YouTube, Google maps, Gmail ...

Name a single YouTube content creator who is satisfied with that arrangement.

Here's Tom Scott quoted on MKBHD's channel where he literally says "this is my dream job"

https://youtu.be/GQAvce3MA44?si=deP0GG1hICPp9jr8&t=93

show me a “dream job” and I’ll show you an industry that is notorious for chewing up dreams and spitting them out

game developer, musician, mangaka, streamer, etc

"Content creators" (assuming by that you mean those who are trying to make a living off the platform) are mostly irrelevant.

Youtube's main source of revenue is ads which they serve regardless of whether the uploader is taking a cut from the upload or not. Most users have always and will continue to upload to and consume from youtube without the expectation of making money from the process.

So, yes in general users have historically been more or less satisfied with the deal: watch ads, get free video platform.

Sure. It's just we tend to notice the tradeoffs and forget the win-wins. Every bug fixed and every performance improvement benefits all three.

> Every bug fixed and every performance improvement benefits all three.

I'd love to think so, but the truth is that any platform, working correctly, disadvantages those who contribute most of the content. The platform owners earn money in ways that are always contrary to the interests of the content creators.