I noticed late yesterday while watching a YT video from one of my subscribed gardening channels that the names on the comments all began with their "@" name instead of their nicknames. Did YT implement some change that is causing this, or is there an option, maybe a new one, that I need to set to see the nicknames again?
Did I miss some change with YouTube?
- Thread starter statsman
- Start date
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
I just checked, and I don't see that myself. I just see the usual nicknames.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Same here.
ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I see them on my computer, didn't check the phone tablet. Not sure I would have noticed.
But, go to the source (I haven't watched it yet, but it seems to be the official explanation):
-ERD50
But, go to the source (I haven't watched it yet, but it seems to be the official explanation):
-ERD50
Graybeard
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2018
- Messages
- 597
Same here.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
Actually, now I've seen the email address appear a couple of times as well. Most of the time it's the nickname, but I've seen a couple instances where it's email addresses. I don't know what's going on.
edit: I checked my Youtube settings, and I see that the email address was listed as my handle, for some reason. I've been fiddling with my Youtube nickname a lot lately, so maybe I overlooked that setting somehow. Or maybe it reset to the default because I was fiddling so much.
For those who don't know, you can check all this by going under Youtube, clicking your icon in the upper right, and then: Your Channel -> Customize Channel -> Basic Info. If you're having problems, you might check the settings under that "Basic Info" tab. (Hit "publish" to save the settings.)
edit: I checked my Youtube settings, and I see that the email address was listed as my handle, for some reason. I've been fiddling with my Youtube nickname a lot lately, so maybe I overlooked that setting somehow. Or maybe it reset to the default because I was fiddling so much.
For those who don't know, you can check all this by going under Youtube, clicking your icon in the upper right, and then: Your Channel -> Customize Channel -> Basic Info. If you're having problems, you might check the settings under that "Basic Info" tab. (Hit "publish" to save the settings.)
Last edited:
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I personally NEVER subscribe to anything, it is not necessary to get quality content.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
You don't subscribe to Youtube. You just register and log in, as you would with any site.
If you don't register and log in, the content you get will be randomized for the general population. Your feed will be filled with whatever happens to be the most popular, which in my experience is mostly junk. Registering an account allows them to tune the content according to your preferences and viewing habits. Although this has downsides (echo chamber effect), I'd rather have that than a feed based on popularity. Registering an account also allows a lot of functions you don't have otherwise (e.g., saving videos to watch later, watching a long video in segments rather than having to watch it all the way through, having your feed full of stuff from content creators you like, participate in discussions, etc.).
If you just dip into YT now and then for a specific purpose (e.g., "search cat videos"), that's different. Then you don't need to register, any more than you'd need to register at this site if all you wanted to do was check to see what people were saying now and then. I watch a lot of YT content, though, so I'm happy to register.
p.s. fwiw, the email address appearing isn't my actual email address. It's some odd hybrid. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's a goofy version of it that I registered with. I can't remember.
If you don't register and log in, the content you get will be randomized for the general population. Your feed will be filled with whatever happens to be the most popular, which in my experience is mostly junk. Registering an account allows them to tune the content according to your preferences and viewing habits. Although this has downsides (echo chamber effect), I'd rather have that than a feed based on popularity. Registering an account also allows a lot of functions you don't have otherwise (e.g., saving videos to watch later, watching a long video in segments rather than having to watch it all the way through, having your feed full of stuff from content creators you like, participate in discussions, etc.).
If you just dip into YT now and then for a specific purpose (e.g., "search cat videos"), that's different. Then you don't need to register, any more than you'd need to register at this site if all you wanted to do was check to see what people were saying now and then. I watch a lot of YT content, though, so I'm happy to register.
p.s. fwiw, the email address appearing isn't my actual email address. It's some odd hybrid. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's a goofy version of it that I registered with. I can't remember.
Last edited:
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
I mentioned some of that in my response above (which I think I was editing at the time you posted, so you probably didn't see it).
ProspectiveBum
Full time employment: Posting here.
Right, but you can subscribe to specific channels on YouTube, which is what folks are talking about.
I see it now, thanks.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
Is it? Shock will have to clarify, since he made the comment.
If that is what he's referring to -- subbing to an individual YT channel, rather than registering/logging in -- then he is misunderstanding how YT works and/or the nature of the issue being discussed in the thread.
Subbing to an individual YT channel (which just involves a click, and is only available after registering) doesn't have anything to do with the problem being discussed. That isn't how they get your email address. They get that, as all sites do, during the registration process.
All that subbing to an individual YT channel does is allow you to follow and support the content creators you like. I think it's a great perk, not anything I'd want to give up. I don't see any downside to it.
Last edited:
EarlyandLate
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2022
- Messages
- 226
Youtube seems to have messed with the algorithm starting a month or so ago. It is really annoying. I really have to hunt for the latest videos from channels I follow. My home screen is maybe 75% videos from channels I do not subscribe to. If I go to specific channels I want and watch videos, then go back to "home", the ratio improves and more of my subscribed channels show up.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
Yeah, they're always fiddling with the algorithm. Sometimes it gets a major overhaul.
I like when they suggest content from channels other than the ones I subscribe to, because it exposes me to channels I wouldn't know about otherwise. I often end up liking what I see. But I get what you're saying. I would be annoyed if only 25% of the suggestions were from channels I subscribed to.
You're probably aware, but you can look at the "subscribed" tab for a list of all the recent videos from channels you sub to.
COcheesehead
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
New videos to subscribed channels will show up on the “subscriptions” link on the home page.
Golden Mean
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 198
You can also select the 3 dots next to a suggested video and click "not interested" and hopefully that will help steer the algorithm. Or you can go nuclear and select "don't recommend channel".
On a side note, the fact they don't show you the upload date and think that an 18 month old video is "a year ago" is an unwelcome change.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
That's right. I do that frequently. I get a follow-up message saying, "Thanks. We'll tune your suggestions" (or something to that effect). It seems to work pretty well.
Even the latter doesn't stop it for me. YouTube insists on bringing back "blocked" channels or common topic channels (the latter happens a *LOT*). Many are annoying channels.
I got fed up to where I have my bookmark set to enter my YT subscriptions feed directly. If I truly want to check out new channels, I can do that via a search. Many more times than not, I am checking out my subscribed channels.
ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
Not sure what's happening in your case, statsman. That sounds like a persistent problem. I have had to repeatedly tell Youtube I don't want to see a particular channel, before it finally gets the message. Sometimes, once is enough; but other times, I've had to say "stop recommending this channel" 3 or 4, maybe half a dozen times, before it finally sinks in.
Don't forget to hit that "like" button, too, like the creators are always reminding you.
That will help keep the algorithm on track. Comments do the same. Any sort of engagement feeds the algorithm. Even downvotes count as engagement -- so if you don't like something, don't click thumbs down. Youtube will probably just send you more of it, lol.
Don't forget to hit that "like" button, too, like the creators are always reminding you.
That will help keep the algorithm on track. Comments do the same. Any sort of engagement feeds the algorithm. Even downvotes count as engagement -- so if you don't like something, don't click thumbs down. Youtube will probably just send you more of it, lol.
Last edited:
Similar threads
