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YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

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Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#621
So... this is pretty evil... but I thought of it a while ago and I'm not that bright, so I'm sure plenty of others have also thought of it.

How long until Google / Meta / whomever just starts having faster response times and higher resolution content for people who have clicked on an add in the past N minutes?

People who don't click on ads either (1) self-select away from the platform (or at least reduce their time on the platform), (2) begin to engage in quasi click-fraud, or else (3) consume fewer of the service's resources.

It seems like a pretty simple way to improve the ratio of consumed resources to ad revenue.

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#622

This doesn't really affect me since I subscribe to premium, but something that a lot of ad-based services don't seem to grasp is why people block ads. It's because they've become increasingly obnoxious. Nobody blocked ads when they were a simple column of links in the gutter or maybe an animated GIF banner with 3 frames. No, adblockers became popular because ads kept getting more loud (both visually and audibly), in…

Were you there, when pop-ups were a thing? Like, you opened a site, and there was this new window loaded? Ads has not got that much more obnoxious. For real.

It is mainly that the internets have become 'real life' instead of some hidden away tech thing for us. We can't be deprived alone anymore without society falling down in pieces around us ...

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#624

If you're on iOS, I highly recommend Yattee[1], a free Youtube app with no ads, background playback and sponsor block built-in. The way they get around App Store restrictions is by claiming that they aren't a Youtube app. They're technically a video-watching app which is supposed to be used with your own personal server. The server API they require, however, is supported by Invidious[2], an open-source, privacy-prese…

Musi on iOS [0] is a fantastic YouTube client which removes ads. The trick, albeit slightly inconvenient, is to copy/paste the exact YT title you wish to view. The search functionality isn’t that good. Some things live like streams don’t work however this has never been an issue for me.

[0] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/musi-simple-music-streaming/id...

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#626
post #621

So... this is pretty evil... but I thought of it a while ago and I'm not that bright, so I'm sure plenty of others have also thought of it. How long until Google / Meta / whomever just starts having faster response times and higher resolution content for people who have clicked on an add in the past N minutes? People who don't click on ads either (1) self-select away from the platform (or at least reduce their time o…

As an advertiser, I don't want them to incentivize people to click on ads, because then people will do it despite lack of interest in my product, and thus just add noise to my numbers. Unless it also leads to an increase in conversions (doubtful) that just makes the individual clicks worth that much less to me.

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#627

If you're on iOS, I highly recommend Yattee[1], a free Youtube app with no ads, background playback and sponsor block built-in. The way they get around App Store restrictions is by claiming that they aren't a Youtube app. They're technically a video-watching app which is supposed to be used with your own personal server. The server API they require, however, is supported by Invidious[2], an open-source, privacy-prese…

Oh this is amazing! Even works on iOS 15! Thanks for the recommendation.

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#628
post #341
post #313

This is just so funny to me. Google has to have the absolute worst PR for any company I've ever seen to make this happen. Somehow, they've duped the general public (at least on HN) into believing they insert the ads into videos. All they need to do is run a marketing campaign about how as a content creator you get to decide when ads play, whether they're unskippable, and how many ads to place in your video. Blast tha…

It's possible that Google has chosen to take the brunt of the complaints to shield the creators.

The Ticketmaster Tactic[tm].

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#629
post #607
post #222

I don't really understand either side of the equation here. So, on the one hand you have people who use ad blockers. The first retort that comes to mind here is: Well, we'll take our business elsewhere. Which is odd because without ads they aren't paying and them leaving is the goal. Of course on the other hand ... when I read the title my thoughts weren't that I would be okay because I don't ad block youtube. My tho…

It costs a lot of money to run YouTube. If someone wants to make a competitor, they’re free to do so, but most will charge because of how expensive it is or you could use a PeerTube-like system. I pay for YouTube Premium and get value out of YouTube. I’m also an adult with a decent paying job so it’s not a big deal for me. Maybe the mistake of these conglomerates is getting people accustomed to a certain level of ser…

Nebula charges about $10 a year, and makes a pretty good profit right now.

Re: YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach against ad blockers

#630
post #109

YouTube needs a history-less mode. I want to watch random videos without them impacting my recommendations. I have Premium, but I'll use ad blocker in a private browsing session specifically for this.

Log out of Google.[1]

Browse in Incognito mode.

Better: access through an Invidious or Piped instance.

________________________________

Notes:

1. And never log back in again.

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