this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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Privacy

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Curious if anyone actually engages in YouTube videos here?

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[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 36 points 10 months ago

Since the ad push led to me fully adopting newpipe and freetube not anymore.

[–] aedelred@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago

I only subscribe so I can follow channels I like.

[–] ultratiem@lemmy.ca 19 points 10 months ago
[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Hell no, and for two very good reasons:

  • To comment and subscribe, you need a Youtube account. There's no way on God's green Earth I'll ever open any Google account. They track me enough as it is without me helping them.

  • Youtube monetizes your preferences - subscriptions and comments - which helps their business grow. I will never do anything to help Google if I can avoid it. Google needs to die, not grow larger than the cancerous blob they've already become.

I do subscribe locally to channels, and I have my personal playlists in FreeTube and NewPipe though, but Google doesn't get to profit from that information. As for commenting, I've never seen any thread compelling enough to respond to. But if I do, I'll abstain in the name of not helping Google.

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 16 points 10 months ago

Yep. All the time. Some channels have great communities.

[–] RogueBanana@lemmy.zip 11 points 10 months ago

I used to but now that I switched to freetube and newpipe, not anymore

[–] TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Subscribe and like, rarely comment.

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 8 points 10 months ago

And like and comment as appropriate about the same as I would on Lemmy and used to on Reddit.

Not because they asked for it, but because I genuinely liked it and want to boost it, and because I genuinely have something useful to say/add to it in the comments.

[–] jherazob@beehaw.org 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes. 99% of what i use YT for these days is to follow the crafters i've been following for years, and part of the way to support them is liking and commenting on their videos. That's what keeps me from moving to frontends or NewPipe.

[–] vintprox@kbin.melroy.org 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Pretty much same thing. I want niche creators to see that their content is appreciated (in lack of paid subscription), and Piped with a bunch of other frontends are simply not a way for this.

[–] GrayBackgroundMusic@lemm.ee 7 points 10 months ago

Yes, I use the like/dislike buttons as a record that I've watched it.

[–] krimson@feddit.nl 7 points 10 months ago

No. Also uninstalled the app and use Invidious.

[–] Lober@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 10 months ago

No because I don't have an account

[–] NullaFacies@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I use a userscript that will like a video (even if not subscribed) if I watch at least 80% of it. As for commenting, it really depends on the topic. Like, if someone needs help on a tutorial, yes. General videos like PewDiePie, no.

As for subscribing, a channel's content must be interesting and not feel corporate. It always feels good when you find a new youtuber you like!

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It always feels good when you find a new youtuber you like!

And when enough people like that fresh new Youtuber with fresh new content, before you know it, that Youtuber starts shilling NordVPN, Incogni or some electric shaver. Just like all the others...

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes, because broke YouTubers are the only ones worth our time /s

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org -1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I understand why they do it. I even sympathize. But I don't have to like it.

I'm properly sick and tired of hearing about NordVPN and a handful of other brands that have decided to pollute the whole of Youtube with their shitty ads.

The other thing that disgusts me is when said Youtubers shill NordVPN as if they actually tried it themselves and recommend the service personally. They haven't: they've been paid by NordVPN to spew out their bullshit convincingly on their behalf.

So why I understand why Youtubers sell out, they're still sellouts, and just hearing them shill NordVPN brings a slight taste of vomit to my mouth.

[–] ZeroEcks@lemmy.ml 4 points 10 months ago

I have an account and subscribe to channels but I don't like or comment

[–] m_r_butts@kbin.social 4 points 10 months ago

Never. I don't even have an account to comment with.

I used to just bookmark the channels I watch and click through those links to catch up when I felt like it. Currently I'm using Freetube which lets me follow channels without actually subscribing or using a Google account.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Yes. While my subscription list is fairly large I watch an incredibly small portion of the videos any of the creators make so when I do I give a thumbs up to it.

[–] backhdlp@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 10 months ago

I comment sometimes, that's why I don't use frontends

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I use third party clients so no

[–] Blisterexe@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 months ago

Same, in use freetube because none of the web clients work right for me

[–] Thade780@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Almost never subscribe other than to YouTubers that rarely post something (looking at you, Robbaz). I remember the few channels I follow for some specific series and look for them if there hasn't been a video in my feed.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I used to comment, but usually nobody sees the comments anyway.

I did like a few videos in the past 5 years that I have the current account though. 8 of them, to be precise.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 3 points 10 months ago

Something about the way YouTube comments are ordered makes each thread degenerate into nonsense after a while, if it wasn't nonsense to begin with.

[–] EdanGrey@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

I don't tend to content but I will like because I can tell then the videos I've watched

[–] random65837@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Hell no, last thing I'm going to do is let the Goog know what I like and don't.

[–] eV_Ohm@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

Only for Internet Today. I can't believe they are not a bigger channel. After I left reddit and Twitter, they keep me up to date on all of the stuff I don't see. I just want to help the algorithm.

[–] retiolus@lemmy.cat 1 points 10 months ago
[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I subscribe, set my bookmark to go straight to the subs page so I don't miss anything. No need to "ring the bell" if your feed is only people you subscribed to. Once in a while, I'll go to the home page to see if anything interesting is recommended.

I use Unlock Origin to manually block all the junk in the feed - "shorts", "YT premium content", "trending now" etc.

I know it's terrible for privacy.

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 1 points 10 months ago

I keep my subscription local through Piped, and I back it up when I change my subs.

[–] java@beehaw.org 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I don't have a Google account, so that's not possible. I don't use YouTube directly to watch it either.

Though I rarely commented when I had an account. There's nothing of value. Content creators I'm following have other means to reach them.

[–] jmp242@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 months ago

I sometimes like commenting on YouTube videos, and reading the comments. The videos I'm on do not seem to have anywhere near as bad as the received wisdom of the comments being a cesspool. but that might just be me.

[–] Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah. I'll like every video I watch and comment too every now and then.

[–] Killercat103@infosec.pub 1 points 10 months ago

Very rarely on other platforms like lbry and peertube. Don't have a Google account and use a YouTube frontend