Like clockwork, each time an article like this one is published, individuals emerge to pressure others into watching advertisements with remarks like "poor tril

Like clockwork, each time an article like this one is published, individuals emerge to pressure others into watching advertisements with remarks like "poor trillion dollar corporation," label them as "entitled" for not wanting to invest time in continuous ads (bearing in mind that time only moves forward and can't be reclaimed), or assert that paying for a premium subscription is not a significant expense. It could be $1 for all I care. Let us commence from the beginning. Perhaps not all of Hacker News' user base came online when the internet was still characterized by freedom and openness, and "content" was created to share information, whether accurate or not, or simply for entertainment. This state of affairs persisted for a few years during YouTube's early days, but the situation began to deteriorate around 2010. From 1997 to 2009, one could argue that the internet was, to a large extent, a tolerable place to be. The aggressive monetization and profiling tactics pursued by the mega-corporations that have tightly gripped the internet, driven by the unrelenting pursuit of endless year-over-year growth, have turned the internet into a breeding ground for scams and content designed to evoke manipulable emotional responses such as anger, sadness, and regret. I am unwavering in my refusal to tolerate advertisements, whether in videos, music, or on websites, regardless of how vigorously these companies or their supporters attempt to persuade people to sink more of their time passively being bombarded with ads. Even engaging in debates with these individuals serves their purpose because, like Jehovah's Witnesses, their objective is to shift the argument and move the goalposts until they can declare victory, or gain the moral high ground defending the trillion-dollar corp. For me, YouTube is a pastime, not a profession or a job. If beer money can be derived from it, that's wonderful. Nowadays, most YouTubers feature videos with non-skippable ads inserted by Google, run Patreon campaigns for direct support, sell merchandise, and include sponsored segments within their videos. I only realized the extent of this when I used SponsorBlock for a couple of years, and its API failed a few days ago. Google does not require my financial support, and I have no intention of squandering my valuable time on their unskippable advertising. Nor do I wish to be profiled by them. If they are truly facing financial difficulties, they can reduce their relentless year-on-year growth. A well-established, consistently profitable company can support families without exploiting the user base. I feel no guilt in employing every means at my disposal to counteract their ceaseless efforts to make the internet a less enjoyable place: it's my device, and my rules. The day Google demands payment for its services similar to Netflix, I will simply cease using it altogether. Until then, I remain indifferent to the opinions of internet strangers or corporate advocates who label me as "entitled"—their words hold no sway over me. I will continue to pursue my course of action and assist those who share the same stance. You are free to disable your ad-blockers and subscribe to the premium service if you so choose. I will not, and I will support (to me) worthy content creators on Patreon where applicable. Google shan't see nor earn no money from me. Now, for those who find themselves entangled in this bog and wish to eliminate ads: * Firefox, Chromium etc: µblock origin [0] + SponsorBlock [1] * Safari: Invidious [2] and Piped [3] * iOS (no jailbreak needed): uYouPlus [4], uYouExtra [5], Yattee [6] * Android: ReVanced [7], GrayJay [8] * Android TV / Shield / FireTV / FireStick: SmartTube [9] * webOS (LG TV): dev mode + sideload [10] My own setup: µblock origin on Firefox in Windows, Piped on macOS, uYouPlus on iOS, SmartTube on a FireStick for the LG C2. SponsorBlock is either directly and natively integrated or enabled separately where needed. [0] https://redd.it/17j6ygs https://redd.it/17j6ygs [1] https://sponsor.ajay.app https://sponsor.ajay.app [2] https://api.invidious.io https://api.invidious.io [3] https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped/wiki/Instances https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped/wiki/Instances [4] https://github.com/qnblackcat/uYouPlus https://github.com/qnblackcat/uYouPlus [5] https://github.com/arichorn/uYouPlusExtra https://github.com/arichorn/uYouPlusExtra [6] https://github.com/yattee/yattee https://github.com/yattee/yattee [7] https://revanced.app https://revanced.app [8] https://grayjay.app https://grayjay.app [9] https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube [10] https://github.com/webosbrew/dev-manager-desktop https://github.com/webosbrew/dev-manager-desktop