Technology

Mmmm, gotta love that enshittification strategy every big tech company is working on right now.

What's with every big tech company trying to destroy their userbase this year?

Another executive-driven decision by people who clearly don't use their own product (kinda impressive really when it's YT).

I can't help wonder if they saw an uptick in adblocking as a result of their absurd increases in ad-time recently and somehow thought this was a reasonable solution.

And what are the consequences of "strikes"? Will you delete my Google account, including my email, and also screw up my Android phone and my kids Chromebook?

It's scary to realize that Google has me by the balls here. They can screw me in so many ways, and screw my family members as well. I'd rather have my bank credentials stolen than my email credentials, at least I can get real customer service from the bank, I can even go to a physical location and speak face-to-face with someone who can help me. Google wont give me customer support, and my email account is the closest thing to an identity I have for most businesses I interact with.

It takes a lot of work to avoid Google. Yes, there are alternatives, but in D&D terms, avoiding Google is like a -2 to all stats for your entire life, and not something we can expect the general population to do.

All this shows the need for anti-trust enforcement. The same company is controlling too much. Bust 'em up!

Did all these tech companies just get together and decide to fuck us over around the same time? Seriously, what is going on with all these companies rolling out hugely unpopular new rules/changes all on one another's heels?

Someone in the Fediverse (I don't know where and who) posted that you have to add the following filters into U-Block Origin. When done you shouldn't see any anti-adblock-warnings :

youtube.com##+js(set,yt.config_.openPopupConfig.supportedPopups.adBlockMessageViewModel,false)

youtube.com##+js(set,Object.prototype.adBlocksFound,O)

youtube.com##+js(set,ytplayer.config.aras.raw_player_response.adPlacements,[])

youtube.com##+js(set,Object.prototype.hasAllowedlnstreamAd,true)

I might add that I haven't experienced any anti-adblock-warnings yet, but I added these filters in advance. I might be worth a shot!

Personally, I'd rather pay for Nebula than YouTube premium. Most of the creators I actively follow are on there anyways, and the few that aren't (usually the ones with very long videos) I should probably just watch with ads anyways to support them.

Recently found this gem: https://adnauseam.io/

It's an ad blocker that only hides ads and clicks them for you in the background, which means you waste advertiser's money, support creators, can't get flagged for ad blocking as easily, and they can't build a proper profile against your ad activity since it's all noise. Haven't installed it yet, but this might be the push I needed.

So if you are on android: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/org.polymorphicshade.newpipe (Newpipe with sponsorblock baked in)

If you are on PC: https://freetubeapp.io/ (Piped with sponsorblock baked in)

You're welcome.

Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers

"everyone else is treating their customers like garbage, so they don'y hold it against us".

Yes, we can.

I didn't block when you had 5 second ads. I didn't block when you had 15 second ads. I started blocking when you'd play 2+ unskippable 15 second ads back-to-back. I didn't mind sitting through an ad when I appreciate the service you offered. Now, you're just being greedy, and I will go to great lengths to damage your bottom line as notably as I can.

Time to use an adblock blocker blocker extension.

Twitch couldn't beat my adblocking, it just taught me how to find and use custom scripts. Shoot your shot YT, I haven't installed a script for your website yet but now Im gonna have too. Congrats the number of ads im gonna see from you is about to go down.

I'll stop blocked ads when I stop using their service. Not a minute sooner.

So there are YouTube front ends for browser experience, but has anyone tried freetube from this guide?

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/frontends/

I've really liked the newpipe x Sponsorblock experience on my Android phone with having a subscription list, saves, playlists all locally with no YouTube account and ability to export and import the data of Playlists etc.

Freetube sounds like newpipe for desktop and has sponsorblock as an option too. Anyone use it or used it and have an thoughts on it?

If they want me to stop blocking ads, they will need to get rid of ads like this. I get ads like this all the time and it’s completely inappropriate.

IMG-7171.png

Hot take: this sucks, but YouTube premium is legit. I wish more platforms offered a paid, ad-free way to interact. I don't feel like figuring out a way around ads but I'm not about to start watching them. So I pay a few bucks a month.

What happens if you use SmartTubeNext on a TV? I'm assuming the interface wouldn't support the 3 strike YouTube popup so I guess you'd just get blocked without knowing why?

I'm guessing ReVanced will support the popup so you'd know.

Anyone hoping there will be a mass exodus from YouTube to other--maybe fediverse YouTube alternatives, reminiscent of the Reddit exodus?

lmao fuck right off Google. there are a million open source alternatives out there that still let me watch videos, nor do I (nor will I) have an account with you clowns.

I´m sure the will be no false strikes at all. And even if, I´m sure they have a quick and easy appeal process in place, just like they have with copyright.

Damn, what am I going to do with my life when I stop wasting time on youtube?

YouTube without an adblocker is such a mess. I wish alternatives like https://odysee.com had more of the content I watch and less Nazi bullshit though. YouTube really needs some strong competition since they have an effective monopoly on long-form videos on the internet. :(

That is pretty much the same policy I have for forcing adds on me.

Looks like I'm installing Invidious tonight.

Nah, youtube content (for most part) is not worth the money or watching the ads for me.

Welp, I guess I only have 3 videos left on youtube then, it was a good run. Then it's off to invidious and when that goes, probably peertube will have enough content :)

Big web corps are a wild ride lately

I'm actually using YouTube Premium, but only because it's in my YouTube Music subscription... But I'd love to completely drop Google

Honestly if I got ads for things that are actually relevant I'd have less of an issue. Right now 7 out of 10 ads are for a local event where Christians come to grift other Christians. Wtf am I getting that ad constantly?

Greedy fuckers. They're not making enough money already? And when you pay them you get shit service anyways.

I canceled my YT premium this year because they raised the price of my grandfathered family plan. I mainly used it for music, but the audio quality really sucks. I switched to a CD quality music service and love it. YT just costs too much for what I get. If they increased the music quality or had a cheaper plan without the music then I'd consider it.

If they roll this out for everyone I hope they will finally officially introduce YouTube Premium Lite, so I can get ad-free YouTube without paying for YouTube Music.