My Moniker

 I'm not sure it's worth writung about and I'm not sure it's worth even mentioning, let alone writung a whole post about it, but back around 2000 or so I created a moniker for myself that I still use exclusively for YouTube.  I went through the vids that YouTube had for me yesterday and I scrolled through the entire list, which I so seldom do, because I'll find something, watch it, at least for a bit and refresh my browser and start over.  

I hesitated o give out the moniker, but since I hardly use it, I'm not sure it matters.  But does YouTube, after a dozen years or so, have me figured out?  I'm thinking YouTube is still figuring me out.  Which is fine with me.  I'm hoping they never figure me out.  But they do know one thing:  That I'm a Spiritual old guy with leanings to both Buddhism and Christianity.  I can't hide that from most anyone, but my moniker gives that away.  

But if I watched every video YouTube gives me, they might know me better than either my wife or myself know me.  I use the moniker Brother Ralphie, which is what I use for a few of my favorite apps and websites.  I used to think that if I were to publish on my life, I'd publish under that name.  I've used it a few places on social media, but even then it's difficult to hide under an assumed name any longer. 

But does YouTube have me figured out?  A lot of vids that come my way are still guesses on their part.  And channels I used to watch all the time I no longer see.  But there is just so much out there and YouTube knows my subscriptions, but a subscription doesn't always mean they'll show up on the home page.  YouTube doesn't want me  to tire of the same old stuff.  As an example, I used to watch Scotty Kilmer fix cars all the time, but I haven't seen any vids from him in months.  Is he still around?  

But YouTube knows I like classic cars.  In fact according to YouTube I should know every song from the mid-50's to the mid-70's.  I should be able to recognize the year, make, and model of every car made during that time.  As for my Spirituality, don't even get me started.  YouTube thinks it's got that all figured out.  All the bases are covered as far as they are concerned.  I should never have problems falling asleep as far as YouTube is concerned.  They know I like classical music too.  They know about how old I am.  

But I could go to a different platform, but any website can figure you out.  Netflix knows what kind of movies you like.  Audiobooks knows your reading likes.  Any ap or website knows you maybe better than you do.  But YouTube knows with a name of Brother Ralphie what my interests are.  And I have an account with my real name attached to YouTube, but I seldom use it.   They know I smoke a pipe.  They know the tobaccos I like.  They probably know every pipe in my collection.  

Now, does any of this bother me?  Algorithms are computer driven.  But they know what advertisements they want me to see.  I can't avoid their ads.  My computer skips ads, but my phone does not.  And that is the key to any platform.  It's all about advertising.  I just figure advertising drives everything.  I just get a lot of ads targeted at old guys.  Need I say more?  Thank God for the "skip" button.  I use it as often as I can.  My pipe this morning is my Nording Number 3 pipe with some Lane 1-Q and my coffee is Stumptown Holler Mountain.  Thank you for time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave