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Do you not think YouTube will penalize channels for choosing to present less ads? I know that I go with their suggested defaults, on the assumption that I will

Do you not think YouTube will penalize channels for choosing to present less ads? I know that I go with their suggested defaults, on the assumption that I will be punished if I depart from that. I assume that people will run adblockers if they've got any sense: my demographic is probably more likely to do that. I'm on desktop, adblocking the entire internet to the best of my ability. I daresay if YouTube got pushy with me as a video watcher, I would watch less and would be the better for it. Go ahead, make my day ;)

pessimizer 3y ago
> Do you not think YouTube will penalize channels for choosing to present less ads? I know that I go with their suggested defaults, on the assumption that I will be punished if I depart from that. Sounds like grounds for an investigation that could develop into a lawsuit.
- crazygringo 3y ago
  A lawsuit based on what law? I don't know why it would be illegal for YouTube to use its recommendation algorithm to favor videos with ads. It's a for-profit business after all.
  - Applejinx 3y ago
    Yes, it would fall under the category of 'dark patterns'. If you're not allowed to block ads, you sure as hell don't have a right to be promoted while refusing to RUN ads. I've assumed the worst for years now.
    - crazygringo 3y ago
      There isn't a law against "dark patterns", and selective/weighted recommendations aren't even generally considered an example of a dark pattern. The FTC has brought lawsuits against deceptive practices, like tricking people into signing up for something they didn't mean to -- that might be what you're referring to? But I don't see any deceptive practice here. YouTube favoring more profitable videos is no different from grocery stores putting candy next to you while you wait to check out. Companies are trying to manipulate you into selecting the most profitable thing all the time, that's the norm. But you still get to choose which video to click on, the same as it's your choice whether or not to buy the candy at checkout.
  - Buttons840 3y ago
    The court current hold that growing a plant on your own land to feed to your own animals is "interstate commerce"[0]. Lawyers can squeeze some kind of case out of this. You might not win in the courts, but such a lawsuit can also build political support for things like anti-trust enforcement, data protection laws, advertising regulation, etc. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn
zapdrive 3y ago
Also, I believe that the algorithm prioritises monetized videos over non-monetized ones. I wouldn't be surprised if videos choosing more ads are also prioritised.
s3p 3y ago
No. I don't think they do that. Creators will naturally want to turn on ads because the return is amazing. YouTube just recommends videos that it thinks individual users will enjoy the most.
- wongarsu 3y ago
  If people though of ads as something the creator controls, I suspect many creators would turn off ads, or maybe do a single pre-roll ad, and double down on sponsorships instead. It places the creator much more in control over the exact ad content that plays, and if you manage to get a good match between channel and sponsor can be much less jarring than youtube ads. Of course youtube wouldn't want that, because they don't get any money out of that deal. And judging by how things are going at Twitch, the platform trying to get a cut by forcing sponsorship deals to happen via their platform just gets people up in arms.

pessimizer 3y ago

> Do you not think YouTube will penalize channels for choosing to present less ads? I know that I go with their suggested defaults, on the assumption that I will be punished if I depart from that. Sounds like grounds for an investigation that could develop into a lawsuit.

crazygringo 3y ago
A lawsuit based on what law? I don't know why it would be illegal for YouTube to use its recommendation algorithm to favor videos with ads. It's a for-profit business after all.
- Applejinx 3y ago
  Yes, it would fall under the category of 'dark patterns'. If you're not allowed to block ads, you sure as hell don't have a right to be promoted while refusing to RUN ads. I've assumed the worst for years now.
  - crazygringo 3y ago
    There isn't a law against "dark patterns", and selective/weighted recommendations aren't even generally considered an example of a dark pattern. The FTC has brought lawsuits against deceptive practices, like tricking people into signing up for something they didn't mean to -- that might be what you're referring to? But I don't see any deceptive practice here. YouTube favoring more profitable videos is no different from grocery stores putting candy next to you while you wait to check out. Companies are trying to manipulate you into selecting the most profitable thing all the time, that's the norm. But you still get to choose which video to click on, the same as it's your choice whether or not to buy the candy at checkout.
- Buttons840 3y ago
  The court current hold that growing a plant on your own land to feed to your own animals is "interstate commerce"[0]. Lawyers can squeeze some kind of case out of this. You might not win in the courts, but such a lawsuit can also build political support for things like anti-trust enforcement, data protection laws, advertising regulation, etc. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

zapdrive 3y ago

Also, I believe that the algorithm prioritises monetized videos over non-monetized ones. I wouldn't be surprised if videos choosing more ads are also prioritised.

s3p 3y ago

No. I don't think they do that. Creators will naturally want to turn on ads because the return is amazing. YouTube just recommends videos that it thinks individual users will enjoy the most.

wongarsu 3y ago
If people though of ads as something the creator controls, I suspect many creators would turn off ads, or maybe do a single pre-roll ad, and double down on sponsorships instead. It places the creator much more in control over the exact ad content that plays, and if you manage to get a good match between channel and sponsor can be much less jarring than youtube ads. Of course youtube wouldn't want that, because they don't get any money out of that deal. And judging by how things are going at Twitch, the platform trying to get a cut by forcing sponsorship deals to happen via their platform just gets people up in arms.