I kept myself from commenting a few times earlier, but
duty calls.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like, what Alphabet does and I do understand consequences that has. Same for Meta and a bunch of others. I hope such businesses to disappear one day and I wish the situation was different. But I have a feeling that many content creators, who post there, have a very weird perception of their role and position in the system. As if they were customers or even business partners. And that mental image seems to lead to weird expectations.
Why would YouTube be designed with creators in mind? Beyond the bare minimum needed to keep them posting, of course?
The company is one of world’s leading personal data sellers. Their goal is to keep as many people on the platform as possible, for as long as they can, squeezing out reasonably good data. That’s the business model, that’s where their $$$ come from. The role of a creator is to produce content that will bring and maintain the flow of items to sell. It’s a necessary work to do, sure, but it’s just that: working for them in exchange for receiving a portion of profits.
And then I hear many creators complain in a manner suitable for a customer. Customers pay money, not receive it. It is up to the employer to decide, what they need to meet their goals, not up to the employed. If YouTube’s management believes more clickbaity videos lead to more or better data points to sell, it’s reasonable to push creators in that direction. Just like in a furniture factory the workers will be ordered to make black cupboards, if those sell better, and no one cares if they preferred producing white desks.
Of course, the management may be wrong on that! Maybe their decisions are bad for shareholders. But that isn’t the message I am getting.