It's not a "great product", the creators are the only thing that gives it value. The platform itself is a parasitic monstrosity that only serves corporate interests, which are the motivation for every change they make. The dislike button removal being a recent example, not to mention the insufferable advertising practices, their complicity in DMCA shenanigans, and the rise of ridiculous language like 'unalived' instead of 'kill' because it hurts ad revenue, it goes on and on. Their behavior as the stewards of youtube has been utterly reprehensible and I won't be paying them for it
Look, we get it: you don’t like Google and that’s a fair position but you’re still shafting the people who make the video you like. If you don’t like YouTube, don’t use it: every time you watch a video there, the person who created it gets the message that they have to be on YouTube because nobody watches their stuff anywhere else.
The end of this cycle is DRM and ads becoming part of the content. YouTube can do that because your refusal to stop using their service only cements their market share.
Believe me I try, but one person can't do much against the network effect. I'm only interested in a few creators and they only upload to Youtube or other major corporate platforms because thats where the viewers are, what's a peon like me supposed to do? Rip their stuff and reupload it on peertube or something?
