YouTube to add Ads before Videos (N)

Coming off the heels of the announcement that YouTube will soon be sharing ad revenues with producers, I have learned of some less exciting news. It turns out that past all the big sharing ad revenue news there is a dark, dark secret. YouTube has confirmed that they will start placing ads before videos. The length of the ads has not been determined as of yet. However, this statement was given to the BBC, "Mr Hurley said a clip of three seconds length was one of the options, although the details had not been worked out yet."

One of the reasons why I think YouTube is so successful is that prior to them the big online video guys were Yahoo and MSN. I used to hate watching videos on those sites because they would always have ads right before the video. This bugged the hell out of me as I'm sure it did everyone else. Then YouTube came along and shook the video world.

I'm all for providing revenue to producers and I think it is a great idea. However, I think that placing ads is an extremely idiotic system and it degrades the YouTube experience. The great thing about online video right now is that there is instant gratification. Someone can send you a link to a video and you can instantly watch it. I don't want to wait 30 seconds before I see a video. I don't even want to wait 3.

YouTube please grow some brains and learn that NO ONE wants ads before videos. I wouldn't mind an ad at the end of the video like Revver does and I hope that YouTube takes this route instead of before the video. I think that YouTube should just stick with the banner and contextual ads that they have going and stop there. Don't let this ad thing get out of hand, YouTube.

If this is the price of payment for giving money to producers then I don't want even that. Don't diminish the quality of videos by sticking ads before them, YouTube. Stick with your current model and DON'T add ads before the videos. Keep YouTube great and not some big commercialized giant.