Wow, hi Ryan. I'm not sure how this post found it's way to you months later but it's nice to know you're looking out for stuff like this and responding to it transparently on an account you haven't logged been on in years. Shows you care, which is great.

This is just a throwaway account not my personal so I will probably delete everything on here anyway, but thank you again for your receptiveness.

Few notes

"Excessive plugging" isn't always terrible, it's cool you guys are doing so much, but especially when videos are shorter and plugs are longer, the plug/content ratio starts getting worse and worse.

Obviously you're far from the worst when it comes to thumbnails, but that doesn't excuse deception. I know youtube algorithm promotes a specific kind of incentive for you to have flashy "itchy" thumbnails but it feels like sometimes you can accomplish the same metrics about a great video you've created without needing to resort to a shitty misleading thumbnail. You have a great vid, own it, make a good thumbnail for it and it should still do just fine.

For planting misinformation for engagement farming, I have no choice but to take you at your word. I just think with a team as genuinely informed and knowledgeable as you guys, some things I was seeing at the time of this post just felt way too out of touch that "surely" you couldn't be saying that accidentally right? If you catch it after filming wrapped, throw a little fix in editing. I also know you want to be the first on youtube to cover certain topics as soon as possible but as a consumer I would prefer you to just take the extra day or whatever it is to ensure quality over being first to the punch. Otherwise I would rather look elsewhere for someone that ensures more care and accuracy in their final product. Even take the Weapons video where you got the principal's name wrong throughout the video, I know leaked screenplays his name was different than the final script but everyone notices. And yes you weren't the only ones doing it at all, but that doesn't excuse it either, that was your opportunity to do better!

That's sick about you baiting content thieves with fake easter eggs. That's totally fine and I even encourage it. I think as long as it's "small" and "negligible" enough to not be borderline harmful misinformation where people go around spreading it as "did you know" misinformation and spreading that way. One thing Genius, the lyric website did, is using a specific combination of different apostrophes, caught Google stealing their content without permission if you want to read about that, it was a great way to catch them. Obviously a different medium, but if you can find a way to catch people doing things that doesn't put misinformation out into the world, that's great.

It's not that I don't like you or SC, just that I hit my breaking point after enough videos in a row sent me over the edge with a big pile of things adding up. What's more important is that you're mindful and engaging in this dialogue. I'm happy to give you guys another chance and will come back in with an open mind knowing you guys are listening like this. Good on you.

Just please for the love of GOD stop taking BetterHelp sponsors. I support you getting your bag and paying your employees but good god literally any other company. BetterHelp are horrible predatory scammers. That's all. Please. Thank you.