YouTube is probably my favorite website. It offers so much entertainment that television offered except you don't have annoying adds in the middle or in between shows and the best part being you get to watch what you want when you want.
The advantages a YouTube account offers is more than any video rental/sale store like blockbuster or any other can offer. But then comes the negative part. A negative part that can so easily be removed if it was not for the carelessness of the webmasters.
In the first years of YouTube (YT) gaining popularity, it was somewhat easy to use. All the control panels were clearly visible and easy to operate. But then YT starting going through upgrades to try and make things easier, which were also successful in the beginning.
For example, gaining access to your account controls were simplified. But then these unnecessary upgrades kept going on every few months. Most people did not complain, at least from what I noticed.
In 2009 things started to heat up amongst users when YT introduced the beta channel. This resulted in many users posting videos and petitions protesting the move. Regardless, YT proceeded with the move, but through a different path of individually changing channels.
The 'beta channels' did not turn out to be as bad as perceived, at least in my opinion. I found it saved a person lots of energy by playing the user's videos and favorites directly on the channels.
I'm sure the new comers would find this feature somewhat easier.
But then YT seems to get all excited with their upgrades and decide to further change the site, making it so much more difficult to navigate through. Related videos and other videos uploaded by the user were available in the sidebar. Now, all the other uploads by the user are tucked away on the top with a button to display/undisplay them.
On the right side instead of other uploads by the user and related videos, you have a bunch of adds, which gives an indication of money making. I'm not going to get into the subject of corporate takeover, even though that's what seems to be happening slowly to YT.
But the point is these 'upgrades' actually feel more like downgrades. To rate a comment or reply to it or flag it, you must take your cursor to the comment to do such things. Before all these options were displayed right on the comment.
The video description instead of being placed on the side of the video is also now tucked away below the video screen and required you to press a scroll down bar. By clicking the description and video category drop down, they appear, pushing all the comments and replies even further down.
Before video responses to another video were clearly visible below the video screen. Now, they are found in the heart of the comments! So if you have several responses to a video, you have to search through the video comments to find them.
Then there is accessing your account which requires you to take your cursor onto your user name and click to display options. Previously, all you had to do was take your cursor to your user name and select your options. Navigating through your account options is so difficult.
Your commutations with other users was so simple. But with the latest 'upgrades' (downgrades), selecting the various features such as your in-box, comments, friend invites etc. requires more navigation.
How does YT expect people from an older generation or newcomers to operate within their system? I have been on YT for more than three years (my first uploads were in the summer of 2007) but even I as a regular user have difficulty adjusting to these 'upgrades.' Even if you are not a YT member, you'll find navigating through videos with these 'upgrades' has become more complicated.
Upgrading the site every few months at such a fast pace doesn't seem beneficial at all to me. I feel after their previous updates a few months back, the site was as good as it could get, but with the latest update, it's become a real hassle using the site.
If YT feels it necessary to upgrade, then it should be done once a year at the most, with an explanation of why they're doing it.
