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You got the analogy backwards: Youtube is riding a bicycle. Youtube gets sick of the sticks getting caught up in its wheels. Youtube removes the sticks. If

You got the analogy backwards: Youtube is riding a bicycle. Youtube gets sick of the sticks getting caught up in its wheels. Youtube removes the sticks. If you adblock youtube, you just cost them money. Dead weight. How can people be so confused about how youtube works? It's a platform to sell ad-space to advertisers. If you are not viewing ads (or paying premium) you are just a stick in the wheels of the platform. Its like sneaking into the backdoor of a buffet, eating for free, then telling the place they are going to fail when they lock the door. Even worse, you didn't even know you were using the backdoor, you thought it was the front.

lxgr 3y ago
If we’re really doing analogies: Youtube is a bit more like living in a small town that has a few buffets, but 90% of dishes (especially the more niche cuisines you really like) are only available at a single one. That buffet frustratingly does not just accept payment per meal – you get a choice between either paying for a monthly subscription that also includes access to a fancy gym and is accordingly quite expensive (and you might already have another gym subscription you like!), or you can eat for free, but the waiters force you to watch several videos of their pets and children between each course.
- Workaccount2 3y ago
  But the industry standard for content delivery is a monthly sub. Sure I'd love it if every content provider offered an ala carte option. But that's an industry wide complaint, not specific to youtube.
  - lxgr 3y ago
    Yes, but not bundled with a music subscription, the market value of which is something like $10-$11/month. That would be more than half of the Youtube subscription fee, and many people have an existing music streaming service they’re happy with!
bheadmaster 3y ago
No, you got the analogy backwards: YouTube is running a bicycle track. YouTube keeps throwing sticks in people's wheels. People put stick shields on their wheels. YouTube makes heavy magnets that pull people's stick shields and blames stick shields for people's bikes being slower. If you're serving content on the internet, and I download some of that content, it is completely up to me what I do with it on my machine. Google may screech "nooo you can't play downloaded videos if you don't play downloaded ads first", but that's complete bullcrap since Google can't tell me what I can and cannot do with my computer. If Google doesn't like what I do with the content I download from their YouTube servers, Google can choose to make YouTube subscription-only. Yet they never did. Go figure. They want to have their cake and eat it too.
- Workaccount2 3y ago
  Those videos are not on your computer though? They are not your videos...
  - bheadmaster 3y ago
    > Those videos are not on your computer though? Is that a question? As long as my screen is not connected to Google's servers through a 100 mile long HDMI cable, the videos have to be downloaded to my machine before they can be played on my screen. > They are not your videos... Google made them available to me through a publicly accessible website.
    - Workaccount2 3y ago
      >Is that a question? As long as my screen is not connected to Google's servers through a 100 mile long HDMI cable ...but your computer is in fact connected to google's servers through a 100 mile long cable. Maybe not an HDMI cable, but maybe that is key to your argument somehow? >Google made them available to me through a publicly accessible website. Cafes are also publicly accessible, that doesn't mean the coffee is free. If a cafe gives out coffee for watching an ad, you still have to watch the ad to get the coffee. Just because you found a way to skip the ad watch, doesn't mean you are entitled to the coffee at the "publicly accessible" cafe...
jameslars 3y ago
If this is the analogy, why doesn't Google try something like protecting from sticks in the first place? For example, they could lock all of YouTube behind a login & paywall. It seems like YouTube is attempting to FORCE people to adhere to its desired business model. If ad-supported video playback is not economically viable, then maybe it's time for a new model to be born? There is no obligation for me to pick up the stick and hit myself with it because Google says I should. I downloaded a bunch of bits that Google sent to my computer, and then I read the bits I cared about. That's how every webpage has worked in my experience.
- acdha 3y ago
  They offer you a direct payment option which would quite well for not seeing ads while still supporting the people who make the videos which are so important to you.
  - jameslars 3y ago
    And yet it's optional and they also keep sending me the same videos for free along with ads. I could opt to close my eyes and ears for every ad they send instead and it would have the same effect at the cost of my personal time. Ad blockers are just time shifting Tivos in disguise. Google has no say in how I spend my time interacting with the bits they already sent to my computer.
    - acdha 3y ago
      Advertisers know you don’t always watch, but they price in the odds that the ad will catch your eye and pay. Ad blockers drive those odds to zero, so the advertisers won’t pay. Personally, I like paying people who make things I enjoy, but if you feel you’re entitled to their work without paying for it, just be honest about it and be you.

lxgr 3y ago

If we’re really doing analogies: Youtube is a bit more like living in a small town that has a few buffets, but 90% of dishes (especially the more niche cuisines you really like) are only available at a single one. That buffet frustratingly does not just accept payment per meal – you get a choice between either paying for a monthly subscription that also includes access to a fancy gym and is accordingly quite expensive (and you might already have another gym subscription you like!), or you can eat for free, but the waiters force you to watch several videos of their pets and children between each course.

Workaccount2 3y ago
But the industry standard for content delivery is a monthly sub. Sure I'd love it if every content provider offered an ala carte option. But that's an industry wide complaint, not specific to youtube.
- lxgr 3y ago
  Yes, but not bundled with a music subscription, the market value of which is something like $10-$11/month. That would be more than half of the Youtube subscription fee, and many people have an existing music streaming service they’re happy with!

bheadmaster 3y ago

No, you got the analogy backwards: YouTube is running a bicycle track. YouTube keeps throwing sticks in people's wheels. People put stick shields on their wheels. YouTube makes heavy magnets that pull people's stick shields and blames stick shields for people's bikes being slower. If you're serving content on the internet, and I download some of that content, it is completely up to me what I do with it on my machine. Google may screech "nooo you can't play downloaded videos if you don't play downloaded ads first", but that's complete bullcrap since Google can't tell me what I can and cannot do with my computer. If Google doesn't like what I do with the content I download from their YouTube servers, Google can choose to make YouTube subscription-only. Yet they never did. Go figure. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

Workaccount2 3y ago
Those videos are not on your computer though? They are not your videos...
- bheadmaster 3y ago
  > Those videos are not on your computer though? Is that a question? As long as my screen is not connected to Google's servers through a 100 mile long HDMI cable, the videos have to be downloaded to my machine before they can be played on my screen. > They are not your videos... Google made them available to me through a publicly accessible website.
  - Workaccount2 3y ago
    >Is that a question? As long as my screen is not connected to Google's servers through a 100 mile long HDMI cable ...but your computer is in fact connected to google's servers through a 100 mile long cable. Maybe not an HDMI cable, but maybe that is key to your argument somehow? >Google made them available to me through a publicly accessible website. Cafes are also publicly accessible, that doesn't mean the coffee is free. If a cafe gives out coffee for watching an ad, you still have to watch the ad to get the coffee. Just because you found a way to skip the ad watch, doesn't mean you are entitled to the coffee at the "publicly accessible" cafe...

jameslars 3y ago

If this is the analogy, why doesn't Google try something like protecting from sticks in the first place? For example, they could lock all of YouTube behind a login & paywall. It seems like YouTube is attempting to FORCE people to adhere to its desired business model. If ad-supported video playback is not economically viable, then maybe it's time for a new model to be born? There is no obligation for me to pick up the stick and hit myself with it because Google says I should. I downloaded a bunch of bits that Google sent to my computer, and then I read the bits I cared about. That's how every webpage has worked in my experience.

acdha 3y ago
They offer you a direct payment option which would quite well for not seeing ads while still supporting the people who make the videos which are so important to you.
- jameslars 3y ago
  And yet it's optional and they also keep sending me the same videos for free along with ads. I could opt to close my eyes and ears for every ad they send instead and it would have the same effect at the cost of my personal time. Ad blockers are just time shifting Tivos in disguise. Google has no say in how I spend my time interacting with the bits they already sent to my computer.
  - acdha 3y ago
    Advertisers know you don’t always watch, but they price in the odds that the ad will catch your eye and pay. Ad blockers drive those odds to zero, so the advertisers won’t pay. Personally, I like paying people who make things I enjoy, but if you feel you’re entitled to their work without paying for it, just be honest about it and be you.