OT rant: Youtube appears to be ad-free again. Was: Why is youtube-dl blocked

[Owen Thomas]

On Tue, 7 Nov 2023 at 02:22, Wade Smart <wadesmart at gmail.com> wrote:

> Not sure it is that simple.
>

Sure, sure.


> It wouldnt be the first time a company gives it to you, takes it away,
> gives it to you to get you interested, takes it away, bit by bit getting
> you "hooked".. drugs, tech, video.. all the same.
>

Well, I bet the executive management at Youtube knows a lot about the
psychology of addiction, so perhaps there is some future controversy afoot.

Some new thoughts have occurred to me. Is it possible that, rather than
telling users they're being naughty, Youtube could instead be keeping tabs
on the number of times it detects an ad-blocker at work so Youtube can seek
payment for (and make an example of) these users at a later date?

Might the executives at Youtube/Google/Alphabet/wherever be Machiavellian
narcissists who, after monopolising control and giving their supply freely,
are now going to try to extort money from their now-dependent users in the
same way any good drug dealer might?
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