Clippy Campaign: Difference between revisions

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In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''), wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of [[wikipedia:Office_Assistant|Office Assistant]] as seen in Microsoft Office from ~~2000~~ to 2003.

In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''), wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of [[wikipedia:Office_Assistant|Office Assistant]] as seen in Microsoft Office from 1997 to 2003.

==Campaign==

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*The comments sections of many YouTube channels frequently contain malicious comments that normalize sex trafficking, posted by bot accounts.

*Companies can deny a user's right to repair something damaged in transit (i.e., not by the user), even when the user is willing to purchase needed parts from them, and then threaten legal action for asking them about the decision.

*Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without ~~their~~ consent, without legal repercussions.

*Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without informed consent, often without legal repercussions.

===Developments===

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Rossmann uploaded a follow-up video four days later, on 16 August 2025, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc Progress of clippy movement one week in]", in which he remarked on the rapid growth of the movement and thanked participants for actively working and making a difference, and not simply changing their profile pictures without doing anything else.<ref name="third rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |title=Progress of clippy movement one week in |date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

On 1 September 2025 a third video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples of individuals could push back and ~~show integrity~~ against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 | title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy | date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref>

On 1 September 2025 a third video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples on how individuals could show integrity and push back and against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 | title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy | date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref>

==Why Clippy==

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He had no ulterior motives, he was simply there to help.

[...] Clippy wouldn't even read the contents of your letter.</blockquote>

[...] Clippy wouldn't even read the contents of your letter.</blockquote>During World War II, in Norway, paperclips were worn like jewelry as a symbol of resistance to German occupation and Norwegian collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Joe |date=August 5, 2011 |title=Breivik, Quisling and the Norwegian spirit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |access-date=13 Sep 2025 |website=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation{{!}}CBC}}</ref> They symbolized unity "we are bound together," much as Mr. Rossman noted that clippies together are strong, whereas individually, clippies are weak.

==Impact==

Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc.~~{{Citation needed}}~~

Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc.

[https://youtu.be/SkL9vzW7nY0?t=265 You Changed Your Profile to Clippy: Now What? 📎📎📎 4:25]<blockquote>But if all of them know at the same time that we're on the same page:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''),  wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of [[wikipedia:Office_Assistant|Office Assistant]] as seen in Microsoft Office from 2000 to 2003.
+In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''),  wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of [[wikipedia:Office_Assistant|Office Assistant]] as seen in Microsoft Office from 1997 to 2003.
 ==Campaign==
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 *The comments sections of many YouTube channels frequently contain malicious comments that normalize sex trafficking, posted by bot accounts.
 *Companies can deny a user's right to repair something damaged in transit (i.e., not by the user), even when the user is willing to purchase needed parts from them, and then threaten legal action for asking them about the decision.
-*Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without their consent, without legal repercussions.
+*Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without informed consent, often without legal repercussions.
 ===Developments===
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Rossmann uploaded a follow-up video four days later, on 16 August 2025, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc Progress of clippy movement one week in]", in which he remarked on the rapid growth of the movement and thanked participants for actively working and making a difference, and not simply changing their profile pictures without doing anything else.<ref name="third rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |title=Progress of clippy movement one week in |date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>
-On 1 September 2025 a third video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples of individuals could push back and show integrity against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 | title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy | date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref>
+On 1 September 2025 a third video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples on how individuals could show integrity and push back and against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 | title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy | date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref>
 ==Why Clippy==
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 He had no ulterior motives, he was simply there to help.
-[...] Clippy wouldn't even read the contents of your letter.</blockquote>
+[...] Clippy wouldn't even read the contents of your letter.</blockquote>During World War II, in Norway, paperclips were worn like jewelry as a symbol of resistance to German occupation and Norwegian collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Joe |date=August 5, 2011 |title=Breivik, Quisling and the Norwegian spirit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |access-date=13 Sep 2025 |website=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation{{!}}CBC}}</ref>  They symbolized unity "we are bound together," much as Mr. Rossman noted that clippies together are strong, whereas individually, clippies are weak.
 ==Impact==
-Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc.{{Citation needed}}
+Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc.
 [https://youtu.be/SkL9vzW7nY0?t=265 You Changed Your Profile to Clippy: Now What? 📎📎📎 4:25]<blockquote>But if all of them know at the same time that we're on the same page: