[briefcomment]

Youtube is probably varying the rate of ads displayed for each user based on some factors. I was watching an hour long interview and was shocked that I was served a 30 second ad every 3-4 minutes. I scanned the comments for outrage, but there were no negative comments. I think YT may have increased my ad rate because I was using a VPN.

I think they will use ads as a form of tax, to discourage certain behavior, and even certain content. I think I notice this more on libertarian leaning videos (although I definitely haven't done any rigorous analysis re that).

Can't wait for the day everything is decentraly hosted, and we access it through whatever portal we want.

[QuietCF]

Been lurking on hn for a year now, finally made an account because I can give some value with a comment

Youtube content creators can choose where to put the ads themselves. You will come across many videos with only the first ad or the ads set sparely in the video, some even put the ads in breaks. You can also chose to let YouTube put the ads but that’s also a one and done, one setting per video. I can confirm though that YouTube, on the automated setting, put way more ads in the past year or two than before.

[briefcomment]

I've had several videos now where I get an ad every few minutes, and I'm curious how consistent it could be when none of the comments acknowledge it. Are you aware of different viewers getting different numbers of ads?

[majewsky]

Isn't there a limit on how often you can run ads? I remember some Youtuber talking about how people are deliberately making their videos just over 10 minutes long because then they can also put an ad in the middle, not just at the beginning or end, or something like that.

[reportingsjr]

> I think they will use ads as a form of tax, to discourage certain behavior, and even certain content. I think I notice this more on libertarian leaning videos (although I definitely haven't done any rigorous analysis re that).

That is an extraordinary claim, and needs some extraordinary evidence to back it up.

[briefcomment]

I watched a Jordan Peterson video on Dr. Oz's official channel, and I got an ad every 3 - 4 minutes. What do you make of that evidence (given I'm not lying)? None of the comments acknowledged it.

[colinmhayes]

I think it means Dr. Oz is extraordinarily greedy since his channel chooses when to show ads.

[snypher]

I'm not sure if you mean that's a lot of ads or not but I thought creators chose where the ads are played.

[briefcomment]

I thought so too, but it's been so periodic and so often that I thought it couldn't be the content creator. The fact that no one complains in the comments makes me think there are other options as well, and not ones that the content creator controls.