With Reddit shutting down its API setting a precedent in the corporate tech world (and Reddit was a major outlier in that a ton of their users are technical minded and support third party clients, YouTube does not have that kind of userbase and will not get backlash for it), Twitter doing whatever the fuck they’re doing, and Google already hellbent on destroying ad blockers, the days of Newpipe, Invidious, and Freetube are numbered. Wouldn’t be surprised if they implement Netflix level DRM tomorrow that makes alt clients impossible. I say savour your alt clients while you can guys, you won’t be able to soon.
I’m going to seriously consider completely discontinuing watching YouTube if NewPipe stops working. I still like plenty of non-FLOSS oriented channels that will never even consider a FLOSS or open web solution, but I think I owe it to myself to not accept Google’s bullshit, not even use it from the browser, with or without the adblock ban. Not to protest Google’s actions because I don’t care, but to uphold my own values and interests. I need to heed my own advice and extended rants about big tech.
I also think that I’ll discontinue watching YT once this happens. I simply see no point spending my time in an advertisement-infested shithole, and yet that perfectly describes YouTube when accessed as Google/Alphabet “expects” you to.
Yeah. I have my Subscriptions feed as my default way of accessing YouTube, which combined with Youtube DF (Distraction free YT), which disables the sidebar of recommended content, means I will only watch the videos from the people I’m subscribed to.