You're both idiots.

One guy doesn't understand how video-sharing platforms work at all. The other is perfectly happy being a good little consumer for youtube, and doing nothing about it.

Yes, everything you do on youtube is beneficial for... youtube. Including watching with ad blocking and sponsor blocking. But it's also beneficial for the creators, who may be very nice people, and who may deserve something for their work.

How about throwing your favourite creators an email with short instructions on how to mirror their content to an alternative platform, as well as reasons why you'd greatly appreciate it? Takes maybe 15 minutes the first time, and may actually lead to lasting change. Instead of pretending you're acting on values and not convenience, while comfortably sitting on your lazy ass, watching everything burn or turn to garbage.

If either of you actually dislikes youtube and/or wants change to happen or alternatives to grow - move your butts and something about it. Based on the comments here, you're both just contributing to the perpetuation of youtube's enshitification, and google's control over the internet in general. While arguing which side is worse. Dumb infighting, and even dumber reasons for it.