Being Rickrolled just doesn't have the same feels now that Youtube will immediately blast an add in your face before you can enjoy the classic.
If you pay the ad company, don’t ever expect fewer ads.
Personally, my conspiracy theory is that somehow the YouTube team twisted Google Chrome team's arms to force them to make a byzantine system so that YouTube videos would pretty much always auto play. I cannot imagine how any self-respecting programmer(TM) would agree to such nonsense unless they were being paid very handsomely.
You're not far off. https://developer.chrome.com/blog/autoplay#media_engagement_...
After a while youtube gave up and no longer tries to force me to uninstall the ad blocking mechanisms.
That or the ad blocking mechanisms got better.
Wondered if i was part of some a/b and they rolled back? no idea. Either way i'll happily drop YT if they try that shit without giving me a sane "no ad" tier lol.
If for whatever reason Youtube wants to enshittify its service to destroy its UX it is 100% within its rights to do so.
If you want it to (temporarily) work again, just get everyone within 6 degrees of separation from you to sign up for Youtube Premium.
And to top it off, you think we should reward this behavior?