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Edit: #1439752
I've mentioned parts of this before 🤦


Before finding Bitcoin and Nostr and SN I was a normie using vanilla YouTube with all the annoying ads, which have got progressively worse over the years

I think it was Gigi who mentioned NewPipe in a note that prompted me to go down the frontend rabbit hole

iirc I found it around the same time I found ZapStore and the sideloading phenomenon

It worked well for a while until it didn’t, confused that it didn’t just work like legacy apps, I learnt that Google are in a constant game of cat and mouse with these developers

Google devs change the code slightly, copycat frontend breaks, foss devs update their code, success! back in business 🙌 and on the game goes


Enter Google 'We've had enough edition'

Google introduce android verification programme that forces app developers to verify and essentially doxx themselves

The response

Tubular issues a statement saying they won't be cooperating with Google and Tubular will not work on verified android devices, even if sideloaded


My thinking

Idea: Create a PWA YouTube frontend in a Stacker News style

  • Use Tubular source code
  • Add Nostr/Lightning implementation
  • Works across all platforms

The major issues

  • Constant maintenance
  • More trouble than it's worth

My capitulation on the idea 💡

Rather than trying to save the world 🌎 from YouTube ad hell

  • Buy a Google Pixel
  • Run GrapheneOS
  • Install Tubular
  • Stack sats

As a sidenote and tell me if this a stupid suggestion @justin_shocknet have you ever thought of scraping YouTube and integrating it into lightning.video?

Scrap that, yes it's a stupid idea 🤦


If you’ve read this far...

I totally understand the actual goal is not to use YouTube at all! But until we have a reliable alternative 🤔 (hoping Justin's L.V increases in adoption 🙏)

Haven't considered scraping but something that i'd like to do at some point is allow creators to export into LV to backup/clone their channels

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Thats a great idea, almost like a halfway house , a bridge between legacy and new ideas

Could open up opportunities for creators to get paid in two forms, one from views on yt and zaps from lv

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