I do agree it is not a dilemma to everyone. Still many believe that blocking ads harms creators supported by them. It is true for google adsense based platforms like youtube (youtube premium requires account, hence privacy implication).

Instead any content anyone watches can be rewatched with ads enabled.

In case a platform trust not logged in views less (as it might be on youtube, I am not sure) the privacy risk can be mitigated by having a -big enough) network of logged in account to ‘view’ the contents ad enabled.

What do you think?

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
    10·
    1 month ago

    I think I’ll continue to use ad block guilt free. I support some creators directly through patreon and that’s far more effective than ad revenue.

    I think that ad supported video content is pretty darn convenient, but the fact that YouTube is free is a benefit to them, not to me… I don’t think ad supported video content is something that we need and I’d prefer to have reasonably priced subscriptions like Nebula.

    • serenissi@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      1 month ago

      Do you use nebula? Do you know if it uses DRM? I’m considering a subscription for a while but couldn’t find proper answer for that.

      • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        1 month ago

        I do indeed and I’m uncertain if their built in video players use DRM. My guess would be probably because they likely used some off the shelf video streaming library and most of those come built on top of restricted technologies.

        • serenissi@lemmy.worldOP
          1·
          1 month ago

          Does it give high (≥ 1080p) quality in browser without widevine? Good way to check is firefox. It shows a handcuff sign near the address bar.

          • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
            2·
            1 month ago

            Firefox does not show a handcuff symbol for nebula’s video player - so it looks safe for DRM concerns. The video player also seems to just be a plain old video tag though there may be sneaky JS stuff happening to it - while I’ve worked extensively on web apps media serving using modern html is out of my wheelhouse.

  • recklessengagement@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 month ago

    Creator-owned platforms are the answer. I pay 2.50 USD/month for Nebula, and I have a less invasive experience, no ads, and the creators are paid better.

    I also pay ~5/mo for Dropout, which is entirely owned by the people who run it.

    In both cases, I feel as though I’m getting more value out of my time spent watching compared to the average YouTube video. Higher quality, less fluff, less algorithm bait.