• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

YouTube's recent front page change

mikeymikec

mikeymikec

Lifer
If you're not signed into a Google account in your web browser (or if you have YouTube history in your account set to 'off') the YouTube front page has absolutely no content, for example:

youtube.png

I find this to be really odd. On one hand, I love it. If I'm thinking of wasting a little time with random browsing, this serves as a solid reminder to me that this isn't a particularly productive use of my time (I'm self-employed so my self-discipline is often challenged without external observers). On the other hand, I have the feeling that Google thinks that this is the ultimate check-mate to get the likes of me to sign in with a Google account for suggested content and it really isn't.

I once had to delete my site history metadata in Firefox for the YouTube website because YouTube got so good at predicting stuff that serves as clickbait for me, and now, nothing.
 
mikeymikec said:
If you're not signed into a Google account in your web browser (or if you have YouTube history in your account set to 'off') the YouTube front page has absolutely no content, for example:

View attachment 92055

I find this to be really odd. On one hand, I love it. If I'm thinking of wasting a little time with random browsing, this serves as a solid reminder to me that this isn't a particularly productive use of my time (I'm self-employed so my self-discipline is often challenged without external observers). On the other hand, I have the feeling that Google thinks that this is the ultimate check-mate to get the likes of me to sign in with a Google account for suggested content and it really isn't.

I once had to delete my site history metadata in Firefox for the YouTube website because YouTube got so good at predicting stuff that serves as clickbait for me, and now, nothing.
Click to expand...
sweeeeeeet, no more mr beast and other random annoying shit plastered at you
 
I just opened an incognito tab and went to their homepage and it's full of content. Sounds like this is an issue on your end.
 
I don't really use youtube, but that looks ideal. If I'm going to youtube, I'm usually looking for something specific, and I only want to see matches based on the description I gave. I pretty much never see things anywhere unless I actively searched for it.

I got a mastodon acct during the first twitter migration. I was never on twitter, but I'm a huge fan of federation, so I joined to see what's up. Everything in my feed is stuff I specifically asked for, or is boosted by people I follow. No bullshit algorithm feeding me stuff it thinks will make a company money. That's how the web should should work. If I want something recommended to me, there should be a [Recommend] button. Otherwise, give a blank page until something's specified by the user.
 
purbeast0 said:
I just opened an incognito tab and went to their homepage and it's full of content. Sounds like this is an issue on your end.
Click to expand...

Nope. I've just tried a separate, freshly-created Firefox profile and Chromium. The only common factor is that when one visits YouTube for the first time, they get a sign in and "do you agree to allowing all this stuff" prompt, to which I click on 'reject all'.
 
mikeymikec said:
Nope. I've just tried a separate, freshly-created Firefox profile and Chromium. The only common factor is that when one visits YouTube for the first time, they get a sign in and "do you agree to allowing all this stuff" prompt, to which I click on 'reject all'.
Click to expand...
Yah I dunno, it must be something on your system. I'm on MacOS.

I just tried in Firefox and Safari, both of which I've never signed into a google profile and never use, and I see stuff on the home pages too. Same behavior as if I opened it in Chrome incognito mode.

I also tried going to it on my EC2 instance for work which I have never used youtube on, and same thing. It's Chrome running Linux.
 
purbeast0 said:
Yah I dunno, it must be something on your system. I'm on MacOS.

I just tried in Firefox and Safari, both of which I've never signed into a google profile and never use, and I see stuff on the home pages too. Same behavior as if I opened it in Chrome incognito mode.

I also tried going to it on my EC2 instance for work which I have never used youtube on, and same thing. It's Chrome running Linux.
Click to expand...
I was thinking maybe it's because he's in the UK or something, I'm also seeing no change whether I look in a private window or simply signed out in a regular window.
 
purbeast0 said:
Yah I dunno, it must be something on your system. I'm on MacOS.

I just tried in Firefox and Safari, both of which I've never signed into a google profile and never use, and I see stuff on the home pages too. Same behavior as if I opened it in Chrome incognito mode.

I also tried going to it on my EC2 instance for work which I have never used youtube on, and same thing. It's Chrome running Linux.
Click to expand...
Maybe it's a regional thing that YouTube is trying/rolling out?
 
Added twist:

As you can see in the OP screenshot, there's an option to 'update setting', which out of pure curiosity I clicked on, then I selected the option to turn on YouTube history. When the front page reloaded, it was inundated with all the usual crap (e.g. MrBeast). I then opened site management in Firefox settings, removed site settings for YouTube, and now I'm back where I started (ie. OP screenshot).
 
I think this is a UK thing, when i jumped to a UK VPN server i do get that option now, i did not see it when i was on Singapore, Australia, US or Canada

1705918545130.png1705918568056.png

Also getting it in Spain,Netherlands,Ireland so it looks to be an EU thing? Tried South Africa and get the normal page

Tried a bunch of different ones in South America, all the normal page, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong all normal, only European one that i got the normal one was Serbia and Ukraine
 
Last edited:
KMFJD said:
I think this is a UK thing, when i jumped to a UK VPN server i do get that option now, i did not see it when i was on Singapore, Australia, US or Canada

View attachment 92308View attachment 92309

Also getting it in Spain,Netherlands,Ireland so it looks to be an EU thing? Tried South Africa and get the normal page

Tried a bunch of different ones in South America, all the normal page, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong all normal, only European one that i got the normal one was Serbia and Ukraine
Click to expand...

Ok, this is super weird. I haven't heard of any privacy-centric laws coming into the UK (especially with this conservative government!), so this logically has to be GDPR (EU law)... which was introduced in May 2018 yet this site change occurred in late 2023 at the earliest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top