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YouTube would rather you fall into a trance of continuing your recent viewing habits rather than providing a personalized library. It just makes better business

YouTube would rather you fall into a trance of continuing your recent viewing habits rather than providing a personalized library. It just makes better business sense.

icebraining 9y ago
Why does it make better business sense?
- quadrangle 9y ago
  Because they aren't trying to help you enjoy videos over the long-term, they're trying to keep you from going over to Facebook where their addictive algorithm will take over and reduce your likelihood of returning to YouTube! It's a classic race-to-the-bottom. If YouTube lets Facebook keep you addicted, you won't get to the long-term. http://timewellspent.io/ http://timewellspent.io/ is good for perspective
  - icebraining 9y ago
    Yes, but that has an unspoken assumption that recent habits are more additive than longer term ones. I find that suspect; after all, you've already shown that you'll go back again and again to these kinds of videos, whereas you might spend a couple of hours watching a bunch of videos of a kind that you'll never be interested in again. Personally, I find YouTube terrible at keeping me engaged. Even when I want to keep watching videos, their sidebar fails to show me anything I want to click on at least 1/3 of the times.
    - rhizome 9y ago
      Yes, but that has an unspoken assumption that recent habits are more additive than longer term ones This is too fine a point. A user will "select" a default choice by doing nothing, and it's in YT's interests to provide default choices that reward the company. This has been researched for decades and is supported by, among other things: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias
    - quadrangle 9y ago
      You could be exceptional or the algorithms might just be shitty at their intended purpose. Lots of possibilities.
- marksc 9y ago
  It probably massively increases average time on site and average videos viewed, and thus ad revenue.
- rhizome 9y ago
  Because if e.g. you watch a Tool video, the ad rates for you watching a Korn video after that are higher than if you watch a Zeni Geva one. Alternatively, Kesha > Lady Gaga vs. Kesha > Joni James. Unscientific, but it comports with conventional wisdom with regard to fiduciary duties to stockholders.
  - icebraining 9y ago
    Because if e.g. you watch a Tool video, the ad rates for you watching a Korn video after that are higher than if you watch a Zeni Geva one But why? If I've watched hundreds of Zeni Geva videos over the years, but it's my fifth Tool video, why would I be more likely to click on a ad on a Korn video?
    - rhizome 9y ago
      It's not that they think you'll be more likely, it's that they rather you did, so the suggestion emerges. Recommendation engines are a funnel for revenue.
hyperdunc 9y ago
What doesn't make good business sense is filling my feed with videos I've already seen!

YouTube would rather you fall into a trance of continuing your recent viewing habits rather than providing a personalized library. It just makes better business sense.

icebraining 9y ago

Why does it make better business sense?

quadrangle 9y ago
Because they aren't trying to help you enjoy videos over the long-term, they're trying to keep you from going over to Facebook where their addictive algorithm will take over and reduce your likelihood of returning to YouTube! It's a classic race-to-the-bottom. If YouTube lets Facebook keep you addicted, you won't get to the long-term. http://timewellspent.io/ http://timewellspent.io/ is good for perspective
- icebraining 9y ago
  Yes, but that has an unspoken assumption that recent habits are more additive than longer term ones. I find that suspect; after all, you've already shown that you'll go back again and again to these kinds of videos, whereas you might spend a couple of hours watching a bunch of videos of a kind that you'll never be interested in again. Personally, I find YouTube terrible at keeping me engaged. Even when I want to keep watching videos, their sidebar fails to show me anything I want to click on at least 1/3 of the times.
  - rhizome 9y ago
    Yes, but that has an unspoken assumption that recent habits are more additive than longer term ones This is too fine a point. A user will "select" a default choice by doing nothing, and it's in YT's interests to provide default choices that reward the company. This has been researched for decades and is supported by, among other things: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias
  - quadrangle 9y ago
    You could be exceptional or the algorithms might just be shitty at their intended purpose. Lots of possibilities.
marksc 9y ago
It probably massively increases average time on site and average videos viewed, and thus ad revenue.
rhizome 9y ago
Because if e.g. you watch a Tool video, the ad rates for you watching a Korn video after that are higher than if you watch a Zeni Geva one. Alternatively, Kesha > Lady Gaga vs. Kesha > Joni James. Unscientific, but it comports with conventional wisdom with regard to fiduciary duties to stockholders.
- icebraining 9y ago
  Because if e.g. you watch a Tool video, the ad rates for you watching a Korn video after that are higher than if you watch a Zeni Geva one But why? If I've watched hundreds of Zeni Geva videos over the years, but it's my fifth Tool video, why would I be more likely to click on a ad on a Korn video?
  - rhizome 9y ago
    It's not that they think you'll be more likely, it's that they rather you did, so the suggestion emerges. Recommendation engines are a funnel for revenue.

hyperdunc 9y ago

What doesn't make good business sense is filling my feed with videos I've already seen!