I understand the argument from creators. Blocking ads and sponsors prevents them from doing what they love. But the argument from users is equally compelling, since advertisements prevent them from enjoying what they love. Everybody is acting rationally and I'm not sure I/we/society owes anyone the ability to make a living as a YouTube video producer. I would not be sad to see a return to amateur folks making and uploading stuff just for fun, in their spare time.
> would not be sad to see a return to amateur folks making and uploading stuff just for fun, in their spare time.
This is where it gets complicated. I could shoot an entire video with my phone, but it would be harder to see some things with the limited camera options. I could make videos with less time spent on them, but they have less to offer and get fewer views. I spend significant amounts of time to produce the videos I make, and I see a direct correlation to videos with more time spent on them returning more back to me. So you are incentivized to do better, spend more time and resources on production.
I think some people want youtube to evoke the project blogger experience because it feels more personal. But video is just too hard and takes too much time and equipment to communicate effectively. And current social internet trends have killed the personal blog. So this is what we are left with.
1. Do it open source. Upload raw footage and notes, let others edit add graphics etc.
2. Make less videos, there is clearly too much youtube content in general. Topic/points not raised or covered by you will be by someone one day
3. Optimise for 0 edit etc. Come up with a format that requires less editing etc.
4. Go for a commissioning model instead. Kickstart/gofundme or similar each video individually based on the idea. Or wait for whales to stump up for topics they want covered that you like
5. Make money from merch or paid appearances or personal messages. Merch doesnt need to be so corny. I would pay for "seasons" of youtube from creators i like. Especially if it was personally prepared (e.g. usb stick with hand written note in the mail). Encoded how you want and ready for upload into jellyfin or similar.
Making money out of IP/content is fraught with issues, imho anything not just made out of sheer desire for that thing to exist is a compromise that will hopefully be eventually replaced by something better that was made for the love.
To be clear if you are making a living from youtube or similar more power to you, the world is far from perfect and there are way worse things you could be doing.. but on the consumer end i feel i owe you nothing other than thanks and respect (which are heavuly waited to you not qasting my time).
“But the argument from users is equally compelling, since advertisements prevent them from enjoying what they love. Everybody is acting rationally and I'm not sure I/we/society owes anyone the ability to make a living as a YouTube video producer.”
It’s rational for users to undercut the ability of the creators they like to make money and produce more content? Nobody is saying YouTube video producers deserve free money but if users continue consuming their content while blocking their ads/sponsorships/not supporting them on Patreon then they are the entitled ones, not the producers.
Ads suck, don’t get me wrong but blocking them on people you like is short term thinking and not fair to the producer.
