Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 15
I work in a call center for an ISP. We get a surprisingly large number of calls (mostly from older people) who think that because we provide internet, we are also responsible for what is ON the internet. We actually have a section of the user manual to cover calls like this, and I have been using it on this one caller to no avail.
The caller has been offended by a video on YouTube and is demanding we take it down. I have tried to explain that he needs to report the video to YouTube directly and described how to do that (not within our remit but whatever)
Me: “Sir, as I have explained, we’re not responsible for what is on YouTube. You would need to contact them or report the video if you found it offensive or—”
Customer: “—but you don’t understand! I left a comment but it’s still up! If you could see it yourself you’d understand! It’s on YouTube, it’s a site about—”
Me: “—sir, as I have explained twice, I know what YouTube is! And I also explained that nearly all the videos on there are made by regular people, about anything they want. I don’t have any control over—”
Customer: “—but I left a comment saying I didn’t like it! Why didn’t they take it down?”
At this point I decide to go along with it, not really to humor him, but maybe give him a little education about how all this stuff works. Since he’s described the video (in vivid detail) I am able to find it on my computer within seconds.
Me: “Sir, do you see that number under the video?”
Customer: “Yes.”
Me: “That’s how many times this video has been viewed. What number does it say?”
Customer: “It says 5.6M.”
Me: “That means 5.6 million.”
Customer: “Oh.”
Me: “And you see this part here, this shows there have been about five thousand comments.”
Customer: “Yes, and some of them don’t like it, like me!”
Me: “Let’s say that half of the comments are negative, so, 2,500. 5,000 is 0.1% of 5 million, so the negative comments come from 0.05% of the people who watched this video.”
Customer: “What are you trying to say?!”
Me: “I’m saying that in the world of the internet, commenters are the vocal minority. Your feelings are valid, but a video isn’t going to be taken down from a single comment.”
Customer: “So… do I leave ten comments?”
Me: “No, that’s not—”
Customer: “—twenty? How many?!”
Me: “It doesn’t matter, the point is—”
Customer: “—a hundred then! Just you see! I’ll get that video taken down!”
He storms off, angry and energized. I might have taught him how a part of the internet works, but I also led him down the path to angered spam… sorry internet!
Related:
Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 14
Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 13
Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 12
Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 11
Sooo Not Ready For The Internet, Part 10
