Posted 23 August 2007 - 01:59 PM
Having not actually seen any of these ads yet on Youtube, it's hard to properly comment on it, but I will say that from the description of the new ad service, it sounds like something I will not like very much.
Like others, I completely get why Google/Youtube feel they need to increase ad revenue. It must cost a bundle to run a site like it. So I have no issue with ads in general. but placing them right over a portion of the content just seems like stepping over the line to me. Place them anywhere on the site, but if they show up over what we're trying to watch, you potentially alienate your viewership.
I've been to sites, as I'm sure many of you have, where I'm reading an article and an ad will float out from the edges of the page and plop itself right in the middle of the content, while I'm reading it! I can't speak for others, but I personally find these ads HIGHLY annoying. I'm willing to forgive it once, but if I visit the site a second time and it occurs again, I take that site off my list of sites to visit. Is this really what Google and Youtube want to do?
And I take objective to the notion put forth by some here that somehow YouTube is where it's at if you want your videos seen. Yes, maybe right now it's the reigning king in this regard, but let us please not forget YouTube's roots. How it started as a small nothing site and built up a reputation and growing viewership. There's nothing to say that some smaller startup couldn't come along and begin to win over content publishers if they become disgusted enough with this new ad practice on Youtube. Things can change a lot more rapidly in this internet age. YT is not infallible and Google may be doing something that will kill their golden goose.