Let’s talk about the absolute state of short-form content.
If you’ve spent five minutes scrolling through YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok (I personally don’t use this) lately, you’ve seen it. It’s a disease. It’s a content model built entirely around algorithm-gaming parasite tactics that treat the viewer like a captive metric rather than a human being who just wants useful information.
And it’s really just clickbait in a fancy new wrapper. Clickbait used to be an outrageous thumbnail or a misleading title; although it still is, now, it’s withholding the very core of the video just to force a comment. It’s the exact same scummy trick, re-engineered for the modern feed.
Case in point: I ran across a video the other day highlighting free, open-source alternatives to Adobe software. Great topic, right? Open-source tools are fantastic. People love finding solid alternatives to subscription-heavy software suites.
Except the guy in the video talked at 300 miles per hour, rambling so fast you had to watch the clip twice just to decode what was coming out of his mouth. Why? To pad his watch time and retention metrics. But here’s where it gets truly obnoxious: after making you decipher his auctioneer-speed pitch, he doesn’t actually tell you what the tool is called or drop a link anywhere in the description.
Instead, he hits you with the pitch:
“Comment ‘FREE‘ below and I’ll DM you the link!”
Are you kidding me?
Look, I get it when someone is selling a product, a course, or a service they built from scratch. Funneling engagement to close a sale is basic marketing. But this guy didn’t write this software. He didn’t code it, maintain it, or host it. He’s taking someone else’s hard work, in this case, an awesome open-source project called ArtCraft Launcher (which gives you a clean, free interface for creative tools), and hiding the name like it’s a state secret just to farm engagement for his own channel.
He refused to name-drop the tool in the clip or put the URL in the caption. Why? Because the algorithm rewards high comment volume and direct message triggers. So he holds open-source software hostage behind a comment gate to inflate his follower count and boost his reach.
So, I did what any reasonable person on the internet ought to do: I saved everyone a click.
I dropped the actual link directly in the comment section, (https://artcraftguide.org/guides/artcraft-launcher/), and pointed out the obvious: You don’t need to comment ‘FREE’ to get a link to software this guy didn’t even make. Here it is.
Here is the best part, though: I’m starting to see this happen everywhere.
Scroll through any of these engagement-farm videos now, and you’ll spot everyday viewers stepping up in the comments saying, “Saved you a click: It’s [Insert Answer],” or giving a one-sentence summary of the entire video so nobody else has to waste their time watching a drawn-out, fast-talking sales pitch.
People are visibly, collectively getting sick of this method. When the comment section turns into a wall of users spoiling the clickbait just to help each other out, it proves audience patience has completely ran out. When tactics get this scummy, the community actively fights back.
Why bury the lead? Why make people jump through hoops for something that is freely available to the entire world?
It makes me miss the old internet.
Back in the day, if you found something cool, a plugin, a utility, a hidden gem of a site, you simply shared it. You put the link right there in the post or the video description because the goal of the web was sharing knowledge. You built a community by being helpful, authentic, and direct. You didn’t hide the answer behind a five-step engagement trap designed to trick an algorithm into giving you higher distribution.
Now, the modern internet is saturated with parasite creators whose entire strategy relies on withholding basic answers to farm artificial engagement metrics. It’s frustrating, it’s lazy, and frankly, it makes the Web a worse place to spend time.
Don’t get me wrong: we all have to evolve with technology and adapt to how media is consumed today. Production styles change, platforms come and go, and workflow needs shift. But adapting doesn’t mean sacrificing integrity. There are lines you simply shouldn’t cross. Tricking your audience and gatekeeping open-source work just for extra clout is one of them.
If you’re producing content, just give people the blasted information. If the content is actually good, the audience will follow you because they respect your value, not because you forced them to comment a magic word just to find out what you were talking about.
