Choices like this kill small businesses. Just because Google is big, they get away with it? A bit like Microsoft, right?
Yep, that's how it works when you have a customer base invested in your stuff.
Same thing happened with Altium over the last 12 years. The only thing that saved them was that:
1) there was no competition in the feature set/price bracket
2) The customers are heavily invested in the tool in various ways
3) They keep doing stupid stuff, and moving in stupid directions small steps at a time. No one step is enough to cause people to throw up their hand and jump ship.
Youtube's problem here is that they forced G+
and screwed up comments. Either one would have been Youtube just doing it's regular thing, but now it's a double whammy and the rant effect multiples, not adds.
They choose to follow their own rules, ignoring standards wherever they want, because they can...
Forget standards, how about just sticking with what works, and what your users have come to expect.
Same thing with me, if I changed my videos to 2 minutes KipKay style, or over-produced Ben Heck style, I'd be out of business real quick!