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0 pointsHWR_144y ago0 comments

> Youtube's value isn't as a profit center, but a way of keeping people inside Google's ad ecosystem.

Even more important from Google's point of view is it was the way to push Chrome to dominance. And a way to keep it there ahead of any potential competitors.

Which is valuable because of the data and ability to block ad blockers. That is, Google's ad ecosystem.

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alecbz4y ago· 2 in thread

> it was the way to push Chrome to dominance.

How did YT push Chrome?

HWR_14OP4y ago

In 2009/2010 YouTube advertised Chrome as a better way to view YouTube videos pretty extensively. YouTube also is a moving target that other browsers have to hit (see also GoogleDocs.)

It's similar to how "DOS ain't done until Lotus won't run", only with YouTube and other browsers.

anamax4y ago

Microsoft abandoned their "not Chrome-based" Edge code base, despite the fact that it was significantly faster than Chrome on almost every other site, because of the way that YouTube does some layers. This "way" has no functional effect, but it does block certain optimizations, optimizations that Edge was using and Chrome still isn't.

Google optimizes YT for Chromium-based renderers. Or rather, Google pessimizes YT for other renderers.

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