You only assume recommendations are based on ratings, but you don't know. And I have seen your metaphorical green grass, because actual ratings were a thing up until about 4 years ago, remember?
>I don't find any of that on my end.
Good for you. The true crime genre has been hit hard by AI slop.
> And I have seen your metaphorical green grass, because actual ratings were a thing up until about 4 years ago, remember?
I remember this conjecture of yours (that ratings unilaterally ceased to matter as soon as they stopped being displayed to users) very well.
And unlike you, I can see over to the other side of the fence -- in the present day -- at a whim: All I have to do is fire up YouTube in a private session on a disused device. It's fucking awful over there; it's complete bedlam.