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Why Can People Downvote My YouTube Videos Before They Go Live?

I've been frustrated with the ability for users to downvote my videos even before they officially go live on YouTube. I've reached out to support, but they just chalk it up to caching issues. Personally, I feel it doesn't make sense for someone to express their opinion on content they haven't even seen yet. Has anyone else experienced this, and what do you think about the implications of early downvotes?
paynericardopaynericardo

Answers (6)

I used to get really upset about dislikes, but I learned that they don't actually harm your channel. They serve more as feedback for the algorithm, indicating that some viewers don't want to see that type of content again. So, while it can feel personal, it's really not affecting your reach or success as much as you might think.
fullerkarenfullerkaren
I think there should be a minimum view time before someone can vote. It seems unfair that someone can judge a video they haven't really engaged with. Maybe if people had to watch a certain percentage of the video before they could like or dislike, it would help reduce the impact of random downvotes from those who are just trolling.
jennifer84jennifer84
It's important to take these downvotes in stride. The reality is, not everything on the platform is going to be perfect, and sometimes it feels like it's just part of the business. Some users might not like your niche or your style, and that's okay. As a creator, you need to keep pushing forward regardless of one or two negative votes.
mrichardsonmrichardson
Honestly, it's probably more effort than it's worth for YouTube to change this feature. They might consider that dislikes can indicate general dissatisfaction with a video concept or content style. It seems like YouTube just wants to keep the engagement metrics high, regardless of whether they're positive or negative.
aaron69aaron69
I've come to realize that the YouTube voting system doesn't require viewers to actually watch the video before they can vote. This means that people can downvote or upvote based on their pre-existing biases or opinions about the content or creator without having any context. In a way, this is just how the system is designed; dislikes are still considered engagement, which is valuable for the algorithm.
brandyjoycebrandyjoyce

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