The Never-Ending Battle between EweTube and Ad Blockers

Botch

First, let's get this out of the way:  I watch way too many Ewetube videos.
But you knew that.  
 
A couple years ago I learned of an App (correction, it is a Safari Extension) called "Vinegar" that would skip over any ads at the front of, or in the middle of, Ewetube videos.  That thing was a godsend for me, and I think it was even free.  It could not skip over the "ads" that some creators verbalized in the middle of their videos (those are "built-in" to the video), but soon even that was partially solved, for any creator that included timestamps.  Once an embedded ad started, I could move the cursor to the bottoms of the screen, and a red line with breaks in it came up; and if you just skipped to the next break you bypassed the ad!  
 
About a month ago I'd read that zuckerberg was going to really clamp down on ad blockers.  I noticed I started getting the "Buffering" animation, and sometimes after 10 or 15 seconds I got a button that said "Skip", which took me to the beginning of the video.  Then that went away, but then it came back (I think the Vinegar folks were actively updating their Extension, but I'm not sure).  Then I started getting a pop-up window stating Ewetube doesn't allow ad blockers, and it gave me two buttons, "Disable Ad Blocker" and (iirc) "Cancel".  But there was also the little X in a circle allowing me to just close that window, and then I could hit Play (or Spacebar) and the video would start again.  Yeah, that verbal warning was pretty effective....  Now there's a little clock in the upper-right-hand corner that runs for ten seconds, then the "Close Window" symbol comes back; I'd still rather have ten seconds of waiting rather than an ad shoved down my throat.  Anxious to see if the Vinegar People find a way around this now.
 
A quick observation about ads, ethics, and commerce: yeah, I know I'm expecting to watch ewetubes for free; but, it's NOT free.  Lord zuckerberg already tracks my location, viewing habits, and purchasing desires and sells that data to vendors, and I accept that.  But I also know he makes as much money in 7 minutes as I did in a year, so eff him. I'll watch an ad for a tool or a service that I may be interested in, but don't make me sit thru a 2-minute ad for Squarespace if I have no intention of starting my own website, dammit.  Off soap-box.  
 

JohnInCarolina

I’m not sure how to break this to you, Botch, but Mark Zuckerberg is not in control of YouTube.

HeavyG

I never run ad blockers so I have no idea how well they do/don't work.

I also watch a lot of YouTube content and I used to be ok with short little ads and then just hitting skip. However, it would always annoy me the way ads are just randomly interspersed which really can upset the flow of many shows.

So, a couple months ago I decided to pay the monthly fee for the complete elimination of ads. That almost immediately turned out to be the best monthly streaming service payment I make each month (and I subscribe to quite a few). Makes YouTube a much more enjoyable experience. Wish I had done it sooner!

Botch

d'Oh!  I can't keep my oligarchs straight.  

JohnInCarolina

HeavyG said:

I never run ad blockers so I have no idea how well they do/don't work.

I also watch a lot of YouTube content and I used to be ok with short little ads and then just hitting skip. However, it would always annoy me the way ads are just randomly interspersed which really can upset the flow of many shows.

So, a couple months ago I decided to pay the monthly fee for the complete elimination of ads. That almost immediately turned out to be the best monthly streaming service payment I make each month (and I subscribe to quite a few). Makes YouTube a much more enjoyable experience. Wish I had done it sooner!

What’s that cost these days?

HeavyG

JohnInCarolina said:

HeavyG said:

I never run ad blockers so I have no idea how well they do/don't work.

I also watch a lot of YouTube content and I used to be ok with short little ads and then just hitting skip. However, it would always annoy me the way ads are just randomly interspersed which really can upset the flow of many shows.

So, a couple months ago I decided to pay the monthly fee for the complete elimination of ads. That almost immediately turned out to be the best monthly streaming service payment I make each month (and I subscribe to quite a few). Makes YouTube a much more enjoyable experience. Wish I had done it sooner!

What’s that cost these days?

YouTube Premium is currently $13.99 monthly or $139.99 annually.

There's a free trial period so you've got nothing to lose by giving it a whirl.

Gulfcoastguy

I don’t mind reasonable ads, say 15 to 30 seconds. I do mind the 5 minute ads that come on before a 6 minute video. I wish there was a button for “try a different ad, I will never buy this crap”. That said Mackeeper seems partially effective as an adblocker.

JohnInCarolina

HeavyG said:

JohnInCarolina said:

HeavyG said:

I never run ad blockers so I have no idea how well they do/don't work.

I also watch a lot of YouTube content and I used to be ok with short little ads and then just hitting skip. However, it would always annoy me the way ads are just randomly interspersed which really can upset the flow of many shows.

So, a couple months ago I decided to pay the monthly fee for the complete elimination of ads. That almost immediately turned out to be the best monthly streaming service payment I make each month (and I subscribe to quite a few). Makes YouTube a much more enjoyable experience. Wish I had done it sooner!

What’s that cost these days?

YouTube Premium is currently $13.99 monthly or $139.99 annually.

There's a free trial period so you've got nothing to lose by giving it a whirl.

Thanks.  I was more curious than anything else.  I don’t watch YT all that often, and when I do the ads don’t really bother me.  I just tune them out.

I did have a good laugh at your “nothing to lose” comment though.  At least for me, these kind of “free trials” rarely work out that way.  It’s always a lot more work to unsubscribe.  Funny how that works.

Botch

Shots Fired, Round Five! (or maybe Six, it's hard to keep track)
 
At the last detenté (this morning) the "Close" button on the "We don't allow Ad-blockers on EweTube" pop-up had a ten-second timer clock on it; once the clock expired, you could close the window and watch your videos/supply doodoo's-tube with their consumer data.  
But tonight, I get this popup window:
 

 
Of course I had to test this new system.  The "Shorts" don't seem to count as "Videos", at least for now.  And I'm pretty sure that if you hit a new video at the end of one you're watching ("In the meantime, click on my links HERE for more info!" or similar) they also don't count.  At least for now.
Once I was fully blocked, I tried a bunch of things to bypass it, including the "..." button, and closing/reopening my browser, nothing worked.  
Tomorrow morning I'll see if my "Vinegar Boys" (WWBAGNFARB) have a Round 5 (or 6) counter-offensive.  If not, I'll watch all the "Shorts" that seem interesting, then the next two full videos, and then move to my piles of mags, books, and home projects.  
 
Like siriusXM and cable tv, ewetube seems to be overestimating their perceived value to me, to their own detriment.  While I'd miss a few channels, I have no problem with just abandoning their platform, as I did the previous two (plus my meager career).  It still makes me giggle when siriusXM sends me two mailed letters per week, begging me to come back with a deal TWICE as good as the one I offered them over the phone, four years ago, that they refused.  Phuque Them!   
 
EDIT:  And I just decided to send one last post to all my favorite ewetube channels that the reason I'm unsubscribing is because of the 'tube's new draconian money-grubbing.  If everyone on the 'net did this we could snuff this out virtually overnight; but like politics we could control, it won't happen.  

JohnInCarolina

Wow, Botch is peacing out on EweTube, never thought I’d see the day.

Botch

Mebbe.  We'll see tomorrow.  

HeavyG

"There's no such thing as a free lunch."

SamIAm2

@Botch - check your inbox.

Botch

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8WHY3Gusx0
 
https://youtu.be/s8WHY3Gusx0?si=GMM3oMTJFx9bUSeG
 
 
EDIT:  Okay, this is interesting.  ET announced a crackdown on ad blockers a few weeks ago, and for quite a time I couldn't watch certain videos, then either I or the Vinegar folks would find a workaround, and I'd have access again.  Yesterday a pop-up window came on saying I could only watch three videos with my ad blocker on, then viewing would be disabled.  Today that pop-up window came on with NO access whatsoever, we'll see if the Vinegar folks can find another workaround.
 
BUT, it gave me an idea.  Most content creators I follow do have their own websites, with Contact Information, bios, merch, and often a list of their videos.... hmm!  First I tried macmost.com; Gary puts out excellent, 5-minute tutorials on how to do just about anything on Apple gear.  I searched his videos, picked out a random one, and it played perfectly with no ads!  Yes!  Then I tried Sam the Cooking Guy's website, he didn't have a list of his videos there (perhaps they're buried individually with the original recipes, will have to look at that).  Then I tried the above video.  Ad-blocker pop-up wouldn't let me play the video on ewetube, BUT I was able to copy both the "Share" link and the address link at the top, and post them both here.  We CAN click on the video, with no blocking OR ads!  I found MKBHT/Marquez's home website, it lists his videos but they redirect to EweTube and then its blocked.  
 
Now, I wouldn't suggest posting ewetube video links on this forum just so I/you can view them, @MrBuffalo would get pissed, and you guys would make fun of the midget/farm animal pr0n art videos that I favor.  But, I've set up a separate Safari profile where all the Favorites are creators' websites; so far I'm batting one for three but we'll see.  I'll update here as things move along.    

JohnInCarolina

Botch said:

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8WHY3Gusx0
 
https://youtu.be/s8WHY3Gusx0?si=GMM3oMTJFx9bUSeG
 
 
EDIT:  Okay, this is interesting.  ET announced a crackdown on ad blockers a few weeks ago, and for quite a time I couldn't watch certain videos, then either I or the Vinegar folks would find a workaround, and I'd have access again.  Yesterday a pop-up window came on saying I could only watch three videos with my ad blocker on, then viewing would be disabled.  Today that pop-up window came on with NO access whatsoever, we'll see if the Vinegar folks can find another workaround.
 
BUT, it gave me an idea.  Most content creators I follow do have their own websites, with Contact Information, bios, merch, and often a list of their videos.... hmm!  First I tried macmost.com; Gary puts out excellent, 5-minute tutorials on how to do just about anything on Apple gear.  I searched his videos, picked out a random one, and it played perfectly with no ads!  Yes!  Then I tried Sam the Cooking Guy's website, he didn't have a list of his videos there (perhaps they're buried individually with the original recipes, will have to look at that).  Then I tried the above video.  Ad-blocker pop-up wouldn't let me play the video on ewetube, BUT I was able to copy both the "Share" link and the address link at the top, and post them both here.  We CAN click on the video, with no blocking OR ads!  I found MKBHT/Marquez's home website, it lists his videos but they redirect to EweTube and then its blocked.  
 
Now, I wouldn't suggest posting ewetube video links on this forum just so I/you can view them, @MrBuffalo would get pissed, and you guys would make fun of the midget/farm animal pr0n art videos that I favor.  But, I've set up a separate Safari profile where all the Favorites are creators' websites; so far I'm batting one for three but we'll see.  I'll update here as things move along.    

I have yet to see any evidence that The Buffalo gives one iota of crap what goes on in the OT area.  I think you could safely set up a “What I’m watching on EweTube… right now” thread here without any repercussions, even if it included midget porn.

Legume

Is midget porn real?