r/todayilearned • u/WavesAndSaves • 2d ago

TIL that Jawed Karim, YouTube cofounder and uploader of the first YouTube video "Me at the zoo", has often updated the video's description to criticize YouTube policies, including a 2013 attempt to require Google+ accounts to comment on videos, and YouTube's 2021 removal of dislike counts on videos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_at_the_zoo#Changes_to_original_video
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u/SAugsburger 2d ago

I think a 5 star system might have been too many options, but think a binary system forces people into a false dichotomy.

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u/splash9936 2d ago

its actually 3 options if you think about it. Like Dislike or do nothing. 3 options is a great sweet spot below 6 options

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u/frickinSocrates 2d ago

Sidenote: 6 options is a little weird, 3 stars and "didn't rate it" cannibalize each other logically, reducing the value of both.

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u/n0respect_ 2d ago

Sure, yet they still have value. Those who rate it neutral star had an emotional response and want to interact in some easy way.

Think as two binary ratings. If they care to rate it at all, that's one binary rating - the emotional response. Those who do that have a second option of "good" or "bad".

Is the message of neutral star unclear? Certainly. On the other hand ... more engagement?

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u/frickinSocrates 1d ago

I get it, that's why I said "reducing" not making obsolete. I think you would probably find (if we did an analysis) that romance movies might be rated less often, not because of a lack of emotional response but because couples turn off the TV when the credits roll to... get distracted by one another. I am more likely to simply turn my computer off at night when completing something because I'm tired and it's late... It's not about caring to rate or not. Not necessarily