In January 2024 I wrote a post complaining about an ad that appeared on YouTube that was 8:30 long. Then, just a couple of weeks ago I had to give an update where I mentioned being bombed by an ad that was 17:21! Of course I didn’t watch it all, but it still shocked me.
Well, it didn’t take YouTube long to one-up itself. Last night I watched a short, 17-minute video of an interview with an economist and just a few minutes before the end the algorithm or whatever tagged me with an ad that . . . wait for it . . . clocked in at 28:46! Holy enshittification!
I take it this is all just YouTube saying you will subscribe to YouTube and pay to get the ad-free version or else! But the thing is, you can get ad blockers now that will, I’m told, stop most of this stuff from getting through. As I said in 2024 though, the effect of running these kinds of ads isn’t just an irritation, it’s just saying that this is what the platform is now. Can you imagine network or cable television trying to get away with this? But YouTube knows they can, and if they can get away with it they’re going to keep doing it. So I’ll keep letting you know about the new records they set. As if AI slop wasn’t bad enough!
Alex Good 
I will admit to paying the subscription. We use YouTube a whole heap, Phil for his guitar practice, news the BBC doesn’t have,( and how to fix the thing that’s gone wrong in your house videos 🤣) me for watercolour tutorials and photography stuff, couldn’t cope with the ads, so I capitulated, but at least I think it’s worth it. Sigh.
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I can see that. I just wish there was some competition. The reason this never happened with television is you could always change the channel. YouTube knows you can’t, so they stick it to you. It’s the enshittification process Doctorow talks about. Ads that are half an hour long are just offensive. There are ways around the ads that do work, at least for now, but I usually don’t bother.
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I am not certain, as I haven’t been on it, but isn’t TikTok more or less the same as YouTube?
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I haven’t been on it either, but I think it’s mainly for short videos.
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Okidoki, that makes sense.
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I think most of my youtube use comes through the little shorts you always put in various comments sections….
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A carefully curated selection then.
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Pretty much!
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Well there is plenty of AI slop on YouTube. You can watch a video scripted and edited by AI, and then get your 28 minute ad.
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