The tube seems to clogged with far east videos

[A7er]

I logged on to Youtube tonight and it seems that 20% of the vids are from the far east. Has something happened to the tube? Has it been bought out by a Chinese company? The content has been getting poorer lately, I think I will log on less frequently, maybe even give it up and do something more productive!

[paul gough]

Possibly dumb AI serving up a self reinforcing diet. I have noticed a ‘narrowing’ of what is presented particularly in moments of boredom when one scrolls looking for a tit bit of interest. The so called AI efficiency of presenting you with things “you are interested in” means it regurgitates narrow focussed repeats. AI like all technology will be and is overused and applied, especially in the first generation of use. YouTube and search engines need to have very precise wording to deliver useful answers otherwise you get submerged in gunk or junk. Regards, Paul Gough.

[Jasonb]

I find it tends to serve up subjects based on what you have viewed.

Beware leaving your curser over videos you are not interested in as after a few seconds it thinks you have viewed them, take a look at your viewing history and see if that has happened. A bit mor eclicking on what you are interested in will soon have it back on track

[kvom]

Millions of Chinese are creating channels.

[Jasonb]

As I said it gives you more of what you have been looking at.

[A7er]

I am very careful about hovering over a video as some vids are live, and I don't have a tv licence (haven't watched telly in four years). The far east vids have died down a bit since my original post.

[Jo]

I got rid of the TV license just after lockdown and not having the temptation of sitting and watching the constant stream of games shows and other  has been life changing for me.

I never let Utube dictate the videos I watch on it: I search for what I want and after watching that one video (and checking if the originator has any other useful ones) do something more useful instead. I am a great believer in the radio or Podcasts   

I was also amazed at how many of the Tube's vids are AI generated.

Jo

[Chipswitheverything]

Interesting to me to find that some other forum people with plenty of  more absorbing things to do for themselves are, like me, without a household TV,  or a TV licence. Probably, as has happened to me over countless years, the goons at the Capita, Crapita,  franchised? licencing authority are very ready to threaten visits, penalties and treat one as if one must almost by definition be a covert criminal if not as enthusiastic as they are for wasting time gawping at the box .. Dave

[ozzie46]

Uhhhh What the heck is a TV license????

Ron

[crueby]

Uhhhh What the heck is a TV license????

Ron

Shhhh - dont give other countries an idea for yet another tax...

[Sanjay F]

Uhhhh What the heck is a TV license????

Ron

It’s like a driving license, but you need one to operate a TV safely in the UK! 😉 

Crazy, I know!

[crueby]

Uhhhh What the heck is a TV license????

Ron

It’s like a driving license, but you need one to operate a TV safely in the UK! 😉 

Crazy, I know!

For driving there is usually a road test - for TV, you have to prove you won't fall off the couch while watching?   

[Jasonb]

Although I don't watch a lot of TV I do watch live Youtube and stream other live broadcasts so still need to have a license. I could manage without what little I do watch but as the TV is there it is convinient to turn on sometimes though not to watch game shows.

I just looked down a 100 or so videos that YT offered to me, none of which are "far eastern" and once you take out the few sponsored (advert link) ones I would say 95% are related to things I have looked at in the past, googled, etc. I don't mind scrolling down to see what they may offer me as there is often something that may be of interest. I've come across a couple of engines that way that I have made models of and have a few videos saved as well as screen captures filed away under "future projects" I've even been able to contact the people putting up the videos for sizes etc.

[propforward]

There is too much AI slop on YouTube that's for sure, which I strongly object to.

I can make my own slop perfectly well. Don't need no stinkin' AI to do it for me.

[A7er]

I had a glitch with the tube recently. It "lost" my settings etc and I had to tell it who I was. My preferences came back for the channels I subscribe to, but that's when the far eastern vids exploded into view. They have (nearly) disappeared now.

Don't get me started on why I don't have, or need a TV licence!

[Jasonb]

That would be Youtube having to relearn what things you look at and then loading videos related to those subjects. Starting from scratch you will get all sorts of random ****

[Mike R]

My easy solution, turn off "watch history".  That way you get absolutely no suggested videos when you log in.  Then treat it like a library or the web in general and search for the things you want to see, not the stuff their algorithm is programmed to feed you.  The only retraining required is on your end (how you behave), not theirs!

You will still get a sidebar of suggested videos after watching something, then its up to you to decide if you are going to continue to watch or go back to the shop and build something!

[A7er]

I didn't know about 'watch history'. Thanks!

[petertha]

Ever notice how just inadvertantly swiping accross a video stores it in History? Google calls this feature "Playback in Feeds" (or the Inline Player).  When you rest your mouse pointer on a desktop thumbnail, or pause scrolling over a video on a phone, the video starts silently auto-playing with captions. If you linger on that thumbnail for more than a few brief seconds, YouTube officially logs that video into your Watch History as if you clicked it, sat down, and watched it. The algorithm interprets that tiny pause as a massive signal of interest. If you accidentally leave your cursor parked on a video while reading an email, or pause scrolling to read a long title, the system logs it. Suddenly, your entire home feed shifts to recommend a dozen more videos exactly like the one you only "looked at" for five seconds by accident

If you arent quite ready to nuke your History, apparently you can at least turn off this annoying setting. Video Previews Switch.

[Jasonb]

That is what I mentioned early on anout leaving the mouse over a video. However I will quite often use that feature to see if a video might be worth watching or whether I have just been drawn to it by Clickbate.

I do also sometimes look back through my history to find a video I may have watched a few days ago

So although you can turn things off you will loose the advantages they give as well as the possible disadvantages.

[Mike R]

I have found the "disadvantages" of turning off watch history quite manageable.  One little thing that helps is if you do like a video and think you may want to watch it again, just click on the like button.  That puts the video in your "liked videos" list and is that much easier to find again. Apparently it also helps the creators in some way. Really good videos get saved to a playlist, you can create different ones - "live steam", "Model Internal Combustion Engines", "Home casting", etc.
As I said, you remain in control of what is presented to you to a better degree (still not perfect but such is life).