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I totally forgot how terrible a non-ad-free YouTube experience is (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by bermuda@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

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So I've been using youtube ad blockers since pretty much when ad blocker extensions were first available. Lately though I've been getting hit more and more with these messages that YT was sending out every 5 or so videos telling me that adblockers aren't allowed. No problem, just gotta wait 5 seconds to x it out and then close my video. The straw that broke the camel's back though was when instead of a close-able pop-up, they just posted it in front of a video and wouldn't let me watch anything until I disabled my adblocker.

So I disabled it and... wow. It's just so, so, trash. 2 ads before a video plus midrolls and every video ever. I tried listening to a playlist of songs and was getting a midroll ad every single time. Imagine trying to just listen to music for 3 minutes and getting interrupted by a commercial for a chevy silverado! Half the ads were for youtube premium and they specifically mentioned that it would get rid of all the ads. It just felt so damn predatory. I couldn't enjoy anything that wasn't already demonetized.

And you know I'm fine with ads I guess. I could live with an ad before every video, but the fact that I was getting upwards of 5 ads in a 10 minute video was just plain absurd. I also hate that youtube got rid of the yellow markers to show you when an ad was coming up, so now it's just out of nowhere and always interrupts a key part of the video.

E: I've been on Firefox for over a year.

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[–] someguy3@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I had a playlist that I was watching when I was working with raw meat (can't touch the phone). Next video comes up and it's a 8 minute ad that I can't skip because I can't touch my phone. Argh.

[–] Hegar@kbin.social 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A rich right wing lunatic (but I repeat myself) in Australia had a 45m ad for his vanity political campaign. A friend of mine sent a screenshot.

[–] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s ridiculous. How is there not a limit on the length of an ad? Money obviously—but still. I make a point NOT to purchase from a company if an ad is longer than 30 seconds. So annoying!

[–] Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You get ads for actually real products? Literally the only ad for a real thing that is available to me was about a cleaning company for house fassades.... but I don't have a house. Everything else is stupid games or apps, or porn or straight up scams.

[–] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago

Very fair point!

[–] bermuda@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah that part was especially frustrating. I like playing longform content on my 2nd monitor while gaming on my first monitor so I kept having to tab out to skip the ads.