YouTube tests removing viewer counts — here’s what we know
YouTube tests removing viewer counts — here’s what we know
This would be a massive change
YT Exec - /rips massive line of coke off Intern's ass/ - "Remove View Count"
YT Engineer - "But Sir, users will hate that. It will actively make the user experience worse"
YT Exec - "That's the goddamn point!"
It’s already really difficult to engage with the content you want to see, but now they’re also taking away the only immediately noticeable metric of a successful video? Genuinely just why
some internal metric and testibg said this increases engagement by 2.1% so now we are stuck with it.
They removed the star system a long time ago. They removed the down votes again a few years back.
They want their algorithm to be the only thing that decides whether you watch a video or not.
Too hard to manipulate the algorithm with ai spam, disguised ads and propaganda if users can see all the videos at the top of their recommended feed have 20 views.
You must only view what the Corporation approves.
To hope you find new content. YouTube had been putting random low watch count videos in my feed. I never click on them because of their low view count. The thumbsnails make them look like they're high quality videos. Without the view count I have no idea if they have 1,000 views or millions. They're hoping I will click on them, subscribe, and spend more time in the app.
Thanks Youtube, I hate it. Like I can see some arguments for taking away the view counter, even if I think it's a bad decision. But the date the video was uploaded? Who does that even help? I guess Youtubers will either need to start properly dating their videos or we'll just have to use context clues to figure out when a video was uploaded.
But the date the video was uploaded? Who does that even help?
There's gaming content that expires within a month, especially with frequent balance and other game changes, like with League of Legends. I won't watch a video that's weeks old because what's being featured probably doesn't work anymore after a patch.
Does TikTok show view count? This seems like a move that is intended to compete with TikTok.
TikTok shows view, like and favourite/bookmark amounts.
Seems like a sure way to lose my engagement. I don't understand what Google thinks they're getting out of this except for flooding you with more ads between video recommendations at the cost of people actually watching anything and using the damn website.
Between removing the dislike counter, a defect search bar that shoves garbage down your throat, recommendations of decreasing quality on my end and shorts (which I hesitantly gave a try but ultimately lost all interest in because it remained mostly low effort content despite my efforts to train my algorithm), this is just another reason why I find myself spending more time enjoying other things lately.
Maybe I am just out of touch, but I smell another bubble bursting when I look at how enshittified all major web services are simultaneously becoming.
Maybe I am just out of touch, but I smell another bubble bursting when I look at how enshittified all major web services are simultaneously becoming.
It feels like something has to give, right?
We have YouTube, Reddit, Twitter, and more just racing to enshittify like I can't even believe, Google Search is racing to destroy the internet, yet they're also at the 'critical mass' of 'too big to fail' and shoved out all their major competitors already (other than Discord I guess).
except for flooding you with more ads between video recommendations
That's literally it. The advertising and marketing teams within Google have politically maneuvered themselves into running the show, and the software/product engineering teams that want to maximize the quality of the system they work on (search, youtube) are overridden by insipid metrics that advertising needs more user interaction with ads.
They literally have been commanding that things be made more shitty to optimize their malformed metrics. You absolutely can get more people to click the sponsored search results... if you keep making them less distinct from the actual results. And advertising needs those good click through rates nooooow!
There are email chains documenting this sort of shit going on that have become part of the public record due to various court cases.
this would essentially kill my method of viewing videos on the platform, this isn't a boost to interaction they think it will be, it will ultimately result in me watching less videos as I won't have the ability to decipher trash from good, so I'll just stick with content creators that I am used to and no longer branch out like I currently do.
You know why they might be hiding upload dates? My theory is, Youtube doesn’t really want you looking at new stuff. (Very apparent by the algorithm) they want you looking at specific news stories, and specific content but not constantly seeking new uploads from independents.
But that is just a theory a plain theory. Thanks for watching.
I hate how now when I watch a bunch of videos from a creator, my YouTube feed ends up only having that creators videos, like yeah I'm enjoying this person, but I do like to watch other things as well.
It feels like I'm being forced into an echo chamber.
I don't even look at the algo anymore, I just go out and search for content externally.
The one that gets me is watching a new creator to me on a subject I'm interest in e.g. gaming and it turns out that said creator so has a right wing nut job catalogue and that's all that fella my feed for the next two weeks.
My time is limited I just want to relax on my down time and ain't interested in rage bait but that's all yhe algorithm seems to want to show me every chance it gets by me clicking on a new name
I can't even use my home screen due to my Google account settings. What i'l do is do a search by date and subscribe to any good channels I like to ensure I get a curated feed for me on Youtube.
I don't understand why they on such a self destruct path?! I already barely use this fucking platform anymore because of how shitty it has become already, and now they want to bait me into watching some low views garbage on top of all that? WHY?!
Because when you get pissed off at one shitty video and click off it to find a better one, that's free real estate in which to double your ads.
And what are you gonna do? Go to Peertube? YouTube is too gigantic to have a real competitor no matter how much we try. It is a beast so massive and bloated at this point that we just can't kill it without legislative interference. And Google knows damn well that they're basically the only game in town so they aren't afraid of significant user backlash.
There is a breaking point, eventually. YouTube's trajectory is gonna make next quarter's revenue great, but eventually something else will pick up user's attention instead.
The money must grow.
How about you test marking videos as watched across devices so I don’t have the same shit pushed back at me all the time.
HOW ABOUT YOU STOP SHOWING ME ALREADY WATCHED VIDEOS IN GENERAL?! Why fill my home feed with shit I've seen already? I literally have to click (...), click (not interested), click (why?), click (I've already seen the video) FOR EVER SINGLE VIDEO I EVER WATCHED ON YT.
Are you using a Pi Hole or any tool that blocks ads though the DNS?
Interesting thought, might have to dig into that. Hadn't considered it messing with play history.
Lmfao, fuck it, why not remove titles, tags and the searchbar too if you only want them to watch the videos your algo hand picks.
Ok, this one is really stupid. Dislikes? Ok. Views? Fuck all the way off, Google.
And you (user) will accept all of it without questioning and maybe we let you watch some video between the ads.
sounds like another job for the return youtube dislikes guy