Youtube let the other shoe drop in their end-stage enshittification this week. Last month, they required you to turn on Youtube History to view the feed of youtube videos recommendations. That seems reasonable, so I did it. But I delete my history every 1 week instead of every 3 months. So they don't get much from my choices. It still did a pretty good job of showing me stuff I was interested in watching.
Then on Oct 1, they threw up a "You're using an Ad Blocker" overlay on videos. I'd use my trusty Overlay Remover plugin to remove the annoying javascript graphic and watch what I wanted. I didn't have to click the X to dismiss the obnoxious page.
Last week, they started placing a timer with the X so you had to wait 5 seconds for the X to appear so you could dismiss blocking graphic.
Today, there was a new graphic. It allowed you to view three videos before you had to turn off your Ad Blocker. I viewed a video 3 times just to see what happens.
Now all I see is this.
Google has out and out made it a violation of their ToS to have an ad blocker to view Youtube. Or you can pay them $$$.
I ban such sites from my systems by replacing their DNS name in my hosts file routed to 127.0.0.1 which means I can't view the site. I have quite a few banned sites now.
Here is my take on this.
First, I am with OP on this, but with mild counter points:
In the same vein, I wait Netflix to raise their price again (I bit the bullet twice) but there won't be a third time.
Same for Spotify.
Those services should realize they are not essential, just bare useful, and should be priced as such.
Just my 2cts.
While I can agree with the 4K argument a bit for the hosting is expensive part, I do think it goes way beyond that or long videos. Youtube exists on a scale most don't even realize. Tens of millions of people upload content every day. We're talking thousands of hours worth of video every day.
Not to excuse YouTube for a lot of dumb decisions they made, but even on their best day the site just breaks even due to the cost of hosting.
Reading your comment made me realize something important.
Creators should pay the hosting of the files (at a reasonnable rate of course), so the longer and higher quality they want to upload, they have to pay a little fee. Now, it'll certainly skim off the stupid random uploads that nobody need, and lower storage cost of useless videos. (I only have a couple of vids, I don't mind paying for the storage to keep them live, and I stop paying, they are free to delete them, no problem)
Next, viewers should pay for the streaming, which is legit anyway, why not, as far as it is at a - yet again - reasonable price.
This should make the plateform content of better quality without all the shit posts, then less ads for the free viewers if reasonable would be enough.
Problem is Google is greedy beyond return, they'll never take a good decision that favorites us instead of them.
My opinion anyway.
I started paying them and they jacked up the prices the next month leaving like 12 dollars stranded in my account because I use a gift card. Fuck their premium subscription.
Nebula