Picture this: You just posted a video on YouTube. It's garnering positive attention and some genuinely constructive comments. But then, the tides turn, and amidst a controversial event or sudden influx of negative attention, you wish you could just halt the incoming comments without wiping away the earlier, helpful ones. Sounds familiar? YouTube’s got your back!
Introducing the latest feature YouTube is dabbling with: an option for creators to "Pause" future comments on specific videos. But here’s the best part: the pre-existing comments remain untouched!
Currently, creators have the ability to disable comments on both individual videos and the entire channel. However, this action wipes out all comments, past and present. While there's a workaround in holding comments for review, there wasn't a way to freeze them midway, until now.
As YouTube elucidates, the new "Pause" option lets creators halt any new comments on a video while preserving the ones already there. It’s an effortless procedure: creators involved in the experiment will find the "pause" option within their video-level comment settings. And for viewers? They'll be met with a crisp “Comments are paused” message in the comments section, keeping them in the loop, while still letting them browse past discussions.
This new control panel will give creators a trifecta of choices: “On”, “Pause”, and “Off”. Plus, they'll have some added sub-settings tailor-made for comment moderation.
In essence, this tool promises creators a respite, especially during unforeseen waves of unwarranted attention or controversial events. By granting more control over their platform, YouTube aims to enhance the user experience for both creators and viewers.
As of now, this shiny new tool is in its testing phase, making its debut with a limited number of channels. But if all goes well, creators might soon have a powerful weapon in their digital arsenal!
