YouTube's new commenting system

[AGSys]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVGp8Z8Yb28

So, simple question: what exactly do you think of it?

Personally, I absolutely hate it. I have no interest in using Google+, nor do I want to create one just for posting and rating comments. Google's YouTube updates are getting more and more extravagant and well, pathetic. Just because their failure of a social network (compared to FB and Twitter) isn't getting enough attention, doesn't mean they have to force it on all of us. YouTube isn't meant to be some failed clone of Facebook where you find 30 year old soccer moms planning random cocktail parties with friends who don't care. It would seem this was Google's attempt to stop all the trolling and whatnot and start "meaningful conversations and find comments that matter to you" on YouTube's cesspool of a comments section. How the f*** does Google know what matters to me? This was the same type of change they made with the related videos thing on the side with the whole "recommended for you" system. I hate that, none of the videos that are supposedly recommended for me are even remotely related to what I search for.

Anyway I digress. The point being that with every change Google makes to YouTube, it seems to get worse and worse. It's so frustrating how they just tell their users to get used to random and difficult-to-maintain changes or simply bugger off. I can't stand Google, G+ or YouTube for that matter nowadays. Sorry for all the rather crude language but I'm really angry right now. Oh by the way, here's a petition to convince Google to change the comments section to it's previous form:

https://www.change.org/petitions/google-change-the-youtube-comment-section-back-to-its-original-form#share

[Dirtbag]

I don't find it much different than it use to be. I already had a G+ account (Though never used.) so it auto connected for me, and really was no hassle. I don't even have to use my real name, and I am actually glad to see links and ASCII art in the comments now, as it makes it a whole lot more fun to read the stupidity, that is YouTube comments. Not to mention I actually like the new reply system.

Honestly I don't mind change for the better. It's no different than the evolution of cell phones (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48497129/Forums/wat/Cells.jpg). It's more aggravating when you're used to advanced technology, for example forum software like Xenforo, then have to go back to sites that still use Vbulletin or php BB. The way I see it we will always have changes in technology, and 9/10 for the better. Of course it will take some getting used to but in the end it will all work out as we learn and adapt, which is what our species excels at.

[AGSys]

No, it's not for the better. There's barely any anonymity now. YouTube is meant to be separate from G+. Since you use their service already it's easier for you think this way, but for people who hate G+ and all it's complicated and rather unnecessary features that no one has an interest to use, it's for the worse. And integrating G+ into YouTube really isn't the main issue here. Google trying to force what they want people to use is what it's all about. They've completely lost sight of what the people want and they're being totally selfish just to boost their social network's activity. This shows that they've come this huge state of desperation to make G+ more relevant but it's only being backfired at their face now.

The moment they started to shove G+ on to users who hated it (like me), that's when you just know it was a complete and utter flop with the majority of people. Surely we got at least a little used to the removing of the video responses feature and the dull and lifeless channel layout change but this is the final straw for so many users on YouTube. Now, I wouldn't just abandon YT as of now since it's still the biggest video sharing site of all but it really bugs me to have to merge my YOUTUBE account with a freaking GOOGLE+ account, and that's just to post comments! They're meant to be two completely different things!

[KronicReaper]

I agree with you 100% with this, I think the new comment section on YouTube is garbage and sometimes after you finish a video on the site trying to restart the same video, its just froze when you replay the same video again. Google+ I tried it a long time ago, but its wasn't my cup of tea either.

[Dirtbag]

There's barely any anonymity now.

You can opt out of using your real name. They aren't truly forcing you to use it.


Since you use their service already it's easier for you think this way, but for people who hate G+ and all it's complicated and rather unnecessary features that no one has an interest to use, it's for the worse.

I don't use their G+ service. I have the account made but never once used it, nor do I understand it or have any intentions to. It's really nothing more than a second log in.

As for your concerns on their agenda to boost their services, I can't disagree. If anything were to rustle my jimmies it would be how Google pretended to ask people to link their G+ accounts as if it were an option, then turn around and completely shove it onto them, no longer making it an option, but a way of life, so to speak. However from a business perspective, not looking through the eyes of the consumer, this mash up will help in the management and maintenance of the services by making them into one, easily accessible entity. This integration will more than likely become more pronounced in the future, until the services are one product all together, and not two seperate entities linked together. Though this may not be a popular investment in the eyes of the consumer, this ease of access and connectivity is something we can't avoid, especially with our ever evolving technology (hand held devices). Truth be told, hand held devices are a great investment, and to mold your product around that is indeed a smart decision. If they merged YouTube with either Facebook or (Maybe?) Twitter, their would be much less negative banter about the current change. The vast majority already use those services to an almost religious extent, thus people would not be as bothered. The only reason G+ is getting so much hate is because no one uses it. It's a service that never took off and struggles to be competitive in the social media outlet to this day.

TL;DR - I wouldn't say Google is being selfish, they just want to see their dead baby live again. (That's a horrible analogy but I thought it was funny. =P )

[Cipher]

Tend to agree with dirtbag here, had to make a G+ account in order to continue uploading a while a go, so the change wasn't really such a bother, it just asked me to confirm linking it and despite showing my real name for the linking process, it still used my youtube name on the comments (tested that on a private vid lol)

What i think about the layout and new options?
I think i preferred the "show comment" thing, so you didn't have to see a whole stack of comment replies, but the current system i think i can adapt to.
For uploaders it's better though, you can easily see top rated comments, popular ones and ones made by "important" people, ti's nice to be able to filter between that :)
What i don't like is the whole sharing thingy majig, if you like a comment, it gets shared.. but you can probably turn this off in the settings somewhere

It's just a change again, we'll have to get used to i guess ^^

Cipher

[AGSys]

Well Dirtbag, I can't say you're wrong with those points. But another thing that put people off was that they abruptly changed the whole thing-for good. Yeah I know they mentioned it on the 24th of Sept, but they didn't beta test with actual users or at least the vast majority before changing things up and getting feedback. Instead, they disregarded the whole population of YouTube only to try and make their failed venture excel. The whole top comments thing now is not too bad but it's not good either. If there's one top comment and another person replies with something and gets voted up, they won't get recognised as much because their post will be filed under the 'view more replies' thread. I don't think people would be willing to go on and on to read so many comments all at once every time they visit YouTube. The show comment thing (while still be a bit old-fashioned/tedious I'll admit) was a lot better. It got the job done quicker and sometimes it was exciting to keep pressing 'show comment' to "go on a journey" as many people on YT say. Now, say you comment and get lots of replies and all, you also keep getting a s***ton of notifications to go with it. Not only that, if you reply to someone with a top comment, you get all the other people's replies to that comment as well. Now that just clutters up your messages. Unless you have time to care about reading so many things, then I would assume that feature is a pain to work with.

We, as consumers, have a right to mould YouTube into anything we want too; seeing as our hits everyday and the viewing of so many ads is what keeps YouTube fresh and alive; and also gives Google ridiculous amounts of money. How can they even think to be so arrogant and just go ahead with anything that pops up into their minds? Again, this isn't the first time they've not considered what people want and gone with whatever the hell they think is good for the website. That's what gets to people I think - them not giving a damn about their consumers. From a business point of view as you said, it would greatly benefit G+ but that's not what YouTube is about. YT is built upon people and their creations but as time goes by, it's becoming the breeding ground of yet more greedy corporate money hungry businessmen who don't care about anything but themselves. If anyone sees that as acceptable, then wtf. Not saying you do lol, but yeah you get it :P

[Dirtbag]

Great point! And I don't disagree, the fact that Google has ignored its users and has completely disregarded the vast majority shows they are turning into money mongers. Though I disdain large corporations thus don't mind their money hungry methods (I find it to be a natural part of life we have no means to escape. Thanks, currency.) you are 100% correct that they are indeed making poor decisions in conclusion to the consumer. However, like you stated before, YouTube is the largest, most used and well known video sharing service out there, and if a giant corporation has that behind them, they wont be willing to listen to the consumer, because they already have the consumer tightly packed into a pickle jar.

What YouTube needs is competition, without it, we will never see anything catered to the consumer. It's monopolization at its best. (I know there are other video sharing sights but they all suck so hard no vast majority of users are going to make that switch, or are such a wildly different concept they wont be willing to learn it.)

[KronicReaper]

YouTube is going to be the next MySpace one day if they don't listen to the people who posts videos and comment on them.

[Synergy2048]

Youtube's always brings out unnecessary updates to the point it gets annoying when you're already use to the last update. As for google+, somehow google just gave it to my account, and I was like, "WTF I don't want this." At least I have access to my photos where I can look or remove my uploaded artwork for my blog, but it should be accessable without Google+.

Though I think its not Youtube's fault for the Updates, Google's just bringing out stupid unnecessary stuff to YT or updates to their search engine.

It's also annoying when it keeps asking me "Would you like to have your full name be shown" I'll be like "No!?, stop asking me this, I want to use my Synergy2048 name." Google: "Ok, we'll ask you later." Me: "Yeah, don't."

[Knux_Chaotix]

I only just noticed the changes to Youtube. I dont comment on it much because it descends into a troll war. Did no one else lose their s**t when they read this?? *see pic*


8090

[KronicReaper]

I will say again, youtube will be the next myspace. People don't like the new comment section and many people that have or had a youtube account don't want to be on Google+ to be on youtube. BTW: There's a CNN article about this too, here is the link below.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/08/tech/social-media/youtube-comment-backlash/

[Dirtbag]

"YouTube has delt with these types of mini-uprisingings before. YouTube is the fourth most petitioned company on Change.org, after Facebook, Walmart and Apple. In this case, the company, which is used to angry commenters, seems unlikely to revert to the old system."

Not to mention YouTube has no real competition. Unless everyone wants to head on over to Vimeo for their daily dose of cat videos.


"When YouTube rolled out a new channel design earlier this year, a Change.org petition asking the site to revert back to the original design got more than 30,000 supporters.

"We are utterly horrified at the new layout and I truly hope YouTube will hear the cries of the loyal users," read the petition. YouTube kept the new design and it seems to have been largely forgotten about."

Exactly it, they don't have to listen to the people because we have no choice in what service we use, because it is the only service to use. I highly doubt the majority of YouTube users care enough about needing a G+ account as to completely abandon their favorite video service. Sure, people will be angry for awhile, but all this will be forgotten, just like every other time.

[Hellfire_WZ]

The biggest complaint so far from the big channels is that you can now post links in comments and there's no way to disable this. And as they are now listed in "recommended" order they're finding that all the top comments are spam links. As such, there's quite a few that have now disabled comments entirely.