ever since, we've been looking for a "suitable" replacement... then we discovered "STEEMIT"! :)
Funny how we went from what seemed like "about to break out" to "slammed on our heads" over the course of just a few weeks after we participated in the YouTube NextUp contest...
Perhaps the greatest irony is that we moved away from some of our more "politically-oriented" content to "Naughty Tipples" due to the "resistance" we felt from YouTube's "new owners" (google). So much for that idea...! lol
The success of Patreon and Netflix give me a lot of optimism post ad-rev. But I think ads will be given a great second wind from decentralization.
Someday, we'll have an open platform for creators to p2p with advertisers. This should lead to higher payouts, lower costs, superior targeting.... I'm sure there'll be a steem-based service to make that happen!
yes an soon wwe will have Bitchute or steemq.ccom to UPLOAD videos to as well!
hey man do u have a krakken or bitfinex account? I ned to buy soem EOS tokens and ill send u neough SBD to buy one for yoursellf nd u can hold onto the for me!