this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2026
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Everything good that gets big gets bought and enshitifies. That's nothing new.
As for Youtube channels losing your trust, you should remember who ultimately calls the shots: Google. Their very existence depends on 1/ Google not deplatforming them and 2/ Google paying them if they monetize their channels.
Me, I always assume a channel is compromised the minute they monetize their content. The next level of compromised is when it starts shilling VPNs, energy drinks or razor blades. Getting unsavory investors is just par for the course.
Most of my favorite Youtubers are compromised. I simply enjoy the content and don't trust what they say. And that's pretty easy. For example:
Veritasium does a piece on some math theorem: great! I enjoy the math explanation. Even if they're funded by sketchy private equity groups, it's not going to change the math. But I make a mental never to buy anything from the company they shill for, and if they make a piece that touches on money on elections, I don't watch.
Alec Steel talks about blacksmithing. I listen to what he has to say on diffusion bonding of dissimilar metals, but I skip the shitty underwear and energy drinks he shills. And no investor of his - assuming he gets some one day - will ever change the laws of metallurgy.
Ian Davis and his prosthetic hand project: that's more dicey. The fundamentals of what he's building don't change, the technical explanations are sound, but he's sold to 3D printer makers, so he keeps plugging 3D printers as the good solution to make parts for his prosthetics. If I didn't know anything about 3D printing, I might easily think they're the best printers around, because the guy seems to genuine. But I do, so I dismiss anything he says about 3D printers and assume other brands would be equally suitable. And of course, his project is non-profit, so it's not like hypothetical investors would have much sway over what he says or does.
...
In other words, what I'm saying is: like TV, news and all the rest, enjoy your Youtubers by applying a thick layer of critical thinking to what they say. They're all tainted.
Veritasium got on my shit list when he started beef with electroboom, was fucking dead ass wrong, and then acted like a smug ass about it. It was about that time he started in with the clickbait "you are wrong about XYZ" videos.
Alec Steele... I don't mind the underwear commercials for reasons. He knows what he's doing. I don't mind it when the sponsor ads come with some effort instead of just "hey, now I'm going to lie to you about VPNs for two minutes."
If you want the ultimate in putting effort into shilling for your sponsor, check out Map Men: they actually take the time to put together a full-blown skit for each for their sponsored segments.
Here for example:
https://youtu.be/6zq5XtyV3yg?t=222
It's honestly the only Youtube channel I will disable SponsorBlock for, and watch the sponsored segments of, just for the entertainment values. All the other Youtubers can fuck right off.