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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

Time to use an adblock blocker blocker extension.

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.

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.

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. :(

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.

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?

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.

Copying my comment over from fmhy instance -

If you don't mind paying ~2$ a month, you can get Family Premium using a VPN (I used India)

Current working method from HUKD: (Private/Incognito browser is best)

Create a new Google Account. Enter card details. Enter a fake billing address, any random address generator will do, as long as it’s from the correct region. Then select Try it Free. Navigate to YouTube, press YouTube Premium, and double-check that everything is in the right currency. Enter the same credit card and address information you used for creating the new Google Account. Click Buy 👍

You can then add your main Google account as a family member.👍

HUKD link

that it's testing

That's not quite confirming a policy.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

Looks like I'm installing Invidious tonight.

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

Yup, I'm done also with this.

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

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

I was subscribed to Youtube Premium for a good while (1-2 years), and I actually liked it for the money I paid. It was/is actually a good deal.

However, the amount of cases where creators were getting wrongly copyright striked and could do nothing against it were getting to high. The creators were often against a faceless corporate system.

I don't expect to view something on Youtube for free, however, I don't want to support a company that is as faceless as them. They need to be more accommodating, open, communicate more.

In the end I had to cancel my subscription as I could not continue supporting those practices.

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.

They will never win. They will only lose.

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.