Google and Youtube: Playmates
Google began as a friend of the user and an excellent playmate. It could help you search and find nearly anything. It helped keep in touch with anyone almost instantly for free. It was easy to use. Easier than not, in fact, since it’s already installed in every web browser.
Youtube was also a friend and playmate, enabling not only education but fun music videos and discovery of new songs and artists. It was also easy.
Google Eats Youtube
But then, Google swallowed Youtube. And it turned it’s hungry sight on Facebook and Twitter, unable to eat them, it decided to surpass them. Had it merely made it’s own social media site, it might’ve stayed a fun playmate.
Google: The Would Be God of the Internet
But then it revealed it’s full intentions, only hinted at previously. It’s Google Plus would connect it all, whether you wanted it to or not. It would log you into all of it’s toys through Google plus. And now our nightmare begins. Our playmate is no longer a friend, it is a bully. We entrusted it with our creations, our videos, our personal correspondence and it has betrayed that trust.
Because now, it no longer gives you a choice. If you wanted to use Facebook or Twitter, it was your choice. You weren’t forced too.If you wanted to use just google mail, it would be fine. But Google Plus is being forced upon us.
My Recent Youtube User Experience
As a longtime user, I suddenly find instead of logging by default into the account I created with my user name, it logs me into an account with my real name and wants me to comment and like with that. It obviously is not the same account, as the playlists and uploads are missing.
After much floundering I found that my user account now had a separate ‘google plus’ page. I had to change accounts every time I went to the site as by default it made me go to the other one. Quite obviously these changes are recent and ongoing.
But there was no warning and it’s massive merging was beyond any nightmare change Facebook every made. Because so far as I can see, there is no way to set the default. I even went so far as to delete my original ‘google plus’ page, which I’d only dabbled with. I didn’t even know for sure it wouldn’t screw up my gmail account but I risked it anyway.
Google: The Monster
Google has become a monster, apparently the concept of privacy had escaped them. They may disguise it as ease of use, but all they are really doing is destroying our ability to remain private online. I’ve never before had the overwhelming urge to bail on google mail or youtube or it’s other toys before. It was only annoying that it tried to sell me ads on gmail online. This is not annoying. This is a monster that wants to swallow my free choice.
I shall be looking at other email options. And video options. And, for that matter, anything whatsoever that does not relate to google. I’m now afraid the monster wishes to take over the world.
Death of the Playmate
I mourn the fun, playful Google we used to know. I loved visiting their playground. But if I have to check in with my real name and have everyone know it every time I visit, then I will start looking for other alternatives. Because it’s not a safe word out there. And my real name is my business when I’m on the boards.
Why not use my real name? That’s up for another blog post…and it’s already have written so it really will be posted soon.
Here is a petition to change it back: https://www.change.org/petitions/google-change-the-youtube-comment-section-back-to-its-original-form