FX Networks asked for the removal of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia from Hulu (apparently, they have other plans for it). This is within their right, so Hulu complied. The problem was that the community wasn't informed about the pending removal. As I understand it, one day it was up and the next it was not.

Now, it’s not unusual for a content provider to invoke policy changes without notice. It’s not like there’s any kind of contract that says they have to say anything—you’re getting it for free after all. Still, the decent thing to do—the good thing— is to make people aware of such changes before they occur. I tend to think of it as a sort of digital eviction. People need time to get their affairs in order, make arrangements, that sort of thing. You don’t just kick them to the curb.

Apparently Hulu CEO Jason Kilar agrees, as he publicly apologized for the abrupt removal.

Read the note. It’s a class-act.

The tone is sincere and polite; the facts are honest. Blame is taken and not assigned. Reparations are offered. Most importantly, it doesn’t come off like typical PR pandering. Folks, this is how you address your users.

((If Paul were the CEO, this is how I imagine he would have handled things.))

Since they were acquired by Yahoo, Flickr has implemented a censorship scheme that is so poorly thought out, it’s offensive.

If you use Flickr, you are obligated to tag anything in your photostream which might be offensive. Later (at night, while you are sleeping, no doubt-- like the tooth fairy, but with uncompromising moral fiber), someone at Flickr will look at your account and verify that you have correctly tagged your offensive images. If you do not do this, or Flickr disagrees with your self-policing, your account is labeled as ‘unsafe’. Oh, and anyone else can decide to come along later and tag your images as offensive, too. Presumably, this could render you ‘unsafe’, as well.

I give them credit for making the whole scheme usable on their site, but the underlying logic is flawed. I would need a chart to graph the *numerous* ways this could potentially get under people's skin. Indeed, this is a no-win for Flickr.

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