Alternative for YouTube recommendations?

Hund@feddit.nu · 16 hours ago

Alternative for YouTube recommendations?

yuman@programming.dev · 4 hours ago

freetube recommends decently similar videos with the occasional slop in there, in addition to your subscriptions that are not visible to google or anyone else. only here, when you hide a channel, that thing is hidden forever, won’t pop up again randomly.

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

Thanks! I’ll look into Freetube.

SamuelEllis@lemmy.world · 3 hours ago

YouTube’s recommendation quality relies on persistent client-side state and server-side tracking tied to your account; without an authenticated session, the system lacks the cross-video context needed for accurate modeling, effectively forcing a trade-off between privacy and algorithmic relevance. Have you considered whether a local-only client with manual tag-based filtering could approximate the utility of a personalized feed without surrendering your data?

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

I’m fully aware of that, this is partly why I would like to avoid a Google account, even though the only thing I use it for, is YouTube. I don’t like Google at all.

A local-only client (or something that’s at least privacy respecting) is what I’m looking for, which is why this I submitted this topic. Do you have any recommendations?

molasses6469@lemmy.world · 8 hours ago

Why is no one mentioning Flow? It is literally built to be exactly what you want. It has a local, no-Google-account required recommendation engine.

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

Thanks! It looks to be limited to phones only, but it seems like, technically speaking, the best option.

terradragon@slrpnk.net · 12 hours ago

I know that’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but imo not getting recommendations from YouTube’s algorithm at all might be better. Why? From the Cambridge analytica scandal we have proof that these algorithms have the capability to manipulate people’s ideologies without their consent. I think your algorithm basically personalizes an indoctrination strategy. The idea is not new, it has been talked about in the famous book ‘Manufacturing consent’.

Let’s say, they don’t have a grand political plan behind their algorithm, but even then, the algorithm is just optimizing your feed for maximum engagement rather than intellectual nourishment. They just want you to watch more and more. And not spend much time to stop, think and reflect.

As for recommendations, you can get them organically from your close friends (they’d def be happy to send you a bunch lol) or from lemmy communities (like the documentaries ones)

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

Thank you for the, well… human reply! :D

I know all about this, both from a moral and technical standpoint. And I have seen the algorithm do this multiple times, but I’m aware of it, and I only watch wholesome family friendly content, which is mainly about tech, bikes and coffee. I don’t care for politics, drama or anything like that, which is why it’s quite easy to spot the dark rabbit holes I get presented with from time to time. :)

Recommendations from friends only work if you have friends. I do get recommended videos on social media (which is the fediverse for me), but it’s rare. I actually like checking my inbox, and if I don’t feel like watching something there, I just go and see the rekommendations, which is not always good, but they do have some fun stuff from time to time. I have found most of the channels that I subscribe to there.

Freakazoid@lemmy.ml · 15 hours ago

Maybe invidious or use freetube.

There is also grayjay, and while it works pretty fine I believe there where some controversies around the program even tho I don’t know the reason.

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

Thanks! I’ll look into them and the controversy.

dannitien@piefed.world · 9 hours ago

The controversy is that the code is not fully open source, but it was originally labeled as FOSS.

Hund@feddit.nu · 3 hours ago

Oh! That is a no go for me then. I only use open source software.

Hund@feddit.nu · 14 hours ago

Doesn’t those work like Piped, that you get recommendations based on the current video your viewing?

I was talking about the general recommendations that you get based on what you watch over time. :)

Freakazoid@lemmy.ml · 14 hours ago

I understand, in Grayjay that is working as far as I know. It shows me videos based on my previously watched content. So that should work.

Hund@feddit.nu · 13 hours ago

Cool. I’ll check it out!

dannitien@piefed.world · 9 hours ago

I use a front end called Grayjay. You can log in with your YouTube account in the settings and transfer everything over, or you can set up a Polycentric account and never use YouTube directly at all. It’s ad-free on my device and I notice that it even shows locked Patreon content on some channels.

I downloaded it directly from their website and use F-Droid as the repository. I was able to do all this on an Android tablet, so it’s fairly simple.