YouTube recently wiped billions of views from some record labels' videos. Here's how to follow in their footsteps and buy views, Facebook likes, and Twitter followers! [Dailydot via Waxy]

  • machinestate

    “B-b-b-but-but the recording business model is antiquated, record labels aren’t adapting to evolving technologyyyyy”

    No, the business model is adapting.  The problem is the declining content evidenced by these oh-so-antiquated labels being forced to hire robots and third-world slaves to consume their content for free. 

    “Oh, oh no, what is to do?”

    Blame the pirates (read: the people who used to sit in record stores all day, trying before they buy. Bastards!)

  • bardfinn

    And yet, for years, continuing unto today, “This content is not available on [your platform|mobile].” — until you change your user agent string, and prestochangeo! Suddenly it is available!
    Can they claim their right hand was so incompetent that it induced view fraud in order to merely reach their own audience?

  • tw1515tw

    Winston Churchill said a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its trousers on. 

    I read the record companies moved over their videos to the Vevo channel a few years ago, and YouTube took its time to adjust the numbers to reflect this. Surprised to see myself defending the record companies, but there you go.

    • http://twitter.com/davidfwall David Wall

      You may have read it here - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/28/youtube-video-views-disappear-migrate?INTCMP=SRCH 

      It seems as though the story has already been somewhat debunked

  • https://plus.google.com/104067355242126774300/posts?hl=en Dennis Smith

    There are reputable sources for this news item, but still Boing Boing quotes from the Daily Mail. If  Boing Boing want’s credibility then they need to stop doing silly things like that. US readers will start thinking the Daily Mail has standards, because they don’t. The Daily Mail still go on about Princess Di, at least once a week, and if it’s not that then it’s about William and Kate. This about sums up the paper pretty well.

    • Tynam

      Sadly it doesn’t sum up the paper very well; it doesn’t begin to convey the true callous, brain-melting evil.

      • https://plus.google.com/104067355242126774300/posts?hl=en Dennis Smith

        You have a very good point there.

    • http://boingboing.net/ Rob Beschizza

      Keep fuckin’ that chicken.

    • timquinn

      “If  Boing Boing want’s credibility then . . . ”
      There’s your problem, right there.

    • Cowicide

      Boing Boing want’s credibility then they need to stop doing silly things like that. US readers will start thinking the Daily Mail has standards, because they don’t.

      Boing Boing has referred to the Daily Mail as a trash rag many, many times in the past.

      Via Boing Boing:
      Precisely why the Daily Mail is irredeemable shit

      For more:
      https://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&tbo=d&site=&source=hp&q=site%3Aboingboing.net+daily+mail

      Regular readers know there’s no love affair.  ^_^

      • Antinous / Moderator

        The DM is trash, but they also regularly break stories three days ahead of legitimate news sources. If you believe any news source, you’ve got a gullibility problem. You just have to use different trust filters for different sources.

  • http://www.facebook.com/TylerSeanWaugh Tyler Sean Waugh

    The views were removed because the videos were moved to another account.
    The narrative is wonderful but the truth came out about a week ago.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/28/youtube-video-views-disappear-migrate?INTCMP=SRCH
    [Thanks to David Wall for the link] When they migrated to VEVO views got a little mixed up and that’s been resolved. There’s no news here, just an inflated narrative blown out of proportion.