As a YouTuber, I've kept up with the reactions to the new Google+ comments system on YouTube. And while there are plenty of fair criticisms (links in comments, old vs new comment incompatibility, no character limit), a lot of the reaction is complaint for the sake of complaint, usually under the guise of "I don't want to be forced to use Google+!"
I can understand seeing this type of reaction from someone new to YouTube, but for people that have been on YouTube for any length of time, this move was very foreseeable. For some reason, these YouTubers who took the time to learn the system and use it to their advantage, have allowed themselves to be caught unaware of a change they should have seen coming for a long time. Google's plans were to obvious from the beginning.
A passionate YouTuber might have kept up on Google's announcements and developments and had a plan for the day Google+ integration happened. When the switchover happened, they would already have rich comments surface and preferred users to help spotlight and reward with their new tools. But nope. Instead they dug their heels into the ground and cried, "No! I don't wanna use Google+ and you can't make me!"
Not all of them, but I suppose I'm speaking about a very vocal minority. I think it's sad and surprising that so many YouTubers didn't see this coming for all the weeks and months of developments laid out before them by YouTube and Google.
In short, I understand the fair and objective criticisms with the new comments system. Links in comments are dangerous. Comment incompatibility is confusing and unfortunate. A lack of a character limit is just silly. Luckily all of these things can be fixed with system updates from Google. As for the stubbornness of big YouTubers, that'll have to be fixed on their end. Until then, they're hurting no one but themselves.
But as with any other change to YouTube, we'll hear the last of the complaints in about... 2 weeks.
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