4 ms·

YouTube tests new anti-adblocker popup with countdown timer

21 points by leotravis10 3y ago

emocin 3y ago
[flagged]
harryquach 3y ago
As much I hate YouTube ads it makes sense they fight hard to prevent ad blocking. It must cost a fortune to run something the size and complexity of YouTube
- developerDan 3y ago
  I’d say a good 90% of ads I view on YouTube mobile (I have an adblocker on desktop) are for Google Fiber which 1) is a Google product and therefore doesn’t generate income on ads sales and 2) I’m already a customer of so they literally can’t make a sale on me with the ad. It’s completely useless so I should be able to block the ads as they serve no purpose whatsoever. The other 10% are the scam “get solar for free” ads.
- goku12 3y ago
  Online services seeking revenue isn't a bad thing. However, offering the service for free (or without ads) initially until all competitors are dead and then seeking revenue shouldn't be considered benign.
  - nhinck2 3y ago
    Youtube has been running ads since 2009 from a very cursory search. This isn't a new development from them.
    - goku12 3y ago
      Doesn't that mean that there were at least 3 years before that when they didn't serve ads? I can certainly remember the days when you didn't need an ad-blocker to watch videos without ads. How are the other video hosting sites from those days doing now?
      - nhinck2 3y ago
        Hmm, I went back and it looks like they were selectively running ads all the way back in 2006 before google bought them.
    - dietr1ch 3y ago
      Sure, but how long until they became profitable? Running at a loss to keep competition away sounds anti-competitive, but sure, there might not be a good way to tell a bad bet from an evil one.
cute_boi 3y ago
I guess I won't just watch youtube anymore. At least, I will save time a lot.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  Or, you could just subscribe to YouTube Premium and avoid the ads... And then, after a few months or a year or so, watch ads on YouTube Premium again (and pay for the privilege), just like they did with cable TV.
  - Doxin 3y ago
    Ah yes, you could pay the people who are hitting you to stop hitting you.
  - marshray 3y ago
    Is it possible to watch as a subscriber without feeding an AI with your viewing history? Like incognito mode, which is the only way I ever watched Youtube previously.
    - nullfield 3y ago
      Surely you jest, sir. Your money, which they’ll happily take, doesn’t buy that level of access.
  - yomlica8 3y ago
    Don't forget allowing them to more closely identify you through your credit card and likely phone number "for verification" by creating a business relationship. I'm not sure what their dark pattern situation for canceling is though, I haven't heard of google being particularly bad there.
stevenicr 3y ago
If this is the attempt of some dept to increase ads for whatever metrics or bonuses, I suggest that this move will not increase ads much at all. Many of us will just pay for premium to avoid. Some of us will engage in the non-stop war of ad block blocker blocker and perhaps ramp up to some other caching / buffering system that blocks the ads another way that makes it seem they run or whatever. Sure a few grandmas who had a blocker setup for them will capitulate, but I would bet if you are aiming for some sort of 2% increase it will fall very short. I block ads primarily for security, and because I abhor being forced alcohol ads and similar without a way to block at the ip level. If adblockers are blocked I will be forced to go premium or switch to peertube / rumble / fbook, etc. I can't do ads, sanity, security, and time wasting are not in my future time blocks. Although I would say, that some ads are interesting from a mar-tech / creative interest, and I wouldn't find a separate tab with a list of 'ads that may interest you' similar to the home page - strange I know - but that way I could avoid the security concerns and other concerns, and choose a few that could offer interesting offers.
kkoste 3y ago
I wouldn't mind the ads so much if they weren't so god awful. First ad is always someone yelling at me - instantly making me hate whatever they are selling. Second ad is always some kind of shitty mobile game that has more often then not an overly sexualized character.

21 points by leotravis10 3y ago

[flagged]

As much I hate YouTube ads it makes sense they fight hard to prevent ad blocking. It must cost a fortune to run something the size and complexity of YouTube

developerDan 3y ago
I’d say a good 90% of ads I view on YouTube mobile (I have an adblocker on desktop) are for Google Fiber which 1) is a Google product and therefore doesn’t generate income on ads sales and 2) I’m already a customer of so they literally can’t make a sale on me with the ad. It’s completely useless so I should be able to block the ads as they serve no purpose whatsoever. The other 10% are the scam “get solar for free” ads.
goku12 3y ago
Online services seeking revenue isn't a bad thing. However, offering the service for free (or without ads) initially until all competitors are dead and then seeking revenue shouldn't be considered benign.
- nhinck2 3y ago
  Youtube has been running ads since 2009 from a very cursory search. This isn't a new development from them.
  - goku12 3y ago
    Doesn't that mean that there were at least 3 years before that when they didn't serve ads? I can certainly remember the days when you didn't need an ad-blocker to watch videos without ads. How are the other video hosting sites from those days doing now?
    - nhinck2 3y ago
      Hmm, I went back and it looks like they were selectively running ads all the way back in 2006 before google bought them.
  - dietr1ch 3y ago
    Sure, but how long until they became profitable? Running at a loss to keep competition away sounds anti-competitive, but sure, there might not be a good way to tell a bad bet from an evil one.

cute_boi 3y ago

I guess I won't just watch youtube anymore. At least, I will save time a lot.

midoridensha 3y ago
Or, you could just subscribe to YouTube Premium and avoid the ads... And then, after a few months or a year or so, watch ads on YouTube Premium again (and pay for the privilege), just like they did with cable TV.
- Doxin 3y ago
  Ah yes, you could pay the people who are hitting you to stop hitting you.
- marshray 3y ago
  Is it possible to watch as a subscriber without feeding an AI with your viewing history? Like incognito mode, which is the only way I ever watched Youtube previously.
  - nullfield 3y ago
    Surely you jest, sir. Your money, which they’ll happily take, doesn’t buy that level of access.
- yomlica8 3y ago
  Don't forget allowing them to more closely identify you through your credit card and likely phone number "for verification" by creating a business relationship. I'm not sure what their dark pattern situation for canceling is though, I haven't heard of google being particularly bad there.

stevenicr 3y ago

If this is the attempt of some dept to increase ads for whatever metrics or bonuses, I suggest that this move will not increase ads much at all. Many of us will just pay for premium to avoid. Some of us will engage in the non-stop war of ad block blocker blocker and perhaps ramp up to some other caching / buffering system that blocks the ads another way that makes it seem they run or whatever. Sure a few grandmas who had a blocker setup for them will capitulate, but I would bet if you are aiming for some sort of 2% increase it will fall very short. I block ads primarily for security, and because I abhor being forced alcohol ads and similar without a way to block at the ip level. If adblockers are blocked I will be forced to go premium or switch to peertube / rumble / fbook, etc. I can't do ads, sanity, security, and time wasting are not in my future time blocks. Although I would say, that some ads are interesting from a mar-tech / creative interest, and I wouldn't find a separate tab with a list of 'ads that may interest you' similar to the home page - strange I know - but that way I could avoid the security concerns and other concerns, and choose a few that could offer interesting offers.

kkoste 3y ago

I wouldn't mind the ads so much if they weren't so god awful. First ad is always someone yelling at me - instantly making me hate whatever they are selling. Second ad is always some kind of shitty mobile game that has more often then not an overly sexualized character.