[Off-Topic] Just discorvered that I can do youtube without going to youtube

[sinterva]

I found this project. https://invidious.io/

I've always had this nagging feeling that I shouldn't let google keep tabs on my viewing habits,
and them constantly feeding me all sorts of algorithmic crap to try to make me addicted has actually worked.
I spend way too much time watching low quality videos, which make youtube recommend more of the same.
With this, I get to keep a sane distance from it all, without losing access to many of youtubes upsides.

[cds60601]

There is also FreeTube

[fabien]

I use the Firefox add-on Alter which automatically redirects things like this to more acceptable sites.

[Uptorn]

Invidious is great and has come under attack on various occasions by google.

I shouldn't let google keep tabs on my viewing habits,
and them constantly feeding me all sorts of algorithmic crap to try to make me addicted

It is worth knowing that depending on the invidious instance, you will still be making connections to googlevideo.com. Some instances proxy the video media itself although that makes for an expensive operation so the majority simply just direct your browser to *.googlevideo.com.

[canci]

My favourite way of browsing YouTube as of recently: ytfzf
https://github.com/pystardust/ytfzf

Otherwise, I also tend to directly use:

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mpv LINK

It's in the repos:

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apt show mpv

or, if I need to download something

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yt-dlp LINK

https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp

[bbbhltz]

I also subscribe to my YT channels via RSS with newsboat and watch via mpv. I also use the ytfzf tool mentioned above. The day Google decides to block access to all of these different frontends and workarounds will be the last day I watch a YT vidéo.

[Hallvor]

Call me old-fashioned, but I use Minitube.

[canci]

Yeah, +1 for using Newsboat and Invidious RSS links to keep up to date with YouTube channels.

[Uptorn]

The day Google decides to block access to all of these different frontends and workarounds will be the last day I watch a YT vidéo.

When all is said and done, this is probably the real solution. YT easily becomes a time vampire. Television 2.0.

[canci]

When all is said and done, this is probably the real solution. YT easily becomes a time vampire. Television 2.0.

True. I feel that not going to the youtube.com frontpage and especially using it without an account helped me escape from this automatism of just watching similar content with little self control. Nowadays, I just follow a few channels via RSS.

Some people tell me that this way, I allegedly miss out on the stuff that I'd have discovered through algorithm suggestions, but if I want someone to suggest me content, I prefer going to public broadcasters. In a lot of countries, those broadcasters are legally required to also cover intellectually stimulating content that isn't necessarily popular or bringing in revenue. So even if I binge that, I feel better about wasting 2 hours on a mini series on an important film director rather than most of the youtube stuff.

I also have much less screen time ever since I ditched youtube and cancelled other streaming services.