Comment by Root_Denied

>As though Google doesn't have a entire team of data scientists and top tier engineers managing this experiment and driving it to optimal results. (Spoiler: they do)

Optimal for who, though?

From Google's perspective I'm sure these changes push towards a more optimal revenue generation through ads. They potentially also push a more optimal layout on tablets/phones, or for shorts content.

Meanwhile from a desktop/laptop user perspective these changes are hardly optimal, especially compared to what they were before.

> If you don't like the service, you can stop using it. And if you do, they have already factored that into their metrics guardrail, and it was the right decision.

Also likely that people find and implement workarounds. Browser extensions or interface layers (e.g. Invidious or reVanced) that block ads and/or grant user specific control over the layout. This represents a hidden cost for Google too, because now you have a subset of your user base eating up resources that you don't see ad revenue for. There's a risk as they optimize more and more for a smaller number of people that this hidden cost grows.

All in all seems like a bad long-term proposition for Google to alienate parts of their userbase that are tech savvy enough to bypass their revenue generation.