Look, there's people who host videos that we must watch at any cost. But not really any cost, because we don't feel we should pay, or watch ads... or anything, really. But we deserve to watch these videos. It's our right. We're entitled damn it!

So we're going to barge into this place and watch videos while blocking ads. We're going to use tools to watch through the windows. We're going to smuggle content out of the building.

Because we need these videos. We'll modify our browsers, install new apps, change our habits, fight pointless fights, get accounts terminated...

But we're not going to pay a dime. It's not like Youtube means anything to us. Gross! We'd just leave if there was no choice. We'd just go to... somewhere else. These guys don't have a hold on us.

From the Grayjay FAQ:

Does Grayjay require a subscription?

No, We offer a way to pay for the app once. The app will function identically without paying.

Add in sponsorblock as well. Its an extension that autoskips "inline" ads that creators do in video. It uses community input to know when to skip, and is excellent. You can also submit ad time stamps very easily to help out millions of people.

Today i was looking through the top popular shorts in a private tab. It was so depressing there were countless AI slop videos getting 300m views.

People just dont care. Its why I love Lemmy, here the people care about the tech they use and content they consume. People here have standards. But most people arent like that and eventually everyone will be designed for them and there won't be anything for us and there will be less and less people like us. I love technology and I hate what's happening to tech so much.

What other sites can you recommend?

Nebula has some of the best educational content, especially ever since Tom Scott went on to other things. There are definitely some weird ones on there, as well as a couple which I'm convinced are right-wing shills, but by and large many of the best edutainment channels have collected over there, especially if you're into writing/world building. HAI/Wendover, Minutephysics, legaleagle, extracredits, nilered, and hellofutureme are the big ones I'm aware of that are also popular on YouTube which publish their videos over on Nebula. It's well worth it to know that you're supporting them more directly, and no ads.

Also, dropout (nee collegehumor) is worth it.

Meanwhile on Newpipe: just another day with no ads.

Look, there's people who host videos that we must watch at any cost. But not really any cost, because we don't feel we should pay, or watch ads... or anything, really. But we deserve to watch these videos. It's our right. We're entitled damn it!

So we're going to barge into this place and watch videos while blocking ads. We're going to use tools to watch through the windows. We're going to smuggle content out of the building.

Because we need these videos. We'll modify our browsers, install new apps, change our habits, fight pointless fights, get accounts terminated...

But we're not going to pay a dime. It's not like Youtube means anything to us. Gross! We'd just leave if there was no choice. We'd just go to... somewhere else. These guys don't have a hold on us.