

Decipher the YouTube spokesperson - TotlolRon

A few days ago I sent Liz Gannes of NewTeeVee the following question to ask Google/YouTube:<p>"On July 7th 2008 Google made an unannounced change to the YouTube API ToS, which introduced a new restriction on commercial use. Can you positively confirm that this ToS change was NOT initiated or modeled in relation to a YouTube API powered website called Totlol (totlol.com) which has launched two months prior?"<p>Background story is here: http://www.totlol.com/t/story Discussion is here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1019360<p>Today a YouTube spokesperson sent an official response:<p>"Updates to our API Terms of Service generally take months of preparation and review and are pushed out primarily to better serve our users, partners and developers. When new Terms of Service are ready, we notify our developers through as many channels as possible, including on our developer blog."<p>See here: http://newteevee.com/2009/12/29/totlol-creator-learns-the-hard-way-he-cant-build-a-business-on-youtube/<p>Is this an answer to the question? I'm not sure.<p>My attempt to decipher the YouTube spokesperson looks like this:<p>Question:<p>"2 is a prime number that when divided by 2 will result is an integer. Can you positively confirm 2 is not the only such prime number?"<p>YouTube spokesperson answers:<p>"Prime numbers are generally odd numbers and most are fairly big. When divided by 2 the result is not an integer."<p>Any other deciphering suggestions?
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narendranag
Your question is well phrased: you have asked for a confirmation, which
Youtube has not supplied. That amounts to a tacit admission.

I would suggest using it in a story where you clearly outline your question as
well as the answer, and point out that the response does not answer the
question. Or you could send out a follow up email:

"Your response, does not contain a confirmation that this ToS change was NOT
initiated or modeled in relation to a YouTube API powered website called
Totlol (totlol.com).

In the absence of a confirmation, or response to this email, we will go ahead
and accept your response as a tacit acceptance that the ToS change was modeled
in relation to Totlol.com.

Again: Can you positively confirm that this ToS change was NOT initiated or
modeled in relation to a YouTube API powered website called Totlol
(totlol.com) which has launched two months prior?

Warm regards, etc."

