Free and Open Source Software @beehaw.org

2y ago

DeArrow - A Browser Extension that removes clickbait titles and thumbnails

dearrow.ajay.app DeArrow - A Browser Extension for Better Titles and Thumbnails

DeArrow is a browser extension for replacing titles and thumbnails on YouTube with community created accurate versions. No more clickbait.

The creators of SponsorBlock did it again, now we can crowdsource better titles and thumbnails as well. I just tried it with LinusTechTips who is a worst offender when it comes to clickbait and its really great.

Compare without DeArrow

and with the extension

34 comments

Honestly I'd probably be the type to be like "yeah I hate click bait!" Download this, and then stop watching videos entirely because they all look really boring
- That's a win if you ask me.

I've already noticed a couple videos where the corrected title made me more interested in the video than the clickbait title. Hope this extension takes off!
- That’s how it is most of the time for me. I unsubbed from LTT because their clickbaity videos made it hard for me to see what I’m interested in. With this extension I might actually start watching their stuff again.

Holy shit! This is amazing! But how will I ever know what's REALLY IMPORTANT without ALL CAPS and a shitton of BANGS?!?!?!?!?!?!?
- Don't forget the USELESS FUCKING ARROWS.
  
  Unless it's pointing to a red circle.

I'm loving this and have contributed a bunch already, but one problem I'm noticing is people labeling things "reviews" on videos that are definitely not reviews, like impressions videos or unboxings.

That seems cool. I'll definitely try that out, thanks for sharing!
Already using sponsor block and that saved me quite a bit of time!

I tried it. It works well. But, I don't think I will use it, because I usually know YouTubers to avoid when it comes to clickbaiting. Looking at you, Scotty Kilmer. :)

If this ever gets ported for NewPipe and/or LibreTube it'll be sensational
The fact that it exists makes me happy :]

If I still used YT's main front-end, this would've been great.
- SponsorBlock has been added to alternative frontends as well, so there is a good chance DeArrow will be ported.

This extension is free, forever, for anyone who installs it during the beta. Yes, that means there will be a paywall for new users only in the future, but I promise that there will still be a way to for people to get free access. Of course the extension will always remain fully open source, with a publicly downloadable database, just like SponsorBlock.
I'm a bit confused what this means / will mean. A paywall but also still alternative free access?
- Where are you quoting this from? I could not find any information about a paywall.
  
  mh, I can't find it anymore either. Pretty sure it was on the website, on the main or about page. I was on various other pages looking for contribution info too though. Maybe it changed? Maybe it's now considered t obe out of beta?

After Mastodon and Lemmy I think need a federated youtube alternative now too. Yes, I know PeerTube exists, I just need it to get a nice boost in attention just like the other got.

- There's unfortunelately a good reason for them to keep doing it; it works
  
  Exactly. I watch a lot of YouTubers who don't really like having to make clickbait, but it's the algorithm that promotes it, so they need to conform to what works.

Any plans for Safari?
- Yes, I hope to have it up in a few weeks
  
  I've been using it for a few days. Some occasional loading delays but it's been great. Thanks!

Just out of curiosity, how do you determine what is and isn't clickbait?
- I'd like to know this as well. The extension looks super interesting, but how does it determine what to replace the thumbnail and title with?

Oh nice, thank you for making this and Sponsorblock Ajay, what a great person.

When it removes the entirety of LTT from YouTube it will worth a try. There isn't much in this world that makes me seethe but that plonker is one.
- I get that people can find him annoying, but that plonker's video on dashcams actually helped me make a properly informed choice that literally saved me hundreds of dollars AND ensured I got something that actually had higher fidelity recording than many devices multiple times its price.
- I kinda like LTT materials, especially with Anthony but this extension is a godsend as I always hated their crappy thumbnails and titles.
  
  It's Emily now if you did not know.

Awesome, it's like Clickbate Remover +.
If it works half as well as SponsorBlock I'll be a happy man.
- I was genuinely surprised how well SponsorBlock works. I was assuming it to skip the sponsored sections only on accounts with millions of subscribers but in reality it almost never fails.

34 comments