YouTube tests removing viewer counts | Hacker News Reader

YouTube tests removing viewer counts

tomsguide.com

15 pointsqwertox10 comments

Removing view counts and dates feels like another step towards making YouTube a black box. If they hide engagement metrics it’s a lot easier to push certain videos without users catching on. Wonder if this will really improve our experience or just make it harder to find what we’re looking for.

  >or just make it harder to find what we’re looking for

Sadly, given their prior removal of dislike counts I expect it's this.

The stacking of suggested content, even search results has always been unintuitive.

Hello xtrapol8.

I've read some of what you've written.

I don't agree with all of it. In particular I don't believe a lot of your metaphysical claims.

I think the idea of intelligence as understanding how probabilities are distributed is compelling. I don't understand all of your ideas. But I can see value in what you're thinking and writing about.

If you want to be someone's undeceiver, you need to ask more questions and tell them less of what you think. Think along the lines of how Socrates engaged with people. It's not because of anything to do with the content of what you think. It's because people don't change their mind from hearing what you say. They change their mind by entertaining a new perspective that's fresh to them.

Or don't do that. It's just my two cents. If I appear to give a command, it's just grammatical/rhetorical. You do you.

I hope you are well. I wish you the best.

Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. And remember, like those posts which speak to you! Karma hemorrhaging accounts apparently loose the ability to comment.

If you’re curious about more of that “metaphysical” stuff, check my threads before they’re white-holed!

For sure. If you do lose the ability to comment here for any reason, my email is in my profile. You are always welcome to write me. I am bad at responding though so I can't promise I will respond, and if I do it will probably take a long time.

> YouTube has seen some major changes in how it presents itself in recent months, for instance, by adding a pink gradient to the progress bar. We have also seen a removal of the skip countdown for ads, with it being replaced by a yellow line running along the bottom of the video. YouTube also announced several new AI features for creators that aim to give more creative freedom while streamlining content production and enhancing monetization.

YouTube can get away with all this because they have a monopoly on this type of video service. It is a natural monopoly that arises from network effects of viewers and people who make videos, plus controlling the ads market.

They want us to be cattle and remove any bit of info so they can herd us better.

Nielson[0] business model incoming.

They charge... a royal fuck-ton for real-time audience metrics. YouTube gives away the milk for free. This was only a matter of time, I'm afraid. :-(

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_Holdings

They will eventually get to charge to comment when the squeeze gets really tight. In the end only the carcass will be left.

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