Moderating comments on massive social networks like Twitter and YouTube may seem like a lost cause (and maybe it is), but some see it as a necessary evil. Given the sheer size of today's top social destinations, effectively curbing bullies, trolls and spam simply isn't feasible given the limited manpower on the payroll.

Efforts to do so up to this point haven't exactly panned out and rather than stick its head in the sand and ignore the issue completely, YouTube is hoping to get some assistance from the community.

YouTube Heroes is described as a global community of volunteer contributors that will help create the best possible experience for everyone else. Heroes will be tasked with flagging inappropriate content, adding captions and subtitles to videos and sharing knowledge on YouTube's forum.

Anyone (except for brands, organizations and businesses) in good standing can sign up to become a Hero. Participants will work their way up through five levels, earning points to unlock various perks and additional responsibilities along the way. Top-tier Heroes will get to help test out unreleased features, have the ability to contact YouTube staff directly and get to apply for the Heroes Summit (whatever that is).

While I applaud YouTube for continuing to address the issue, I'm not sure if this is the answer.

YouTube Heroes are essentially moderators without any true power as their flagged comments must first be approved by an actual YouTube employee. What's more, the rewards - at least, at this point - don't seem all that enticing.

Do you think YouTube is on to something here or will this just be another failed attempt to fix a problem that's simply never going to be rectifiable? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.