Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[ChaosMom]

I don't have premium and don't use ad blockers. My sidebar is also filled with stuff I would actually watch.

A-ha! I’m being punished for using adblockers!

(Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit.)

 

[thistlewick]

So essentially we have to pay by signing up for Premium, and even then, the suggestions are there, just not absurd. And still no way to turn off the suggestion display when not needed?

Yep, ‘bout what I figured.

I mean, YouTube isn't being horrible by showing you things you might like.

I don't have premium and don't use ad blockers. My sidebar is also filled with stuff I would actually watch.

? I just simply was giving ChaosMom all the information - which was that I have premium. I wasn't insinuating premium causes this, I said nothing like that. I just was being transparent with what I was showing. I think you getting videos you still would watch is likely because you do not use an ad blocker so it can learn you. Which is the whole entire point! So rock on!

 

[BDutch]

Our electricity provider is pushing smart meters, I keep telling them where to go, starting with polite, "No Thank you" escalating to quit calling me, to PO, when they get really rude and pushy.

In the Netherlands its obliged to have a smart meter since January. They need them to control/regulate the electricity peaks and lows with all the new sustainable energy.

Especially bc so many people have solar panels that deliver electricity to the network and the electricity providers are downscaling with coal and other fossil energy when possible.

 

[ChaosMom]

I mean, YouTube isn't being horrible by showing you things you might like.

No, but this is part of a pattern that I see repeated by many retailers.

Start with a basic, ok level of service for free or nearly.

Add a premium level for a fee with nice options.

After a bit, start degrading the “user service” at the basic level, gently pressuring more people to sign up for premium.

Start degrading the premium level of service while raising the fees.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Amazon Prime, I am looking at YOU, plus every cable/Internet provider.

Sure they deserve to make money, but these companies have created unregulated monopolies and are exploiting them. And they’re making a fortune off consumers in the process.

Yay, 21st century!

Lots of tax due…

 

[Skyeknight]

? I just simply was giving ChaosMom all the information - which was that I have premium. I wasn't insinuating premium causes this, I said nothing like that. I just was being transparent with what I was showing. I think you getting videos you still would watch is likely because you do not use an ad blocker so it can learn you. Which is the whole entire point! So rock on!

No worries I was doing the same thing! Which is that I do not have premium and didn't want to suggest I have it.

 

[MrsNorthie]

In the Netherlands its obliged to have a smart meter since January. They need them to control/regulate the electricity peaks and lows with all the new sustainable energy.

Especially bc so many people have solar panels that deliver electricity to the network and the electricity providers are downscaling with coal and other fossil energy when possible.

When I go solar, it will be 100% off-grid, we will have the gas generator that we bought after Helene, as backup. I am not spending over $40,000.00 USD for solar equipment and still have to pay Duke Energy every month. Here, they give you a credit (pennies on the dollar.) for solar you feed back into the network, but you still have to pay a monthly access fee to the electric supplier and they have made it so that once you have a metered service to your property, you can't go solar off-grid, you have to tie in, but to me, that is bent and when the time comes, I will fight it or move. I have infrastructure to build to make the birds even happier, I don't like throwing money into the bureaucratic slush fund. LOL

I was thinking that this might be the way to go, plenty of sunshine to keep the lights on and batteries charged:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1453-E-Elkhorn-Pass-1453-Seligman-AZ-86337/440236886_zpid/

I may need to get star-link though, which is pretty pricey, so that might not be cost-effective.

 

[MrsNorthie]

No, but this is part of a pattern that I see repeated by many retailers.

Start with a basic, ok level of service for free or nearly.

Add a premium level for a fee with nice options.

After a bit, start degrading the “user service” at the basic level, gently pressuring more people to sign up for premium.

Start degrading the premium level of service while raising the fees.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Amazon Prime, I am looking at YOU, plus every cable/Internet provider.

Sure they deserve to make money, but these companies have created unregulated monopolies and are exploiting them. And they’re making a fortune off consumers in the process.

Yay, 21st century!

Lots of tax due…

I do not have the Youtube subscription, but I mostly only ever see suggestions that align with things that I have viewed in the past, I use it a lot for building tutorials, like Bourbon Moth (cabinet making.). The way I view it, Youtube, Amazon Prime and service like them are "luxuries" and I have the choice whether or not to pay what ever they are asking. I do get miffed when they increase prices on things you need for survival or the minimum basic comfort or for regulatory compliance.

I am off work for the next few days, so I will have to gather some tax. (never that hard as Spud loves a photo shoot. LOL)

 

[notabitail]

Wow, but "they aren't spying on us...". I think once I retire, I am going to go off grid, no cell phones, no tech. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, my garden and books. Our electricity provider is pushing smart meters, I keep telling them where to go, starting with polite, "No Thank you" escalating to quit calling me, to PO, when they get really rude and pushy.

They just showed up and slapped one on last year (or the year before) here.

A friend of ours has made the electric company quit bothering him by never responding to their entreaties to open his gate so they can replace it.

 

[notabitail]

Sorry about all the tech talk people. It's been one of those weeks; phone, mouse and now one of my computers. I daren't touch anything techy at the moment in case it goes POOF!

I've got most of what I want from the not currently working computer now. Still pissing about with it at 4am this morning.

Had enough for now and I'm off to see the chickens shortly. I'll blow stuff up again tomorrow.

That sounds fun.

 

[notabitail]

So essentially we have to pay by signing up for Premium, and even then, the suggestions are there, just not absurd. And still no way to turn off the suggestion display when not needed?

Yep, ‘bout what I figured.

Ah. Usually the suggestions on my end get a lot better after a few weeks, with intermittent every few months getting bad suggestions.