[quote]YouTubes algorithms are terrible.They are overwhelmed by the volume of content, so the always take the path of least resistance to do anything.[/quote] I don't doubt that, but the begging is exactly why YT dropped using likes as means of recommending videos. [quote]It's easy to say the content should stand on its own when you aren't the one losing money by not doing these things.[/quote] No, it's easy to say as their target audience, who watches hours of YT a day, but stays clear of these videos. Besides, if they can't afford to do it, then they shouldn't be doing it. [quote]But they are doing this for a reason, and most of them make it clear that they don't look like it anymore than we do.[/quote] But it doesn't work. Look at this thread, it drives people away. Instead of taking the hint, they only got more aggresive, using baitier titles/screenshots, longer begging intros, etc. YT isn't 'making them do it', they think they're exploiting an algorythmic weakness that hasn't been there in about a year. Take a look at some of the recently trending channels. A good example is Carlsagan42, I've never played Super Mario Maker, I don't even own a Nintendo, so this isn't me being biased or anything, his channel just proves that algorythm has changed. His videos are regularly 40+ minutes long, he's been around since about 2013, but his channel took off at the start of 2016. And nowhere in his videos does he actually ask for likes or subs except for on the end card after a 50 minute-long video.

He still does it.

You mean during the end-card? After people have already seen his content? And you don't see the difference?

In my mind, there is no difference. An advertisement for a business is an advertisement for a business. ...and if I'm consuming the products of someone else's labor, and know (going in) that is a business, that business deserves to get paid. Beginnng, end or in-between.

You know there's a difference. Holding two minutes of content ransom behind one minute of begging for likes is not the same as featuring a subscribe button on the end-card of a 50-minute long video. Unless you're used to aggressive advertisement tactics. Either way, you're losing track of your point. 1. Youtube isn't making them do it. 2. They don't need to do it. 3. It doesn't matter if they do it.

No there isn't a difference if you understand that you are consuming a product of a business operation. ...and that the length of a video isn't necessarily proportional to the effort that went into making it. As for the last part, we're going to have to agree to disagree. Because I've seen way too many podcasts and videos by a broad spectrum of content creators who are willing to get into the reall fine-detail about how YT algorithms----and how arbitrary and non-transparent they are with what they do and how they work-----have negatively impacted their revenues. Especially this "de-monetization" algorithm that YT recently pushed through. Some VIDEO game content creators have seen their revenues drop by some 75% because the algorithm is such a blunt instrument. So blunt, in fact, that many people are wondering if anyone is going to even be able to cover the Call of Duty: WWII game because so many videos on it are being flagged and de-monetized by YT.