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‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

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Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#31

Post by tomaszs »

The impact of such algorytms is devastating. Not only because they recommend engaging content that may lead to addiction and waste of time, the most precious thing every human being has.

What is even worse such algorytms force creators to become part of this harmful scheme. Knowledge is the thing that is hurt also. It should be out there. For decades people learned how to explain complex things in an easy way. Because there is no other way we can as people evolve and learn.

But now these algorytms promote the opposite. People who have nothing to say, people who complicate simple stuff beyond imagination are paid for doing so.

On the other hand people who have something to say are bashed because they are not engaging enought, they don't do videos that fit needs of video addicts. So they are not paid.

Such algorytms are the worst thing humand kind invented in last years. The devastating effect of these can be compared to drugs and gambling. It should be banned.

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#32

Post by peanutbutterjly »

H8crilA wrote: post #27

Protip if this annoys you: go to myactivity.google.com, delete everything and pause all further collection. Now only your subscriptions and likes count (and maybe a few other things that are not considered "activity"). It's so much better! Did it once and now I don't want to go back.

I didn't even know that was a thing, thanks!

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#33

Post by read_if_gay_ »

barrkel wrote: post #5

I find YT does a gradient ascent into more popular videos. I start out listening to a song with 1000 views, I get recommended 10k view songs, then 100k, and before you know it it's back in the mainstream. There's no way to surf a niche, to hunt in a pile of bin ends. I imagine it's similar for conspiracy stuff. It'll point you in the direction of the most convincing nonsense.

If conspiracy stuff were the same way you describe music, you would eventually end up with the mainstream opinion, no?

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#34

Post by vikbytes »

I have confused feelings on the "efficiency" of their recommendations. As many others attest to, their recommendations lean heavily on popularity, and any one video in your history can change dramatically the majority of videos you get recommended. Even if most of your history is on completely different topics, that one video will dominate the recommendations.

People tend to suggest this is intended behavior, my question is instead: Is the recommendation engine all that good to begin with, given how a lot of people find their recommendations confusing, lackluster, or downright bad?

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#36

Post by gaudat »

hackeraccount wrote: post #11

I find youtube recommendations crap because if I watch something on one subject it seems to assume the subject is now the love of my life and proceeds to offer a zillion on just that subject. regarding what the article is talking about ... eh, it seems like they're saying it works fine but sometimes puts up videos whose politics they don't like. Short of going in and removing the stuff you don't like so that other pe…

This is exactly why I browse entirely within private mode now. I always make sure I am not signed in to my Google account before clicking any YouTube link.

I do not need to be constantly reminded of a single weird video I have clicked months before.

YouTube recommendations haunted me for life.

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#38

Post by Havoc »

Anything recommendation driven seems suspect these days.

I find if you seed it carefully though it can be OK. e.g. Mine is mostly full of tech and trance videos. Hard for that to get toxic.

Politics, news, opinion pieces etc...and you quick get sucked into one of the echo chambers.

I suppose a case could be made that trance is my preferred echo chamber though...

Re: ‘YouTube recommendations are toxic,’ says dev who worked on the algorithm (2019)

#40

Post by read_if_gay_ »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10

I’m quite enjoying it- I don’t watch anything political, and if anything comes up that’s a bit strange I just don’t watch it and eventually it goes away. It’s recommending me some great old footage of shows and some interesting new channels, mostly around engineering etc. I suspect if you try and use it as a news source or anything other than entertainment it would be dangerous.

Yeah. Like literally everything else it's a nice place as long as politics aren't shitting everything up.
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