Skipping is not anonymous by default: "So, if you watch a video, and it does have segments, and you do skip a segment, then the server does get access the that segment ID, which is directly linked to the video."
SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
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Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#292Skipping is not anonymous by default: "So, if you watch a video, and it does have segments, and you do skip a segment, then the server does get access the that segment ID, which is directly linked to the video."
What do you mean by "not anonymous" here? Obviously the server will receive what video you are looking at, as well as anything it can deduce from your request (such as IP) in order to work. Whether it just gets the video (required to work at all) or an individual segment (not quite required but could lessen the payload size) doesn't matter for the level of anonymity does it?
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#293For anyone using an Android phone, the ReVanced[1] patches for the YouTube app (formerly just YouTube Vanced) applies both an adblock and SponsorBlock, on top of various other convenience features. You'll need to provide your own YouTube APK file to patch. I'll never go back to using non-Vanced YouTube ever again. Advertisements are a blight on this world. They are the reason for marketing and sales budgets being qua…
Has the installation gotten easier? Last time I checked I needed to find a speccific version apk of youtube app itself that revanced patcher patches before installing. Too many steps to make way too often.
> Too many steps to make way too often.
This is not how I feel.
The last time I patched my app was several months ago, and it's still running fine. I do have to patch about twice a year and it's a five-minute affair of getting the correct version, going to APKMirror and downloading the corresponding version of YouTube, and patching it with the latest app.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#294I like the technical side of such projects, because I'm a dev. I am also a creator and I am always conflicted when see such tools, because it does affect the bottom line of other creators.
I hate the very idea of "content creation" for its own sake, so this is perfect. Youtube was a million times better when it was people uploading quirky and informative videos about stuff they actually cared about, as opposed to soullessly shilling "content" dominating the recommendations no matter how much you try to convince the algorithm you aren't interested.
A hundred times this. I'd go so far as saying I'd trade the 2024 media landscape for the 2014 one in a heartbeat. And honestly, I'd also trade that one for the 1994 media landscape. "Content creators" are the worst thing to happen to media in 50 years.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#295Was looking for this exactly. I understand that you have to make money somehow if you want to dedicate yourself to YouTube, but I always found sponsor segments to be worse than native advertising, and just plain gross to watch.
> worse than native advertising Hard disagree. Sponsored segments are better in a few ways: * They're a return to the days where ads didn't need to be targeted at people but instead were targeted at content. "If you're watching this educational video you might like Brilliant" is a heck of a lot less intrusive than "I noticed you were searching for shoes the other day, so here's a Nike ad". * The creator has to own it…
> "If you're watching this educational video you might like Brilliant"
I think there is a nuance. If there is a video that does this for 5 seconds in a 15 minute video, to sell a product they really know and like, and that is strongly related to the content, then sure.
But shilling random products? perhaps even "crap products" (you know exactly which ones: gambling, crypto-related, low quality SaaS...) and doing it for more than a tiny mention? This is basically the reinvention of ad funded TV, only the productions are crap in comparison and the regulation is non existent. So in that case, sorry, I'm happy to both watch your content with skipped ads, enjoy the content, and see your content disappear because your monetization fails.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#296Earlier quoted context omitted.
you're not the target. advertisements work. the people managing ads are very meticulous about their spend vs. return. if you are seeing an ad of something for any noticeable duration of time, that means it works. by that I mean they get positive return from showing the world their ad. if it generates negative returns, it will be pulled pretty quickly. they are humans just like you and me, we don't like losing money.…
From my ad industry insights, that's only partly true. What you mentioned last is called brand advertising IIRC, which is not conversion oriented, but aimed at exposing you to a brand (like, a car manufacturer) so that at some point _later_ in your life, you contribute to a decision to buy from them. Now, huge companies do run focus groups and such to ensure their brand advertising has the right (psychological) effec…
> From my ad industry insights, that's only partly true. What you mentioned last is called brand advertising IIRC, which is not conversion oriented, but aimed at exposing you to a brand (like, a car manufacturer) so that at some point _later_ in your life, you contribute to a decision to buy from them.
Top of funnel advertising is definitely conversion oriented, just on a longer timescale.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#297Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I understand how this feeling is unjustified Every company you listed is bad. NordVPN wasn't caught yet, but it's to good to be true and ALWAYS having 73% off is illegal marketing. Betterhelp sold data to facebook to retarget you with ads. SquareSpace had a security issue were entering the email of an old, not yet migrated account, was instant account takeover... how does this slip through security reviews? Everyth…
The thing about nordVPN (and VPN services in general) is they always talk about how funneling all your traffic through them makes it more secure and it means that governments cant spy on you and whatever. But sending all your traffic through a single point of failure seems like a bad idea from a government protection view, and how is it any more secure than https? The only thing that I've seen it be good for is makin…
The same can be said for folks using Clouflare or Google DNS.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#298Earlier quoted context omitted.
It greatly depends on the audience, but for many cases, unfortunately, it's more likely the case that you are dreaming. Typical income flows for streamers include: 1. Passive advertising from video and stream platforms (which many adblockers do block) 2. Active advertising via sponsorships (which SponsorBlock wants to block) 3. Live stream donations 4. Video/stream-independent donations, most usually via Patreon 5. P…
If blocking ads means for-profit video creators go out of business then so be it. There will always be those who do it because it is something they enjoy and usually that kind of content is more worthwhile anyway.
You are free to do so, but your claim won't work for most of my favorite creators and streamers. Thank you.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#299Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I understand how this feeling is unjustified Every company you listed is bad. NordVPN wasn't caught yet, but it's to good to be true and ALWAYS having 73% off is illegal marketing. Betterhelp sold data to facebook to retarget you with ads. SquareSpace had a security issue were entering the email of an old, not yet migrated account, was instant account takeover... how does this slip through security reviews? Everyth…
The thing about nordVPN (and VPN services in general) is they always talk about how funneling all your traffic through them makes it more secure and it means that governments cant spy on you and whatever. But sending all your traffic through a single point of failure seems like a bad idea from a government protection view, and how is it any more secure than https? The only thing that I've seen it be good for is makin…
> how is it any more secure than https?
Using a VPN doesn't expose the domain names you're viewing (via SNI) or the IP addresses you're connecting to to your ISP. It also (therefore) doesn't expose to the ISP the volume of traffic you're sending to a particular site, when you connect to it, or how long you stay there.
Whether your ISP is part of the threat model you're interested in mitigating is up to you personally, but this is how, depending on that model, a VPN can be more secure than HTTPS.
Re: SponsorBlock – skip sponsor segments on YouTube
#300Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I understand how this feeling is unjustified Every company you listed is bad. NordVPN wasn't caught yet, but it's to good to be true and ALWAYS having 73% off is illegal marketing. Betterhelp sold data to facebook to retarget you with ads. SquareSpace had a security issue were entering the email of an old, not yet migrated account, was instant account takeover... how does this slip through security reviews? Everyth…
The thing about nordVPN (and VPN services in general) is they always talk about how funneling all your traffic through them makes it more secure and it means that governments cant spy on you and whatever. But sending all your traffic through a single point of failure seems like a bad idea from a government protection view, and how is it any more secure than https? The only thing that I've seen it be good for is makin…
Most of what people use personal VPNs for is to break some rules, sometimes the law. Circumventing geofencing or content blocking is most likely against some terms of service. VPN services can't really advertise for this, so they talk about evil hackers.