this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 51 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Just yesterday they stopped allowing me to see home page and recommendations unless I turn on watch history, which I am not doing ever. So they can keep forcing my hand and see how far it goes. If anything am stubborn enough to enjoy this kind of petty behavior from major players. They keep thinking "oh they will just do what we ask them to", but I'll do the opposite out of spite. I'll just use !videos or similar communities to find my recommendations until the day comes where I stop using it completely. I quit Facebook this way, quit Reddit and Twitter, quit WhatsApp. Keep at it guys, let's see who's more stubborn.

[–] PR_freak@programming.dev 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Actually watching only what you search for or are subscribed to is a great way to stop wasting your time on stupid shorts you used to watch for hours a day (at least for me)

Plus I don't want an algorithm to feed me stupid things it thinks I would like, that's what leads to polarization and countless other negative aspects in social media

Also I suggest to everyone readinh to watch "The social dilemma" a masterpiece that exposes these problems

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's a good point. However I trained YouTube not to feed me crap, couldn't skip shorts though. What I did was disable search and watch history and then blocked videos and channels that I didn't want affecting me ever. In time algorithm figured out what I wanted so I got somewhat related and interesting content. Not all of it but a lot of it since they had to focus on my likes and dislikes instead of watch history. This has now changed.

[–] PR_freak@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

When I mentioned the algorithm I meant it was too good at understanding what you like and that leads to polarization

You just said you trained it in your own way but you were still using it thus getting polarized just like other people

What I was suggesting is to completely avoid it and just watch what you search and or are subscribed to

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

That's what I did actually. However in times of boredom new thematically suggested content was useful.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think they care about the small handful of people who will stop watching YouTube over this, to be honest.

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

That is fine by me! But I doubt the number will be so small. Still I don't care how many. Am not selling my data becauseo others are. -

[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I'll take some of that action. There needs to be some sort of medical term for the reaction that adverts inspire in me. At this point, it's pathological. It's interesting to contrast YouTube's original form with the abomination it has become today. Almost as if corporations wait patiently while they achieve market dominance before they come out with absurd and Orwellian ethical statements about 'breaking rules'. Before that it was a big house, come on in and enjoy the cornucopia. No, Google, we will never stop blocking your poison. All we want is the service.

[–] tr11@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Also happened to me

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Shit, same thing happened to me ! I thought the website had bugged out.

[–] xbhaktapur@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

This actually helped me reduce my screen time. The only positive to come out of this, I suppose.