Youtube doesn't care about the collective "you" that is its namesake. It hasn't for over a decade. Itps all about the big studio level productions. It's no better than the mainstream television networks at this point.

Maybe its due to my age, but I use YT for tutorials on diy or fixing shit. I get 20s in, then whammo, ad. Just as the guy is focusing in on the area I need to see. I am watching a 5min video and 2min of ads.. it is ridiculous.

I think you've got the right approach, FWIW.

Not sure that big business favouritism is the intent, but it's definitely more lucrative for them. Especially with Vimeo and other alternatives out there.

I remember when streaming took off in a big way - some on YT and others on justin.tv (later Twitch and now Amazon's Twitch) - and I thought you'd have to be objectively bonkers to rely upon an opaque and ever-changing algorithm for your financial future. Some have gamed it well, but it's pretty easy to see how they've survived - fake shock/reaction content, alt-light or worse content, polarising opinion, thinly-veiled advertorials, and so on.

On my browser, they blocked recommended videos. Lol. Now I use FreeTube. Anything like that happen to you?

They want people to pay for premium. That’s why they’re pushing more ads. To make the free plan insufferable.

Back in the early days of youtube, I didn't mind them. Just a few ads here and there. Nowadays, the internet is barely usable unless you have an adblocker.

How about a cryptominer that runs while watching videos, that would surely be a great idea :D

/s

I would pay for premium IF it was a reasonable price.

I don't want shitty music bundled or whatever fuck else they are calling it now JUST youtube.

AND here's the big one, I want the fucking downvote count back and sponsor skip. Most videos have ads and fucking sponsor segments which are also fucking ads. I'm not paying to watch that.

And downvote count is absolutely crucial to be able to detect bullshit videos quickly.

Google is offering a shit product and asking a premium price. Fuck em.

I don't mind ads in the sidebar or on that little banner across the bottom of the screen sometimes. Its when the ads completely cover the content I'm trying to watch/view and/or start auto playing at obnoxious volume that I get annoyed. (Also fuck people on metered connections right?)

Maybe like a subscription where people could pay a fee to avoid ads?

For those wondering, ReVanced launcher short after that and is even better than Vanced.

Long time NewPipe user here, have you tried FreeTube?

Isn't the replacement to Echelon, just PRISM? Which yes Google are a part of, along with Meta, Microsoft, etc. As well as the lesser known MUSCULAR program.

Thirty 30 second ads? Am I reading that wrong?

YouTube already has ToS on their API and has paid tiers. But a lot (most?) of the third-party apps and tools bypass the API and directly scrape the site.

Because YouTube is embedded a lot

Or maybe Google should just improve the experience so people want to pay for a premium subscription. But instead of investing in a better user experience they'd rather intentionally make it worse to drive consumers to pay to unshitify it. But instead they're blowing loads of cash which could be used to invest in the platform and turn even more profit, but they're using it to fight a war with their customers for short term profits. They are dumb.

You know this won’t happen, but I like your optimism