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Google Is Testing Autoplay Videos Directly In Search Results (thenextweb.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the annoying-features-nobody-asked-for dept.

For a select group of individuals, Google has enabled autoplay videos in Search. "We are constantly experimenting with ways to improve the search experience for our users, but have no plans to announce [the feature] at this time," a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all have similar features that were introduced fairly recently. If you find automatic videos to be a nuisance, now is the time to let Google know how you feel about this "feature."

12 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Alternative headline by Sebby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Google is Testing Pissing Users Off Even More Quickly"

    --

    AC comments get piped to /dev/null
    1. Re:Alternative headline by Cyberpunk+Reality · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yep. I haven't seen this (at Google or Bing), although with my browser and addon choices I'm probably unlikely to. But the day I do is the day I walk completely away from Google and don't look back.

      --
      Rule 35 of the internet: "If it can be hacked, it will be". - Charles Stross
    2. Re:Alternative headline by rogoshen1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      yep. kill it with fire. autoplaying *anything* is annoying as all get out.

    3. Re: Alternative headline by Z00L00K · · Score: 3, Insightful

      EspeciaÅly when at work.

      And it's pretty common to search for stuff when at work.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  2. About that by alvinrod · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "We are constantly experimenting with ways to improve the search experience for our users"

    Then why the hell are you using autoplay videos?

    1. Re:About that by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As my physics teacher used to say: if you know the result beforehand it's not an experiment - it's a demonstration.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  3. Internet is a pull system, by CptLoRes · · Score: 5, Insightful

    stop trying to make it a push system instead.

  4. Re:Google copying Microsoft? by mccalli · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In fact Google recently pushed me over to Bing with their terrible, terrible Google News re'design'. It's truly awful, and Bing News is closer to the older Google News layout so off I went.

  5. Websites should pay users when anything autoplays by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Unless I choose to start the download, it's not your bandwidth, I am paying for it not you, so I should have the choice of if I want to use it. Unless you want to pay for my internet..

  6. It's Google .vs. Apple by chrism238 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And, fortunately, Apple is blocking the autoplaying of videos in its next release of macOS.

  7. Design by committee strikes again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all have similar features that were introduced fairly recently

    So what if they have ? This just screams of "me tooooooo!" and is not a valid reason to do something.

    Rule #1 of embedded videos, NEVER EVER autoplay unless that video is the main content of the page. Ignoring that just pisses off your users.
    We've all been there, followed a link to an interesting page and started reading it. After a few seconds there's an annoying voice waffling on (and it's always one of two people that do the voice overs.. a manically depressed male who couldn't give a toss what he's reading, or a hyperactive female who sounds like she's just drunk a gallon of Red Bull) about something completely irrelevant.
      So now you're frantically scrolling around the page trying to find the damn video amongst all the other flashing animated adverts to try and stop it so you can get back to the content you were part way through.

    Come on Google, you want to sell advert space, so why give viewers yet another reason to install an ad blocker ?

  8. To improve the search experience by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It is bad enough for big companies to indulge in all sorts of dubious practices, but, I, for one, find it even more irritating that they regularly take us for complete imbeciles. Google, what you want to do is get more money from your search stuff. So, be bold and say so. Do not pretend you are doing this autoplay nonsense, which is bound to annoy most people, because you want the best experience for your customers. Which you do not. What you want is more money from your customers - a very different proposition.