I'm not a privacy freak, but I still have Search and Youtube history turned off. Why? Because the superficial kind of machine learning done by everyone today (Google included) yields crap results.
Example: I'm subscribed to pewdiepie on Youtube (the other subscriptions being mostly dev stuff). ALL the videos recommended now are garbage made for/by mentally challenged 14 year olds. It was even worse when I had YT history on. At least now I get somewhat relevant related videos (useful when learning about a new technology, a startup, etc).
== Edit
You do realise that I'm subscribed to only 1 _shitty_ channel and 15+ _real_ ones? Actually, this might mean that Youtube's algorithms are skewed toward popular stuff (there's no contest between pewds and Google Developers, lol).
You subscribed to a mentally challenged 14 year old and you are questioning why you get suggestions for videos by mentally challenged 14 year olds?
But seriously, it could probably be improved. Does anyone know if down voting videos affects recommendations? I also wish I could explicitly ignore things on the recommendations section before I watch them. Just out of principle I don't want to give them a view and potentially ad money just so I can down vote them.
Obviously, pewdiepie isn't the epitome of intellectual achievement, but he's not _that_ bad either. I like him because (i) he's Swedish and about my age and (ii) his insane success is a very interesting and relatively new phenomenon. Have a look at some stats, his subscribers and views skyrocketed organically like nothing seen before.
Basically Google changed their algorithm to recommend videos based on time watched instead of just views. Which massively favored let's plays because they are so long. They also promote channels based on geographical location. Pewdiepie had an advantage somehow because he had a fanbase in Sweden and moved to Italy.
This might also explain parent comment's problem (recommendations favoring let's plays because they are longer.)
I'd rather not become part of the problem. Being popular for being popular in my opinion is not something that holds much merit.
Watching other people play games in particular is really silly to me when I can just play them myself. It's just one of those weird fads that isn't for me.
That's interesting, I'm actually the other way around. I see games as a work of art instead of a pastime, so I enjoy watching people play rather than doing it myself. It feels like I'm saving time this way. :) It might have something to do with the fact that having a family has turned my interests system around.
Those things aren't mutually exclusive. A game can be a work of art and an enjoyable pastime. In fact the idea of putting some unfunny weirdo's face and voice over the game's story really destroys a lot of the artistic value.
Well you're subscribed to pewdiepie - sounds to me like the recommended videos are right on the money. It's not like pewdiepie's demo is in the 20-28 year bracket.
Example: I'm subscribed to pewdiepie on Youtube (the other subscriptions being mostly dev stuff). ALL the videos recommended now are garbage made for/by mentally challenged 14 year olds. It was even worse when I had YT history on. At least now I get somewhat relevant related videos (useful when learning about a new technology, a startup, etc).
== Edit
You do realise that I'm subscribed to only 1 _shitty_ channel and 15+ _real_ ones? Actually, this might mean that Youtube's algorithms are skewed toward popular stuff (there's no contest between pewds and Google Developers, lol).