I am mighty, mighty unhappy with Google, Google Plus, and You Tube.
I’ve spent the better part of the last couple of YEARS, working on setting up seven or eight YouTube channels, each one dedicated to a particular instrument that I play.
So, for example, for the main body of my work, involving guitar, guitar synth, bass, keyboard, synthesizer, and drum machine – it’s my main YouTube channel “pureambientHD“.
For my work with applications, it’s “applicationHD”
For my piano and vocal work, it’s “ablackboxHD”
For my work with the korg kaossilator, it’s “kaossilatorHD”
And so on – a channel for synthesizers –“synthesizerHD” (this is the channel that is damaged), a channel for my scapes – purescapes, a channel for my old band bindlestiff – bindlestiffHD…
Each one bore it’s own unique name. This was intentional, since each one is dedicated to a particular instrument.
Well, today, because I clicked the wrong button in one place, one time – at least one of my channels has lost it’s brand identity, and has been FORCIBLY changed to bear the name “Dave Stafford” INSTEAD OF “synthesizerHD” – because YouTube has REMOVED the option for me to name my own channel the way I want it (!!!) surely – users should have the CHOICE, the program should NOT be allowed to decide how I name my channel!!!!!!!! that is RIDICULOUS!!!), and instead, inserted an uneditable link to your Google+ account.
I’ve been pushing the button “I don’t want to use my full name” for months when pestered by the GUI, as I try to open and edit my channels. Today, I meant to press that button again, because, Dear Google, Dear Google+, Dear YouTube, Dear Gigantic Faceless Entity That Obviously Does Not Care – I DO NOT WANT TO USE MY FULL NAME – it makes no sense to have 8 channels all called DAVE STAFFORD !!! – if you don’t know the purpose of the channel.
By accident, I hit the wrong button, and to my everlasting horror, find that not only have you named the channel with the wrong name, but you have done so IRREVERSIBLY!
I like consistency, and now, I am forced into inconsistency and mayhem, thanks to Google making assumptions, and then FORCING a change onto me that I never, ever wanted and have been fighting to STOP for months.
Today, I lost the battle. So – my apologies to my customers and listeners and subscribers, everywhere: you will no longer find clearly named pages with the exact instrument I play clearly named – instead, SOME of the channels will have their CORRECT names (because Google hasn’t figured out that they are related to the others – yet) and some will just say “Dave Stafford”.
And why is that? Because once you push (even if accidentally!!!!!!!!!) that button that says “I want to use my full name” – they immediately destroy your two years of work, AND, there is NO WAY TO SWITCH it back, because they don’t give you the option to revert it back to it’s name (as they used to, a few months back).
I’ve seen some pretty big companies do some very, very stupid things, but to my mind – this takes the cake. Have you ever heard of an inflexible program that doesn’t allow you to revert a change? That’s poor, poor programming – I am sorry. YouTube and Google a) should be ashamed of this shoddy level of presumptive programming, that is not considering what the USERS wants and needs, but instead, IMAGINING that for some bizarre reason, I want eight channels all named “Dave Stafford” !! The height of arrogant, blind, stupidity – assuming – and you know what happens when you “ass u me”.
Does anyone out there know of ANY way to sort this out?
I would happily trash/delete my Google plus account, if that would “free” the lock down Google + has put on the names of my YouTube channels, but I fear that it might delete the YouTube channels with it (now that they are linked) – so that may not be an option.
Anyone with any ideas on how I can revert these – please, please get in touch. Beyond a solution – I suppose all I can do is apologise again, and ask your continued patience – if you search for “synthesizerHD”, you will find the channel, even if it does just say “Dave Stafford” at the top – read the description, and that will have to suffice – each description describes what instruments or types of music are featured on each channel.
I am so frustrated by this, I worked very, very hard on these channels, intentionally designing each one to have a unique musical identity – to give each one a very specific identity, very specific branding for each instrument or style represented, and stupid programming “assumptions” on YouTube/Google’s part, have DESTROYED MY HARD WORK, and RUINED the specific and very intentional branding of at least one of my many YouTube channels.
Any programmer who ASSUMES that every user would AUTOMATICALLY, always, want to overwrite seven or eight unique entities, with a single owner name – is clearly not thinking straight – or is slightly delusional.
ANNOUNCING – THE “SOLVE THE GOOGLE PROBLEM” contest:
OK – here we go – impromptu contest. Whoever comes up with the first solution, that allows me to control the unique individual naming of every one of my YouTube sites – wins a free copy of my “gone native” CD.
Contest Rules: The first working suggestion sent to pureambient@yahoo.co.uk, specifically, a solution that will let me name my synthesizerHD channel “synthesizerHD”, and break the FORCED LINK to my Google plus account (and, giving ME control over what the name of MY YouTube page is, as a result) – will win a free copy of my “gone native” compact disc. Entries will be read in order they are received, and each “fix” tried in that same sequence – and when I get one that works – that’s the winner! One winner only, contest ends when the first working “fix” for the Google Problem is implemented, and “synthesizerHD” is named “synthesizerHD” as was always meant to be.
Good luck – and, thanks in advance for your help!
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CONTEST RULES:
It is permissible for Google and YouTube employees to assist me by directly, by fixing the problem, or providing me with a fix – no one is exempt from entering the contest.
Note: any “working solution” must not cause any damage to any of my related YouTube accounts, as that would defeat the purpose 🙂 So a working solution is defined as, any procedure that allows me to change the name of the channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/synthesizerHD without harming that YouTube page, any related YouTube page, or my related Google or Google+ accounts.
Note: contest ends May 1, 2013 even if there are no working suggestions submitted.
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all the best ~~~~~~~~~~~
Dave (in sheer frustration at the stupidity of some companies…)
pureambient / dave stafford 