YouTube Test Making Comments Automatically Hidden

YouTube Tests New Comment ‘Block’ Feature

Over the last few years, video hosting website YouTube has been facing more and more pressure to try and address some of the biggest concerns surrounding its content. It isn’t even necessarily just the content either as some of the user interactions on it are certainly less than favourable.

In a report via CNET, however, YouTube is reportedly testing a new feature out on videos posted on the website. Put simply, comments will be hidden unless you ‘opt-in’ to view them.

Hidden – But Not Disabled

We should note a key difference here in that comments will not be disabled by default. Instead, users will have to physically click to reveal them. Put simply they will not, (at least within the test remits) automatically be displayed below the video.

While this might sound a little weird, it generally doesn’t take too much searing in any of the comments sections in videos before some virtual vitriol starts getting thrown around.

What Do We Think?

The intention of this move is likely to see if the website can help promote a more healthy environment for it’s users. This is particularly important as they look to address some of the significant concerns expressed for younger viewers and especially online bullying.

It is only a test, and yes, it may prove to have no effect what-so-ever. It will, however, at least only make the comments visible to those who voluntarily want to take part in them. Given that this is a ‘test’, however, the chances are you may not encounter this at all. It is, after all, only being used in isolation on a number of specific channels. If it is deemed a success, however, we may see it rolled out completely in the near future!

What do you think? Do you regularly use YouTube? – Let us know in the comments!