Update 10/31/2024: YouTube has confirmed this is not a feature being tested, with the official @TeamYouTube commenting on the original Dexerto post " @Dexerto Jumping in here to clarify that this may happen if viewers are watching YouTube with certain browser extensions enabled. If they disable extensions and still encounter this homepage experience, they can submit a report here & we'll investigate: https://goo.gle/4fiueJf"
The original story follows:
The original post has a fair few comments regarding the change, especially the removal of dates. The issue is that, when it comes to many topics, there is an advantage to looking at the more recent video. For instance, new information can often massively change predicted video game trends, not to mention any video related to politics. Others praise removing views, considering many smaller creators are frequently avoided for those with a higher viewer count.
YouTube has seen some major changes in how it presents itself in recent months, for instance, by adding a pink gradient to the progress bar. We have also seen a removal of the skip countdown for ads, with it being replaced by a yellow line running along the bottom of the video. YouTube also announced several new AI features for creators that aim to give more creative freedom while streamlining content production and enhancing monetization.
It is worth noting that YouTube is only testing this change currently, and there is no word on whether it will be put into practice soon.
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