YouTube sucks now.

Pay? Seems to still be free last time I checked. Unless you're talking about the YoutubeTV thing. I just click no on that.

For the ads, get an adblocker, and it's a godsend for Youtube (and so many other sites).

I do agree that the search function is horrible now. It always tries to interject some suggestions in there that have nothing to do with what you're looking for. And then it suggests way too many playlists. You have to go up under filters, and click just 'video' under the Type column to get rid of that other stuff.

What I really hate is what they've done to the homepage when you are logged in. It used to suggest the latest new videos from all your subscriptions in order, with the latest first. Now, it randomly suggests videos all over, with far too many having nothing to do with what you really like (have to click 'not interested' all the time), and then a bunch of videos that truly have nothing to do with what you usually click on as you scroll further down the page. Horrible. (It's also why I often don't watch certain things on there because once you click on one video, it tries to suggest a million more like it when all you really want to see is that one. Especially horrible for political videos...you get suggested nothing but conspiracy bullshit.)

Works best as kind of a Wikipedia in our house. Only watch how to videos.

We watch YouTube every night on our TV, though I go to the trouble of using my phone or laptop to check "do not suggest this channel" to the more egregious suggestions their algorithm coughs up. The ads are getting even worse, going from one ad at the beginning of a video to two ads plus some in the middle.

They used to suggest some really sketchy stuff, especially if I watched history videos, but that has toned down quite a bit lately. Thad said, they have a problem with no longer putting someone I like in my "recommended" tab if I go just one day without watching a video by them.

I have been piggybacking my friend’s YouTube Premium membership for years. Never have paid for it — I am of the OG YouTube generation and I will not pay them a dime or watch ads. YouTube became internet wasteland many years ago. I was using it before Google bought it.

Does the adblocker only work for the browser or is there one for watching Youtube on TV?

I hate the fucking suggested videos that pop up at the end of the video you're watching. You still have 10-15 seconds left to watch, but you can't see anything because the screen is covered with the suggested video thumbnails.

Greed ruins everything.

Did you just climb out of your casket OP? Install an adblocker and problem solved.

I noticed that some channels can’t use words like rape, sexual assault or oral sex…they bleep it out or black it out if it’s written…was watching that SLO4N guy this weekend and that’s what happened. He even said”we’re not allowed to say that word”, several times. YouTube is becoming Logo.

R4, well aren’t you the absolute most!

Liberty Mutual Must Die.

Posters are skittish about using the term "covid" specifically as well, for fear of the Almighty Algorithm mistakenly suspending/banning their accounts.

Yeah, it's ridiculous that "Covid" is a word that triggers bad consequences (demonetization) for YouTube content creators.

I watch a few black YouTubers. One of them complains that her stuff gets demonetized, that her subscribers don't get notifications of new videos, etc. Normally, I'd think it was BS. However, I notice that certain white YouTubers like the Pauls, James Charles, and that other guy who seemed like a child molester. They seemed to get multiple chances to stay on YouTube and make money.

At least it's not spamming my feed with QAnon, RT and Fox videos anymore. They were clearly paid placements as I never watch anything remotely right wing.