The YouTube app is also a perfect YouTube player, so I’m confused…

I haven’t used the official YouTube app, but I seriously doubt it’s ad-free and that it lets you download videos.

It does both, actually!

Are you saying that, by default and without any account, the official YouTube iOS app does not display ads? Then why are there so many alternative frontends which have ad blocking as a feature and Reddit is littered with threads asking how to block ads in the app?

Nope, the question was whether or not the YouTube app played video without ads and allowed downloads. It does both.

Under the assumption that you have an account and have paid for Premium, right?

Yes, with both the app performs as described. Nobody has thus far come in the night to snatch me for watching unapproved content, and the $8/mo seems like the least I could do to support the product and the creators on the platform.

Ah, so now you're packing being a student on top of it all. So, let's reiterate: Brave vs. App + Account + Subscription + Student subsidy. Anything else?

Yes, App + Registration to + Pay for the content I consume as a + student who is literally assigned videos to watch (TED, SciShow). Seems fair to me.

Or should I be stealing this content and leave everyone involved poorer for it?

It only does it if you have a paid account, which is clearly not what the original commenter was referring to.

It’s your prerogative to not block ads and to spoon feed all your watch data to Google for easy monetisation and tracking, but it’s clear the original comment wasn’t talking about that route. YouTube is clearly not “the perfect app” in that person’s view when it requires an extra paid service and a higher loss of privacy.

Frankly, from your other replies it seems like you realise this. Which makes this exchange a massive waste of time for everyone. Please don’t purposely fuel disagreements.

What I realize is the content you’re so brazenly feeling entitled to cost money to produce, and the idea that your loss of privacy justifies your theft is absurd.

You’re not starving, this isn’t food.

The only absurd thing is your assumptions about other people. You have zero idea if I even watch YouTube, which creators I support or how, or what my feelings are on the matter.

Understand that I’m not advocating for not supporting creators, that argument is entirely in your head. No one is after you.

The position that what I said is in any way problematic is the position that creators should not be paid for their work, whether you understand that or not.

More importantly, you need to learn what the “royal you” is. It’s not literally about you, specifically.

> The position that what I said is in any way problematic

That’s not what was said either. You keep putting arguments in other people’s mouths and assuming the worst version possible.

Unfortunately it has become clear there is no point to this discussion. You’re bent on only rambling about the point in your own head instead of what was being discussed.

I wish you a happy new year, but I do not wish to further this interaction.

…what? The conversation is happening in front of anyone reading this. Bold of you to try to gaslight over text. Unlikely to be effective, but very brave! I’d be happy for you if your behavior weren’t so blatantly manipulative.

Merry whatever though, hope things go better for you than they did in this interaction.

Oh yes, I totally agree (and I hinted on this in my other comment here). Brave on iOS is a blessing.