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What's your explanation, then? The "protect advertisers" theory wasn't just born out of outrage IMO, it's also the simplest explanation.
by rfrey 4y ago
What's your explanation, then? The "protect advertisers" theory wasn't just born out of outrage IMO, it's also the simplest explanation.
- Aunche 4y ago> it's also the simplest explanation Care to address all the reasons why I described this is unlikely? > What's your explanation, then? The simplest explanation is their official one that they want to protect smaller creators from brigading. The simplest cynical explanation is that they noticed from A/B tests that hiding dislikes increases user retention, which is more profitable for them. It's likely a mix of both.
- origin_path 4y agoIIRC that decision was made shortly after Wojcicki (YT chief at the time) posted a video that got some incredibly huge quantity of dislikes vs likes, and/or Biden had the same issue. Don't recall the exact timeline. Dislikes disappeared shortly afterwards. Seems more likely it was in response to powerful people being upset at being disliked than commercial imperatives.