🚨 **SPOILER ALERT: GTFO | Language Warning 🤬**  🚨

The film GTFO, expressed that in the gaming community there is a number of toxicity and sexual harassment both in the online world and in the real world scenes; towards primary female gamers. Thus, there needs to be a change and social impact is great way to do so. GTFO, is about the experiences of female gamers in which in the eyes of men, should “Get The Fuck Out” and not be gamers; when females have every right just as men do to play video games.

In the film GTFO, the filmmakers brought some topics and issues forth. In the filming it was made apparent that the gaming community is a toxic environment with sexes comments, death threats, sexual violence, and hate comments. This was expressed via. A variety of talking heads, screen pans that are executed in which displayed screenshots and video of messages that people receive on Xbox Live, when playing games, and when they write blog posts. With in these messages, things such as “games belong to [men]”, messages alluding to that they want to have sex with them, to messages of people wanting to rape them or wishing that they got rapped, to messages like that women are useless in video games, to messages like “people should play while being harassed”, and to messages of men being ‘uncomfortable’ when women start talking on the microphone. In the film, they also showed that at a gaming completion one of the female contenders was getting sexually harassed on a live stream. To the male’s perspective that was doing it, it wasn’t him as he was following the requests made by the people from the Live Chat (“Chat” or “The Chat” as most streamers refer to it). However, with that being said, he could of just as easily said no. As that was happening you could see that the female contender was uncomfortable and in turn, just wanted to be done with the tournament and began to throw games in which she didn’t put in any effort.

With this information at hand, we can say that the gaming community is not a fun environment to be apart of. The social impact of the film is to bring awareness of the community. With the further idea of the hopes to mitigate the toxicity in the community. With the idea that “your not alone” and that if your wanting big change you need small change and that by speaking out you have small changes, it’s a driven force of passion that is needed to name these impacts and to make social impact. All throughout the film, there was a number of times when it was said that “there needs to be a change” with that throughout GTFO, small suggestions were made, such as, speaking out about your experience, the game and to an extent the hardware developers should implement better moderation tools and banning mechanisms, to muting the players within the game chat, to disabling comments, there should be better sexual harassment/violence policy in place in the video game tournament world. By doing these things you are bring forth the idea that your not alone and that you can bring it to an audience and make a change from there. One solution that was brought up during the film, is that if you get a good group of friends together then you can create a support group and just focus on them verses focusing on the other players and their coms (voice channels/microphones).

As it was said, in the film, “women [tend to be] afraid to talk about what happened to them” be it online or in person. Thus, by having a few people beginning to open up, you can start to encourage people to do the same. An example of this is the “#MeTo” campaign that was trending on social media like Twitter and Facebook, in which encouraged women (and to an extent men as well) to open up and to share their story on sexual harassment that they have experienced. This trend gained a large response and people began to open up to talk about their experience. Personally, I think that with the #MeTo campaign and the gaming community beginning to open up, I think that we will see a major change in the way gamers and people in general interact with one another. The film, did display the notion, by showing the panels at conventions and that when they began to open, they showed the audience feeling motivated and wanting change and that they could help with the change!

In the film GTFO, I found that there was a great amount of detail in the interviews themselves. True facts were brought up and it was backed up by evidence. However, as it was discussed in class and from what I have seen, these problems aren’t only directed towards women, but also men who don’t fit the demographic of a white heterosexual in their 20s and fit the heteronormativity stereotypes. I think if the filmmaker wants to see change then they should also show, that it’s not just females.

GTFO, is a movie filled with social impact and the important factors that in the gaming community females tend to face a number of serious sexual harassment and toxicity. By talking about you can show other female gamers that you’re not alone and that you don’t need to “Get The Fuck Out!” With social impact we can try to end toxicity.

Film Diary: You’re Not Alone; GTFO

🚨 **SPOILER ALERT: Scared Scared and Waltz with Bashir**  🚨

The different forms in which was used to create the films Scared Scared and Waltz with Bashir included a range of different things from audiovisuals, animation, and camera movements, to signal violence without showing it; to showing animation to signify the violence; to a shocking shift to actual footage to convey that these events are real and that these films are true stories. This all allows for a further enhancement on information retention during traumatic events in which has occurred.

In the film Scared Scared by Canadian filmmaker Velcrow Ripper he used a number of different aesthetic forms such as black-and-white footage to display flashbacks of a merry-go-round; when Ripper said “he was having darker dreams” in the film we were presented with descriptive scenes such as a clown like character with a super imposed image of blood and death; there were different audiovisual cues to display gunshots, and war through the use of thunder and lighting; Ripper further used shots of a green night vision and smoke to indicate the gas leak, with the further use of showing men, women, and children running away in the street to run away from the gas. On the other hand of film examination, in the film Waltz with Bashir we are presented with an animation aesthetic and with the use of different camera angles, more orange hues, and an intense soundtrack to convey trauma. As it was said, in our readings for the film Waltz with Bashir “Animating Trauma: Waltz with Bashir, David Polonsky” by Joram Ten Brink:

>[This is] not a journalistic film, it’s not about the truth; it’s about the process of discovery of memories of war, which is something else. Of course the live sequence at the end is there to make sure everybody realized it’s true. That it’s not made up (Ten Brink 133).

>It’s a delicate balance between two different directions. One is to express yourself to the maximum and the other is to remain truthful. And the very simple way to describe this in drawing is to create naturalistic drawings (Ten Brink 131).

With this in mind we can state that when creating this film, Ari Folman, used the animation verses the live-action to convey the traumatic instances as an act to memorialize war and to do it in away that is easy to follow and have the underlining effect that even through this is all ‘an act’, it’s a real thing and that with having the ending showing the women crying out with animation in the beginning and then shifting towards real footage of her walking the streets and crying out while seeing these dead children and fellow women and men. This scene is to truly bring truth to the film. This scene really stuck in my mind and allowed the film as a whole to stick in my mind for many months after watching it for the first time. By, not exposing one to the live-action it allowed for people to be able to retain the information and learn the history of certain events. Through the use of repeated imagery such as the scene in which the character of Ari wakes up in the ocean with two other soldiers and they move towards the town, it allows for the viewer to see how to memorize something you need to keep replying something, be it something that happened or something that was a myth.

With in the film Waltz with Bashir the filmmaker used animation to enhance the audiovisual representation along with the representation of the information at hand by showing content that is real and of events that aren’t necessarily easy to watch on a psyche level. As it was further sated in the reading by Ten Brink in his interview with David Polonsky:

>With the use of the animation it was able to allow the viewer to connect and to empathize with the characters as it was made believable and that they were there even though … The main thing you realize that we are dealing with memory and inner journeys and the fact that it’s done through drawings. You realize that the voice is ‘real’ and that the image is fabricated (Ten Brink 130).

> … Drawing lets you look at what’s in your mind (Ten Brink 130).

Like mentioned in the above paragraph with the mix of animation and the ending live-action scene it does allow to the film maker to step out of their boundaries and to further represent the information at hand. As it was mentioned around 44:00 minutes into the film, that once the therapies was talking with a client and he was a photographer; however, his camera broke and when it did, he was able to see what the war was and that this was traumatic and that it upset him. However, looking at the war through the lens, a physical lens so to speak, he was able to go from this feel of that this isn’t real, to seeing that this is actually real. With the use of these different forms of animation and audiovisuals, it allows for an enhancement on the psyche and allows people to step out of their comfort zones in which are prevalent when showing content like displayed in this film and to allow like stated before, to learn the history behind certain events that are traumatic.

In the films Scared Scared and Waltz with Bashir, the filmmakers use different filming forms in which to convey serious topics such as gas leaks and the 1982 Lebanon war. These forms range from the use of camera angles, audiovisuals, animation, and more. These all are used in a way in which allows viewers to retain information that may be hard on your psyche and to further expand the information to a wider audience.

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Ten Brink, Joram, and Joshua Oppenheimer. Killer Images. London, Wallflower Press, 2012.

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Film Diary: Memory Can Be a Scary Thing

For my DIGI 301, Digital Media Literacy we were asked to create a personal “goals” poster; I thought this would be the easiest assignment to make! However, I was so wrong! when you sit down and think “what the heck to I want to do with my life, career, and aspirations?” You can get caught in a loop of asking yourself if you really want to be doing the things that you have planned! This is oddly a good thing to do as it get’s you thinking! It was recommenced that we look back at this yearly and make modifications where needed! I thought this is another good example of my work in the “Graphic Design” world! Plus you get a “look” into my mind!

Creating Goal’s for Yourself Is NOT An Easy Task!

Design: Goal Poster

Back in January 2016 my partner and I visited a rock beach near our house! At the time we didn't know the name of it so we (more so myself) called it "some beach in Nanaimo" but apparently it has a name and that name is Sealand Park! With that being said, I went back there and got some gorgeous pictures! This was also my first attempt at some "Long Exposer" pictures and I think it turned out well!

"At some beach in Nanaimo" (a.k.a Sealand Park)

Sealand Park

For my DIGI 330, Designing User Experiences class we had to create two empathy maps in which was to create a "character" that we would think would use our app that each student would "design" mock-ups for! I thought this would be an example of the work that I can do in the "Graphic Design" world!

Design: Empathy Map

On August 19th, 2017 my sister, dad, and I went to the opening weekend of the 2017 PNE (a theme park in Vancouver, BC, Canada) season; we had a load of fun! On the way back home, we took the Ferry (shocker 😜 the only way to get to Vancouver Island from the mainland) and as we were departing we had the pleasure of seeing the breathtaking beautiful sunset!

Tsawwassen, BC, Canada: August 19th, 2017

Tsawwassen Sunset: August 19th, 2017

🚨 **SPOILER ALERT: “The Prospectors”** 🚨

The story “The Prospectors” by Karen Russel will make people ponder what history is and what the different implications are. The author challenges the general notion of history, which is names and locations. She then gravitates her focus to ghosts and their part in history, intertwining all of this into a fictional story that makes the reader question what is real or not. History is not all names, dates, and locations, but a more nuanced subject to be questioned and always open to different interpretations.

"The Prospectors" text includes a number of locations and names. As argued in Mason’s novel “Shiloh And Other Stories” to him “[h]istory was always names and dates” (16), which leads to a common definition of history with bringing forth the additional idea that locations are a part of history. In the story, the locations are, but not limited to: Lucerne, Mt. Joy, The Evergreen Lodge, Camp Thistle, Camp Bountiful (Russell 2), Rabbit Creek (Russell 3), Oregon Gazette, O.B. Dawson, Emerald Lodge (Russell 7), Company 609 of the Oregon Civilian Conservation Corps. (C.C.C.), and Cloud Cap Inn (Russell 8). Research shows the majority of the places listed in the story are real, however, the locations aren’t accurate to where they are considered to be. For example, Lucerne is in Switzerland, Camp Thistle is in Scotland, Rabbit Creek is in South Dakota, and Emerald Lodge is in fact not in “America” (Russell 10) but rather in Field, British Columbia, Canada and is titled “Emerald Lake Lodge” (for a full list of the locations please see Appendix I). Furthermore, O.B. Dawson is not a real person and Company 609 of the Oregon C.C.C. is not shown in the historical record. Despite Russell’s fluidity with locations and places, there are a few real locations in the right place like Cloud Capp Inn.

In the article, “History, What History?”, Torgal describes history as a unique, complex, scientific ideology, and self-interpretation; collections of points, facts, names, dates, locations, and objects (41). A notion is expressed that people need to look at history with a ‘grain of salt’ and from a political and scientific viewpoint (Torgal 41). Slotkin further adds that “[h]istory is what it is, but it is also what we make of it. What we call ‘history’ is not a thing, an object of study, but a story we choose to tell about things” (222). These theories of history can be used to convey the importance of looking further into history than just the names and locations, but rather at the ideas, scientific points, politics within nature, and how we as humans interpret everyday life. These ideas can be used to study history in the text “The Prospectors” by examining the different locations that the events take place in and why the author has chosen these places as well as the impact of them.

The locations aren’t the only thing that makes the reader question history within this text, as readers are further introduced to the idea of ghosts and the importance of them with history. It was “The C.C.C. workers ghosts [who] had built this [Lodge]” who were trapped (Russell 10) as historical figures in the lodge after the avalanche killed them. However, the C.C.C. workers were unaware of their true state and refused to accept it, which means that people stay within history, even after their passing. The two main characters told the C.C.C. workers about their ‘history’ and at that time the reader could see that the workers were changing as it was described that “his round face almost featureless [and] his eyebrows vanished” as well as “a mouthful of holes” (Russell 16). They were stuck in a purgatory like state. The workers had no idea what happened and once they did, they were able to move on. By the end, once they accepted it “[t]he entire building [began to] shak[e]” (Russell 20), they were freed. As McFadden stated in her article ““People Shouldn't Be Forgotten”: Cold Case's Pursuit of History's Ghosts” when people think of ghosts it “restor[es] … our view stories of lives and experiences rendered invisible and unspeakable by dominant forms of knowledge and power” (146). With this when different texts refer to ghosts they are typically placed to represent some form of history, be it non-fictional or fictional.

The two main characters Clara and Aubergine were presumed to be alive, however, in the story, as the reader continues to read a discovery could be made that Clara and Aubergine may actually be ghosts as well. This can be seen as Aubergine questions, “[w]e could be all dead - why not?” (Russell 15) with further details like “notic[ing] a tiny chip in the [nail] polish, exposing the translucent blue enamel” (Russell 15), as well as the observation that “Clara … with blue lips and flakes daggering her lashes” (Russell 2), and that “Clara’s eyes looked shiny, raccoon-beady” (Russell 12); while “[b]ruises were thickening all over her arms” (Russell 3). With the additional discovery that Aubergine witnessed “[s]omething subtle and real shifted inside” (Russell 4); additionally, Lee knowing what Clara’s ‘real name’ was (Russell 12-13) even though they never told him her ‘real name’; furthermore, Aubergine recollected that when “Lee and I kissed, it felt no different from kissing a living mouth” (Russell 12). These points come together to suggest that the protagonists may be ghosts after all, with the possibility that they were at the lodge during the avalanche.

It’s possible that the cause of the avalanche that killed the C.C.C. workers along with the possible deaths of the two main characters, Clara and Aubergine, may have been triggered by the photographer. When the avalanche occurred, the reader is left to question if, when the photographer took a picture the flash and the sound of the shutter caused the avalanche. As Russell put it, “[n]ow [that the photographer is here] the light of the Emerald Lodge began to erupt in rhythmic bursts” further adding that “[w]e squinted against the radiant detonation [of the photographer]. These blasts are much brighter and louder than any shutter click on Earth” (Russell 17). With this, it can be thought that having loud noises of music, the excitement of the C.C.C. workers, and with the addition of stated before, the flash and shutter; is likely the cause of the avalanche. Moreover, it could be thought that the avalanche happened between “4.A.M.” (Russell 15) and 6 am as Russell put an emphasis on the 4 am time on page 15. Additionally, the author wrote in the story that before the photographer showed up that they were in “[r]oom 409” (Russell15) and that the C.C.C. workers were from “Company 609” (Russell 8). Therefore, when taking out the common numbers ‘0’ and ‘9’ the only numbers left are ‘4’ and ‘6’. It can also be thought that Clara and Aubergine were in room 409 at the time of the avalanche.

As noted in previous paragraphs, the C.C.C. workers and the main characters are trapped in Emerald Lodge. This leads to a conclusion that it is an endless loop of history that keeps repeating until all of the people within accept their truth. Russell notes on page 8, that there were “twenty-six workers” who passed away during the avalanche (8), however, on the following pages the reader is only greeted with “five boys” (9) whom are “blush[ing]” (9). Therefore, readers don’t get a clear picture of the other twenty-one workers, which leads to the idea that the remaining workers have accepted their truth and have been able to move on. It can then be argued that the other five workers, as well as Clara and Aubergine, have not yet accepted their truth and history, and thus are still stuck in this loop. Once they accepted it, as previously stated in an earlier paragraph the lodge began to shake and crumble.

Even though “The Prospectors” is throughout a historical fiction story, the author incorporates a certain amount of research. As Slotkin wrote, that historical fiction:

>[I]f responsibly done, it can stimulate interest in the study of history[,] … if properly understood, the writing of historical fiction can be a valuable adjunct to the work of historians in their discipline. A novel can be as accurate as a history in telling what happened, when, and how. It can, and should, be based on careful research and rigorous analysis of evidence (221).

With this in mind the reader can say that even though this is a fictional story, there has been some research put into it with the use of locations, events, and phrases. However, the way that Russell wrote this story leaves the readers questioning if the locations in the story are true or not and as evidenced throughout this essay and the Appendix I, most of the locations are real though located in different places than thought when reading the story. Additionally, it was quoted on page 13 that “the French word for ‘dawn’” was “Aubergine” (Russell), which is a true translation. Furthermore, the reader is left questioning if the avalanche happened in real life and killed all of the C.C.C. workers, which from research did not happen. Therefore, with this in mind, the reader’s ‘interest was stimulated’ and motivation is given to do further research.

At the end of the day, Karen Russell is an effective historical fiction writer that gets people thinking about the truth of history and how far the author went into researching details for their writing. From the depiction of the locations and ghosts, Russell made the readers question the nuanced, complicated, and the different interpretations of history, while showing history isn’t just names, locations, and dates.

[Read The Full Story](https://newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/the-prospectors)

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**Table 1**

The locations mentioned in “The Prospectors” in relation to the true location.

<Table tableHeader="Name of Location | On Page | True Location" tableData="Lucerne | (Russell 2) | Switzerland ;; Mt. Joy | (Russell 2) | Pennsylvania ;; The Evergreen Lodge | (Russell 2) | California ;; Camp Thistle | (Russell 2) | Scotland ;; Camp Bountiful | (Russell 2) | Ohio ;; Rabbit Creek | (Russell 3) | South Dakota ;; Oregon Gazette | (Russell 7) | Called: “Gazette Times” ;; O.B. Dawson | (Russell 7) | Not a Real Person ;; Emerald Lodge | (Russell 7) | Field, British Columbia, Canada ;; Company 609 of the Oregon C.C.C. | (Russell 8) | Not a Real Company ;; Cloud Cap Inn | (Russell 8) | Accurate Location: Oregon" />

_**Source**: Karen Russell’s “The Prospectors”; Google; Google Maps; and Wikipedia_

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Mason, Bobbie Ann. “Shiloh And Other Stories.” Harper Perennial. Accessed 19 June 2017. McFadden, Margaret. ““People Shouldn’t Be Forgotten”: Cold Case’s Pursuit of History’s Ghosts.” The Journal of Popular Film and Television, vol. 42, no. 3, 2014, pp. 139-149. Taylor & Francis Library, doi:10.1080/01956051.2014.881774. Accessed 15 July 2017.

Russel, Karen. “The Prospectors.” The New Yorker, 8-15 June 2015, [www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/the-prospectors](www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/the-prospectors). Accessed 18 June 2017.

Slotkin, Richard. “Fiction for the Purpose of History.” The Journal of Theory and Practice, vol. 9, no. 2-3, 2005, pp. 221-236. Taylor & Francis Library, doi:10.1080/13642520500149152. Accessed 15 July 2017

Torgal, Luís Reis. “History, What History? The Struggle for History as a ‘Science’.” Portuguese Journal of Social Science, vol. 11, no. 1, April 2012, pp. 41-46. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1386/pjss.11.1.41_1. Accessed 15 July 2017.

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“The Prospectors”: A Tale of History and Ghosts

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During Christmas 2016, my sister surprised me with a present with a multitude of things wrapped individually and in order! I was to unwrap every present in order from 1 to I believe 8 or 9!

In this gift, I was presented with travel items from wet whips, to a PACSAFE backpack, to blistered band-aids, and to a letter which read that in the summer I will be going on vacation for a week or so to a destination to be announced!

After some planning, my sister and I decided on Ontario! Primarily Toronto and Ottawa! The original plan was to fly out on August 20th (my sisters birthday)! However, after looking at our schedules and our Aunts schedule as well looking at the cost of flights we decided to change this to May!

On May 19th, my sister and I flew from Victoria (YYJ) to Vancouver (YVR), had a three and half hour layover (was supposed to be 2 hours and 11 minutes) but due to rough air, there were delays. Once we got on the plane at YVR, we flew to Toronto (YYZ)! During this flight, as we were just turning onto the runway and ready to ascend one of the overhead cabinet doors slowly started to open and once fully opened a box of pineapples was revealed! Thankfully, we didn't turn right during takeoff and the box stayed in the cabinet! Once we were in the air, we were greeted with clouds and more clouds along with minor turbulence that lasted 80% of the flight. Along with that, the flight crew forgot about my sister on two occasions. Occasion one, was when we were getting food that we pre-ordered. I got mine and then they forgot to bring Brittany's to her. So she asked when they came around with the drink and food carts for the first round; so after apologizing from the crew, Brittany got her pre-ordered food! Then the second occasion was when they came around the second time and she asked for a coffee; they ran out of coffee on their cart so they had to get another one from another cart; so the coffee got replaced and then they moved to the next row without getting Brittany her coffee. So Brittany waved the crew member down and the crew member realized right away and Brittany got her coffee! So as we left late, Brittany and I were slightly worried that we would miss our next and last connecting flight. But thankfully, we got to the YYZ airport to find out that the last flight was delayed as well! So once we go the airport we got off the plane and booked it to the next gate and just made our last flight!!! So we then flew from YYZ to Ottawa (YOW)!

Once we go to YOW, we meet up with two of my sisters best friends and slept over at their apartment for our stay in YOW!

While in YOW, we visited the Parliament of Canada and all the attractions near! We also, got lots of pictures of the tulips as it was the tulip festival in YOW while we were there! We also tried ice cream from an ice cream shop titled "Sweet Jesus" which was really good!!! We also walked over a bridge and were in Quebec for all of three minutes! We visited the Canadian Museum of Nature as well as the Canadian War Museum! We also watched the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie in Cineplex VIP where we had a dessert poutine! I further had my first Uber ride!!!! I also got to try and see my first ever bagged milk!

Then it was time to say goodbye to YOW and catch a train to YYZ which is where we spent the rest of the week!

In YYZ, we did many things such as the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, had a great burger from The Works, went to the Eatons Center in which I found a ton of stores with actual men's clothing sections!!! We went to this dessert bar and had really good cheesecake and ice cream!!! We also checked out Cassa Loma, The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and the massive University of Toronto and their bookstore which I am super jealous of! We also checked out David And Busters and the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, I further went to my very first IKEA! We went to Niagara Falls and the oddest street of Clifton Hill! I further went to Canada's Wonderland and due to my back, I was only able to go on four rides. However, I had awesome Funnel Cake!!!!!!

The best part though was that I got to meet another one of my Aunts and Cousins and hang out with them for a week!

Then it was time to say goodbye to Ontario and fly back to YVR and then back to YYJ!

I got some great pictures from the trip!

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<InlinePhotoGallery id="photos" content="https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882107/donaldlouch/hueynzfkgmjacxifpuul.jpg;;Brittany and Donald in Ottawa || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882113/donaldlouch/xvahpstqayrytn3r0kxw.jpg;;James, Becky, Brittany and Donald in Ottawa || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882119/donaldlouch/hjvwlyleksjxnjro6fsv.jpg;;Donald looking over the bridge linking Ottawa and Quebec || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882127/donaldlouch/maeg7hwbn9ajqieegqr4.jpg;;Donald and Brittany in-front of tulips || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882135/donaldlouch/smt0noih9uscpjb53in4.jpg;;A picture of Donald taking a picture of the tulips || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882472/donaldlouch/cfyy9pmtownviobdfhyp.jpg;;The Parliament Buildings || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882479/donaldlouch/nqirtnyvfdcohi1ungsm.jpg;;Tulips || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882483/donaldlouch/ei91ufr5jvlordpq1iva.jpg;;Tulips || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882488/donaldlouch/apmlzgn1jyetp1cpmt7l.jpg;;Tulips || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882493/donaldlouch/v0j5etldvgnxoqaeiryt.jpg;;Crystal || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882587/donaldlouch/ynjgxchattgptr4qmznf.jpg;;Crab || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882589/donaldlouch/fo87rqbdijetaegdpfit.jpg;;Big fish || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882591/donaldlouch/y8do3huuksp1u8zgbhyi.jpg;;Ripleys Aquarium || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882594/donaldlouch/mibq6lw7v4zfk49fwntc.jpg;;Shark || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882597/donaldlouch/ahvjx4aq01qngdvga185.jpg;;Ripleys Aquarium || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882584/donaldlouch/phayygqm6p2psdlg9z8j.jpg;;Ripleys Aquarium || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882700/donaldlouch/n7ugykgikzddjxbzotjz.jpg;;The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882740/donaldlouch/innc7ziepzypcjqkyyho.jpg;;The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882744/donaldlouch/fqjewgsbexhhqui6uwdf.jpg;;The view from The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882750/donaldlouch/m18tduecfnkmtpgjksca.jpg;;The view from The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882755/donaldlouch/mvewzodomyewj64h3o0q.jpg;;The view from The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882760/donaldlouch/h08rln0ml7cl0k6jc3oe.jpg;;The view from The CN Tower || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882765/donaldlouch/gy8ktjzr2txpjs1pq4lw.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882772/donaldlouch/t16sozxrwheshuh8nhcg.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882782/donaldlouch/dog2g0ohbydc8q7whitg.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882789/donaldlouch/cfecpse0nmjqaa7asml6.jpg;;Donald, Christin, and Brittany at Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882797/donaldlouch/htkycfde9mthvdsg9z5t.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883007/donaldlouch/jdduxqvclecjj3obiumo.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883009/donaldlouch/u8qbgu63urn9ihslhzyr.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883011/donaldlouch/intbfz5sukoiitzxnwcp.jpg;;Niagara Falls || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644882805/donaldlouch/qwwd1jezttum2vsnlfoc.jpg;;Some of my family || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883106/donaldlouch/mvo122wnrcxppksbczpo.jpg;;Travel from Ottawa to Toronto || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883071/donaldlouch/le8q0gaamg9ttawjiptz.jpg;;Travel from Ottawa to Toronto || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883076/donaldlouch/b4h9qwlwibdjshs6ie7w.jpg;;Travel from Ottawa to Toronto || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883112/donaldlouch/orclkic2n6x1rea45bc5.jpg;;Travel from Ottawa to Toronto || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883080/donaldlouch/e38petrqwk9e6xy3jr08.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883084/donaldlouch/p3htv3sasrmxszfw4lgl.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883094/donaldlouch/c7kyvfzbu0bw0rjylus3.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883100/donaldlouch/z5u8jf4qp5z9l51qzzns.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883117/donaldlouch/f2exqfocdg7ri987gp5x.jpg;;Plane Ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883123/donaldlouch/nyxnyviduoiejnlewzyz.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883129/donaldlouch/x888pic6pdiedxfqwzrd.jpg;;Plane ride || https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644883135/donaldlouch/nn4tta07nint6xtris7b.jpg;;Plane ride" />

<NewSection id="videos" />

### Videos

I also filmed some videos on the trip! I was wanting to film more footage during the trip but the battery on my camera was not good in any sense and was consistently dying on me so I decided to film a few attractions! On another note, I have had numerous problems with my editing software and was able to export the videos a week and a bit later!

Video Index:

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</div>, <div>

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ky_OTf9GdNw" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

</div>, <div>

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0wWlVWsfq-I" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

</div>]} />

Family, Friends, Planes, and Amazing Scenery

Vacation: Ontario 2017

On April 13th, 2017 we got a very beautiful sunset! So breathtaking 😱

Beautiful Sunset: April 13th, 2017

High IQ, Low EQ, Homeland Security, Team Scorpion

TV Critique: Scorpion

When we think of algorithms, the first thing to look at is the what the word is and how it’s being used by YouTube. Algorithms are “a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer” which is from the Greek word “arithmós” meaning “numbers” ("Algorithm - Definition Of Algorithm In English | Oxford Dictionaries"). YouTube uses algorithms to find videos that may be infringing on copyright laws. YouTube further uses algorithms to help viewers find similar videos and videos they may like. There are currently some major positives for content creators and viewers with the current algorithms systems that are in place. However, there’s also some major problems with the current algorithm systems that have seriously affected content creators. Including a brand-new algorithm system that’s affecting the Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered, Queer (“LGBTQ+”) community.

### Algorithms: Copyright

When looking at algorithm systems with YouTube, the first system to consider is the algorithm of Content ID which is their copyright flagging system. With this algorithm, YouTube “is continuously [comparing] new uploads to the references for [content creators] assets. Matching videos are automatically claimed on behalf of the asset, and [content creators] specified match policy is applied to the claimed videos before they are published on YouTube” ("Using Content ID - Youtube Help").

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9g2U12SsRns" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

With YouTube’s Content ID algorithm, it further, uses other manual administrator processing alongside the automatic system, “a video identification tool allows copyright holders to easily identify and manage their content on YouTube” (Chung, MyoungBeom, and IlJu Ko 385). Content ID is further described as an “… internal computer algorithm system that allows copyright holders and content creators to detect possibly infringing videos” (Zapata-Kim, Laura 1848). However, one fatal flaw in this system is that if “… the video encoding has changed in resolution, bit-rate or codec, [the] techniques (of Content ID) do not perform well” (Chung, MyoungBeom, and Il Ju Ko 383).

Furthermore, YouTube and their Content ID system “… is exempt from liability for removing lawful videos under a safe harbor provided by the Digital Melamine Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”)” (Zapata-Kim, Laura 1847). In other words, YouTube is always going through videos that get uploaded and if the system sees that any footage or audio in a video is like another and has been claimed with YouTube, they will flag said video. With this, it provides content creators with the peace of mind that if their content gets used by someone else on the network, they will get the ability to remove the video or even make revenue from it. However, there are some problems with this system in pertinence to its accuracy. Many videos get incorrectly flagged and claimed. It’s also been said that:

>… hundreds of thousands of … videos are removed from the Internet by automatic computer algorithm systems that flag them as alleged copyright infringement. Although some of those claims are meritorious, many are not - (Zapata-Kim, Laura 1848).

Many businesses and content creators have been outraged about the faulty system and “… many believe that unless YouTube responds to the market’s criticism of Content ID it may face an exodus of its content creators” (Zapata-Kim, Laura 1848). Furthermore, “… Content ID should be required to consider fair use prior to issuing a Content ID match …” (Zapata-Kim, Laura 1849).

### Algorithms: Content (Recommended and Subscriptions)

Another aspect that should be looked at is the algorithm system that’s in place for finding similar videos for viewers to watch. With the addition of subscription boxes. This content recommendation algorithm system can be described as “… the Least Recently Used algorithm ([“LRU”] for short) to evict the latest recently watched video” (Lee, Ming-Chang et al. 1523). With the LRU algorithm, it can “... cause a poor service quality for YouTube since those videos need to be retrieved from the remote back-end database” (Lee, Ming-Chang et al. 1523). As Canadian YouTuber Corey Vidal told Nora Young on CBC’s The Current, a total of around 300 to 400 hours of videos are being uploaded every single minute on YouTube (Young, Nora). With this on YouTube theirs over “20 million viewers daily and a total viewing time of around 10,000 years (since) August 2006” (Abhari, Abdolreza, and Mojgan Soraya 91). YouTube can then use the LRU to consider the different algorithm and formulate the viewer’s favorite videos based on what they’ve already seen to “show users viewpoints that they already agree with” (Bessi, Alessandro et al. 1). It’s been thought that “YouTube promotes videos through Watch Time, which prioritizes videos that lead to a longer overall viewing season over those that receive more clicks” (Bessi, Alessandro et al. 1).

In other words, YouTube has built an algorithm system which will recommend videos to the viewers based on what they have searched for as well as what they have viewed. For the most part, this algorithm system functions correctly and can suggest similar videos with surprising accuracy. With this, viewers can find themselves immersed in hours and hours of watching funny cat videos or fail montages! However, the system can also create recommendations that aren’t relevant to the tastes of the viewer and suggest videos that are way off from what they watch and search for.

Another aspect of algorithms that YouTube uses is the algorithm system of their subscriber boxes. When people subscribe to a channel they’re asking YouTube to alert them when new content is posted to said channel and to add that channel’s videos into a feed in their subscriber box for easy access.

This offers a variety of benefits for both content creator and viewers in a multitude of ways! For the content creator, it allows their videos to be seen right away by their loyal subscribers/viewers and will increase the creator’s viewer counts and statistics. For the viewers, it allows them to see content right away from their favorite creator. Subscriber boxes further give content creators the ability to let their loyal subscribers know of upcoming LIVE Streams, Questions and Answers segments (Q&A for short), and other quick updates that will be happening in the near future. This is assuming that the subscriber box system works, which isn’t always the case.

Unfortunately, the algorithm system used for the subscriber box that’s currently in place is essentially broken and has been for years. There are multiple occasions when content creators upload content but their subscribers aren’t alerted. There are also times when videos will show up in subscriber boxes hours later, and by that time they’ve plummeted down the content feed as other creators upload their own videos. This can cause content creators viewership to suffer and diminish. This has caused content creators to plead to their subscribers, asking them to make sure “upload notifications” have been turned on so the viewer gets notified whenever a new video is posted. Content creators have now been forced to use their social media tools like Twitter to promote new content on their channel.

### Algorithms: Age Restriction (LGBTQ+ Controversy)

As I was writing this paper a brand-new algorithm system got introduced on YouTube and has caused major issues in the LGBTQ+ community. YouTube is currently age restricting most of all the LGBTQ+ content on their site. What this means is when age restricted mode is activated, viewers won’t be able to find any LGBTQ+ content.

These “age restricted” videos are reportedly being restricted due to their “sexual” theme when in fact most of the videos aren’t sexual themed and are helpful for the LGBTQ+ community/people questioning their sexuality. One of the main reasons people aren’t happy about this is the same level of “sexual” content contained in heterosexual couple videos are still being displayed in restricted mode. I can attest to this, as three of my own videos (my original Coming Out video, my Boyfriend Tag, and a let’s play of The Sims 3 where I have two male characters’ kiss and become a couple) have been aged restricted.

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<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2gERHXEhsVc" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

</div>, <div>

### Video Removed By Donald Louch 🚨

</div>, <div>

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4zthDB-jaJQ" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

</div>]} />

YouTube has commented on this and states that “we are so proud to represent LGBTQ+ voices on our platform—they’re a key part of what YouTube is all about. The intention of Restricted Mode is to filter out mature content for the tiny subset of users who want a more limited experience. LGBTQ+ [videos] are available in Restricted Mode, but videos that discuss more sensitive issues may not be” (Creators, YouTube). They then went on to say that “[sorry] for all the confusion with Restricted Mode. Some videos have been incorrectly labeled and that’s not right. We're on it! More to come” (Creators, YouTube).

### Conclusion

YouTube has algorithm systems in place that are used for copyright protection, recommended videos, subscription boxes, and the newly implemented age restriction systems. These various algorithms allow content creators to have peace of mind when uploading created content and also helps viewers more efficiently filter through content to find things they enjoy. However, the accuracy of these different algorithms leaves something to be desired as many videos are falsely flagged under copyright laws and age restriction settings. While there are some flaws with YouTube’s algorithms and how they organize content, with some iteration these flaws can be ironed out and overall please content creators as well as viewers.

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

Abhari, Abdolreza, and Mojgan Soraya. "Workload Generation For Youtube". _Multimedia Tools And Applications_, vol 46, no. 1, 2009, pp. 91-118. _Springer Nature_, doi:10.1007/s11042-009-0309-5."Algorithm - Definition Of Algorithm In English | Oxford Dictionaries". _Oxford Dictionaries_ | English, 2017, [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/algorithm](https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/algorithm).

Bessi, Alessandro et al. "Users Polarization On Facebook And Youtube". _PLOS ONE_, vol 11, no. 8, 2016, pp. 1-24. _Public Library Of Science (_Plos_)_, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159641.

Chung, MyoungBeom, and IlJu Ko. "Intelligent Copyright Protection System Using A Matching Video Retrieval Algorithm". _Multimedia Tools And Applications_, vol 59, no. 1, 2011, pp. 383-401. _Springer Natur_e, doi:10.1007/s11042-011-0743-z.

Creators, YouTube. "A Message To Our Community ...". _Twitter_, 2017, [https://twitter.com/YTCreators/status/843613347367079937](https://twitter.com/YTCreators/status/843613347367079937).

Creators, YouTube. "Sorry For All The Confusion With Restricted Mode. Some Videos Have Been Incorrectly Labeled And That’S Not Right. We're On It! More To Come.". _Twitter_, 2017, [https://twitter.com/YTCreators/status/843884792466817024](https://twitter.com/YTCreators/status/843884792466817024).

Lee, Ming-Chang et al. "Pareto-Based Cache Replacement For Youtube". _World Wide Web_, vol 18, no. 6, 2015, pp. 1523-1540. _Springer Nature_, doi:10.1007/s11280-014-0318-9.

"Using Content ID - Youtube Help". _Support.Google.Com_, 2017, [https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3244015?hl=en&ref_topic=4515467](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3244015hl=en&ref_topic=4515467).

Young, Nora. "January 27, 2017". _The Current_, 2017, [http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-january-27-2017-1.3953609/january-27-2017-full-episode-transcript-1.3956260#segment1](http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-january-27-2017-1.3953609/january-27-2017-full-episode-transcript1.3956260#segment1).

YouTube Help,. "Youtube Content ID". 2017, [https://youtu.be/9g2U12SsRns](https://youtu.be/9g2U12SsRns).

Zapata-Kim, Laura. "Should Youtube's Content Id Be Liable For Misrepresentation Under The Digital Millennium Copyright Act?". _Boston College Law Review_, vol 57, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1847-1874. Ebscohost, [https://ezproxy.viu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie&db=a9h&AN=120126036&site=ehost-live](http://ezproxy.viu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie&db=a9h&AN=120126036&site=ehost-live).

</Toggle>

What is YouTube’s algorithm system, and how does it affect YouTube Creators?

The Algorithms of YouTube and Their Creators

We got five days of snow! Here's the #Evolution of #Snowmageddon for #YCD in 2017!

_ From February 3rd to February 8th 2017!_

Hello, I'm

Donald Louch

and I'm a Canadian Digital Content Creator

Blog Posts

Education

Film Diary: You’re Not Alone; GTFO

Education

Film Diary: Memory Can Be a Scary Thing

Education, Graphic Design

Design: Goal Poster

Photography

Sealand Park

Education, Graphic Design

Design: Empathy Map

Photography

Tsawwassen Sunset: August 19th, 2017

Education

“The Prospectors”: A Tale of History and Ghosts

Photography, Videography

Vacation: Ontario 2017

Photography

Beautiful Sunset: April 13th, 2017

Education

TV Critique: Scorpion

Education

The Algorithms of YouTube and Their Creators

Photography

#Snowmageddon #YCD 2017