An Open Letter to YouTube
72Click here to download the video in any format so you can reupload it
on your channel: http://bit.ly/11NAPSiThis layout change lets the big
grow and leaves the small in the dust. Removing watch page banners
leaves little to differentiate anyone, and the fact that now everyone
has custom thumbnails only adds to that fact.The change to searches
still benefits the big, because they have more "watch time" invested in
their videos. There needs to be some way to fix the search function.
The change you've implemented works in theory, until you realize
that "watch time" equates to cumulative watch time, meaning that people
with more views still are at the very top, and small channels are even
FURTHER below. Hell, if my name is in someone else's video title, THEIR
video shows up before MINE when I search MY name. How the hell does
THAT make any sense?Recommendations should not take over the
subscription box. If you insist on keeping the recommendations section,
keep them on the side like they were on the previous layout. At least
there, they didn't clog my subscription box. I could choose to watch
them if I wanted to, and if I didn't they were out of the way. Forcing
recommendations, again, helps the big in ways that harm the small (and
the general viewer).Unfortunately, I am optimistic that the
subscription box will actually work 100% now, just because I really
want it to. Although I'm sure you'll find some way to mess it up.
AGAIN.Give partners features that help them stand out. We've lost watch
page banners and exclusivity to thumbnail use. We have shows, but the
new watch pages make those null and void because you can't distinguish
whether a video is in a show or not. Partners deserve something for the
hard work they've put in, without it being given to everyone just so
you can get your grubby hands on some money.I'm curious what is going
through your mind concerning this layout. Basically what you've done is
cripple a channel's ability to grow all together. In this way, the big
YouTubers, who are already established, have no problems because
they're already high up in the rankings (even though many of these same
big YouTubers have complained publicly about these changes). But now
you've made it impossible for a smaller channel to distinguish
themselves. The only way to get into the top of the search results is
to either be a partner and have an approved show, or create 3 hour long
videos so you dominate the "time watched" search result.But you don't
care. You'll do whatever the hell you want and not care about the
actual users of your website, the ones that keep you going, because
you've created a monopoly on video sharing.I fear for you, YouTube,
because I truly do love you. You've given everyone an opportunity to
let their voice be heard by hundreds, potentially thousands. If you
continue to run your site in a way that makes users HATE you, someone
smarter will come up. Someone else will create a rival video sharing
site that actually listens to user feedback, and you'll be the MySpace
of video sharing websites. Forgotten."All change is not growth, as all
movement is not forward." -- Ellen Glasgow#BringBackYouTube2009P.S. Did
your web designers forget the "align=center" tag? Such wasted space.
You could use the space more effectively to give us at least a more
current look from an old homepage... The sub box that had the 5 videos
across it was PERFECT. WHY TAKE THAT AWAY?