My problem is that whenever I want to have a video recommended and open the YouTube homepage I just get a list of videos that I have watched before. I don't know how this can possible be an effective way to watch videos.
I don't know how they sort the categories but I've only found the "New to you" at the start or end of the list.
Also, let us tell YT we're not interested in a category. I've watched a blacksmith video once, I had the Metallurgy category recommended to me for 6 months.
Google, the world famous AI company, presents the proof that recommendation engines are incredibly dumb and annoying except in very tightly controlled environments. There is nothing intelligent about it.
Sometimes the order falls through, sometimes the washer needs to be returned. The thing is that these items are so high-profit that targeting this small chance of purchase is very valuable. And these users, even though they have just bought this thing that typically they need 1 of for 20 years, are still higher probability than average to purchase another.