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Comment by utf985 | Hacker News Reader

This is sad. As someone who loves browsing the "hidden" side of YT where videos and channels with sub 3 and 4 digit viewcount lurk and discovering weird obscure content, this feature was a godsend. I have been able to contact users that otherwise leave absolutely no contact info on their pages to ask them about certain content they have uploaded on multiple occasions.

I really dislike how stuff like twitter and Instagram have become the standard form of reaching anyone, as I have neither and your messages can very easily become ignored due to the very nature of how these two social networks operate.

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This is the equivalent of Nintendo disabling profile pictures because of people abusing it with penis pictures.

Not really? 1) you can still have profile pictures from a limited though large set of their IP plus highly custom Mii and 2) the expected user bases and interaction methods between platforms is not at all comparable.

> 2) the expected user bases and interaction methods between platforms is not at all comparable.

Exactly. Pictures visible through normal use are not the same as an inbox you have to go out of your way to read.

At the very least, the sensibe thing is to make messages opt-in or whitelist only. Removing the feature to prevent harassment seems like a scapegoat. I wonder if this was being utilized as an illegal communications channel and YT\alphabet is worried about legal exposure

When did Nintendo have custom profile pictures?

I feel you. Unfortunately if a feature or product doesn't hit the high numbers Google kills it.

I even managed to probed one guy who only had 3 videos to start posting again. I asked him when he would make more videos. I wonder if anybody else did.

>I really dislike how stuff like twitter and Instagram have become the standard form of reaching anyone, as I have neither and your messages can very easily become ignored due to the very nature of how these two social networks operate.

I don't get where this sense of entitlement comes from. Why do you think you have any right to contact creators or that they shouldn't ignore your messages?

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