Google green-lights extension which clearly violates its own policies

You know, there's tons and tons of ripoff YouTube downloaders you can get, and most are overkill and have sucky quality. While this extension looks fantastic, with dropdown menus, there's a failsafe javascript bookmarklet that downloads directly from the Flash stream, has selections for HD and SD, and saves as a .mp4

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/04/download-youtube-videos-as-mp4-files.html

Drag the bookmarklet from that page to your bookmarks bar and click it whenever you like a YouTube Video. click the download links in the video Description

You're selectively quoting the ToS to make your headline's case. Try it this way and you get something else:

"Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only and may not be downloaded, copied, modified, produced, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed, translated, published, performed or otherwise exploited for any other purposes whatsoever without the prior written consent of the respective owners.

On the other hand, Google is anxious for people to start using their browser... If the don't allow *any* extensions like this one, or AdBlock, then they'll quickly reach the ceiling. Lots of Firefox users won't switch to a browser that doesn't offer full functionality that they're used to.

I don't need no flash downloaders.

Hey all Linux users! This is how you do it:

1. Open Youtube page.
2. Wait for entire video to get buffered.
3. Open your /tmp directory.
4. Copy the Flash*blahblah* to somewhere else.

There you have it.

Looks like I found my first reason to switch back to Firefox. :(

One would think that this might just be an extension that slipped through the cracks.

I just use a firefox one, but that temp folder is awesome guy, thanks for telling us =D

The location of the material shouldn't be the issue. Personal, non-commercial use unless you have permission, but if you want it on your hard drive, fine.

I'm on a Mac and use firefox. I also use a flash downloader but I have come across some files that the downloader won't download. So I try to find the flash on my HDD somewhere.. but I can't. I know it's there but I can't find it. It's not in the firefox cache... where could it be?

FYI, I found it interesting that another extension allows the same thing. It's the Youtube to html5 extension. Essentially, it allows you to view youtube videos using html5 rather than the normal player.
Well, if you right click on the video, and select "open in new tab' it actually downloads the mp4.

It has been removed

On the one hand I'm thinking, fair enough, Google has responsibilities that Mozilla doesn't have. On the other hand, Google comes across looking like Apple, while Mozilla looks on grinning like the Chesire cat (featuring such downloaders on its own download portal)

Hey folks. Try reading the TOS properly. It doesn't say that you can't download. It says you can't download etc. for any purpose other than personal use.


Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only...
This means this is what the content is for: personal use. This merely sets the limit of use.
...and may not be downloaded, copied, modified, produced, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed, translated, published, performed or otherwise exploited for any other purposes whatsoever without the prior written consent of the respective owners.
This describes that you may not download and etc. for ANY OTHER PURPOSES. Which means you can't build another site and post or stream this content for profit, you can't sell it and or use it for commercial use etc.

In no way does this suggest that downloading from YouTube is against the TOS. It merely states how you may use the site and how you may not. Personal use good; non-personal use a violation or the TOS.