Gee wiz I do enjoy a good Youtube complaint thread. I understand the frustration that comes with the removal of the 'response video' option, but some of the other stuff here is a bit stupid.

Youtube is a diverse place - it was never particularly geared purely towards self-proclaimed filmmakers, as such, it was a place where anyone could get their various types of content out there. That can be both a positive or a negative, but either way, the potential offered by YouTube is huge.

Also, to complain about adverts on Youtube is a bit trivial, considering that it is an ad driven service run by Google, an advertising funded company. Ads are the predominant way for Youtubers to earn something off their wears, so sitting through a short ad is really not that terrible. Or, instead of complaining about the injustice of 5 second advertising, you could just install AdBlock and never be subject to them again.

If you so vehemently dislike YouTube and Google (using 'Screwgle' hugely devalues your argument) to such an extent, why use their services? It's a rhetorical question - you'll inevitably continue using Youtube's services because it has offers an unparalleled audience. The real question is, must you be so bitter and unhappy about a service that, despite some quirks and a few issues, is essentially and *freely* offering you huge potential possibilities?

I have to agree with Carousel, referring to Google as "screwgle" doesn't do anything to enhance what you're saying, and is frankly pretty immature.  Google Ads are nothing new--they've been using personalized ads for years now.  And it isn't just Google--Amazon, Facebook, you name it.  The amount of personal data they gather is actually horrifying, but it isn't fair to lay the blame entirely on Google.  Also I'm pretty sure supplying your mobile number is optional, rather than compulsory.

Aaaannnnyway.... that having been said, I'm pretty unhappy with how Google has been running YouTube of late.  It's quite ludicrous to call them "evil", but I'd say they're being pretty misguided and incompetent in this particular department.  They seem to be operating on a "if it ain't broke, mess around until it is" basis.  The removal of video responses doesn't bother me so much, but the hideous One Channel design, the constant "change your username to your real name" prompts (no I don't want to change my username!  If I wanted my real name, I would have used it in the first place!), and the non-stop forcing of Google+ down your throat (NO, I DO NOT WANT TO MAKE A GOOGLE+ PAGE FOR MY YT ACCOUNT!  HOW MANY TIMES TO I HAVE TO SAY THIS?!?!?!?!) really gets on my nerves.

The really depressing bit, though, is that Google can basically do anything they like to YouTube, and get away with it because it's so popular people will keep using it regardless.  This is a site that gets billions of views every day.  And it won't be getting turned into a "barren wasteland" anytime soon.

I don't really understand what the deal is with the Google+ page.  I think I accidentally made myself one trough Youtube by changing my username, but I don't do anything with it.  It just sits on Google's servers wasting space.

I hate Screwgle! Down with Crapple! Micro$oft is Satan! EA? More like Evil-A!

Grown-ups. Ha.

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Brickfilms Wiki | BiM: The Documentary

I personally have not been a fan of all the recent YouTube changes either; I miss the old layouts. But YouTube is one of the most used websites of all time, and the most used video-sharing site. If it wasn't for YouTube, the brickfilming community might have not been as large as it is today. Of course, a lot of new brickfilmers might not be influenced by the best brickfilms out there, but they're still brickfilming, and therefore passing on the joy and inspiration that comes into brickfilming.

Can't be hateful - gotta be grateful, yo.

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Currently going for the "Most Inactive" BiM award.

!!! That'll fix 'em !!! 

also, Thanx everyone for your thoughts.

HoldingOurOwn, I still maintain the position that you're being excessively negative and (oddly?) prejudiced against anything and everything Google. I personally hold no sentimental connection or value to Google, nor do I deny that they aren't making some regrettable decisions with some of their services, but comparably with other large corporations and their respective practices, they're nothing out of the ordinary.

Every single company (notably Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo and a whole slew of others) that stores its user's data in servers in the USA has legal obligations to hand over whatever amount of your information and personal details to lovely 'security' agencies like the NSA when required. The National Security Agency, with its data-mining and surveillance PRISM program is already (and has been for years) collecting all of your emails, messages, browsing history and phone calls, regardless of whatever company the services are provided originally. Ultimately, if you want to use the internet, the huge compromise is that you're surrendering your privacy.

So quoting marketing campaigns, particularly largely hypocritical ones like the 'Scoogled' ads, is not only a bit immature, it's flawed and hugely inaccurate. With the Scroogle adverts, Microsoft attempted to gain on the fact that Google analyses the data from your communications (in order to target you with more relevant advertisements), when in fact, their own email services basically do the exact same thing. Furthermore, Microsoft was the very first large company to sign up to the PRISM spying program, so logically, you should be instead holding your negative attitude towards them. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg

Anyhow, good luck with Vimeo, though realistically, I really do not see YouTube sinking into the west anytime soon.

...And your liberty.  What the NSA is doing is a violation of the U.S. Constitution.  If the NSA were private citizens, they'd be in jail.  Also, I recommend you do your research.  I know that other companies, like MicroSoft, are doing insidious things (latest is their involvement in Common Core), but as I said before, I've done extensive research on Google, and they do some things that are WAY out of the ordinary (again, it's not for this forum because it can spark inflamed controversy).

And I have switched to Vimeo.  Thank you for wishing me luck.  Please enjoy my first exclusive video there at
http://vimeo.com/channels/holdingourown or just
http://vimeo.com/holdingourown
Whether or not people leave YT in droves, as the one person responsible for my own actions, I'm at peace with myself, even if my viewership is reduced by the decision.  I wrote something in my Brickfilmer's guide about having a purpose for making your videos, and one of the things specifically that I wrote was that having the largest audience possible isn't a valid reason.  I want to live by my principles, especially when I gave instructions to others to do the same.

Yeah, just think if we had to PAY for Youtube.