Did users revolt against YouTube’s new feature for embedded videos?
News: I reported yesterday about YouTube’s new, sleek feature for videos embedded in blogs (such as this one) from YouTube. Well, today, YT shut down the new feature. I’m not sure the reason, but YouTube received numerous comments – many of them quite negative — about the new feature. Most of the complaints didn’t like the intrusiveness of related videos popping up on screen, and possibly containing something other than the “family-oriented” or wholesome video they wanted in their blog.
Analysis: We’ll see how this shakes out. Obviously, YT could just change the default back to the old way, but allow users like me to switch on the new feature. That, of course, would probably slow the propagation of YT videos on other sites, compared to what it would have been with the new feature.
UPDATE, June 9: YouTube has announced that it has changed the new feature to address the negative reaction posted by some very vocal users. Now, the new bubbly “related video” thumbnails don’t appear until the end of watching an embedded video in a blog, when the “menu” pops up and you have to select it. No more “mouseover” effect. I can’t fine the “menu” icon yet on my embedded videos, so maybe YT is still working out the kinks.
June 9, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Thank God, it was horrible!