There are alternatives to YouTube, like Odysee and BitChute. Odysee is even somewhat decentralized in how they store and distribute (stream) videos to viewers. Alternatives to YouTube are important. YouTube might sort of almost effectively have a quasi monopoly on streaming user generated video. There are alternatives to YouTube. The amount of traffic the YouTube alternatives receive is likely miniscule compared to the actual traffic and views that videos on YouTube receives perhaps.
BitChute and Odysee allow more diverse content than YouTube. It is good that there are alternatives to YouTube. Odysee is at least somewhat decentralized since it seems to utilize IPFS (Interplanetary Filesystem) for video storage and distribution.
BitChute and Odysee seem to have shortcomings in their browse and recommendation functionality. Odysee for example, on the front page, does not show view count. Video view count can be an indicator of interesting content. Because of this, seeing popular videos can be more difficult. YouTube does not have this shortcoming.
BitChute, on the front page, does show view count, but there is no way to sort by most popular (most viewed). Sorting by most viewed/popular can be an efficient way to see videos that viewers tend to want to watch, and hence, the videos might be more interesting. YouTube has great recommendation algorithms. Also, when one looks at videos from subscribed channels on BitChute on the front page of the site, one cannot sort by most viewed from this view (subscribed) either. At least one can see view count. However, one most scroll and look at the view count manually to see more popular (and hence possibly more interesting) videos, manually.
On the front page of Odysee there seems to be no way to view all popular or trending videos on the site. Perhaps there is if one clicks “Cheese”, however, it is unclear if “Cheese” is a metaphor for metaphorically delicious videos to view, or if “Cheese” is some specific filter that only shows a certain genre of video. Odysee could be more clear in how they are displaying video. Cheese does ostensibly seem to mean popular videos on all of the Odysee site. This is unclear however. Additionally, when one views Cheese, it does not show view count on videos. This is a limitation that YouTube does not have.
YouTube seems to clearly label what view one is looking at, and does show view count on videos. Odysee and BitChute should perhaps more clearly display what view of videos one is looking at, always show video view count, and enable better more comprehensive sorting features. Of course, content creators can (and probably should) upload videos to all three video streaming sites, YouTube, BitChute, and Odysee. Hopefully more individuals will utilize decentralized social media, and social media that does not censor content creators. We should perhaps strive to popularize more decentralized social media sites and apps. Hopefully Odysee and BitChute will implementing better recommendation algorithms and also better sorting and more clearly defined and comprehensive video display features.
