Just when we think we’ve got it all figured out some wise guy (hulu) changes things up. We have cut cable tv out of our life and instead use only hulu and netflix so that we can watch exactly the shows we want on our schedule.  But as with more and more online media there’s always someone that thinks they need to monetize their site better and changes things up which only leaves the users frustrated and scratching their heads.
Hulu has been the most recent offender.  The other night I was watching my typical shows that I watch while nursing the baby: the biggest loser, Bones, Castle, and House.  I had watched a few episodes of The Biggest Loser then once the baby was fed and asleep I went to bed.  At her next feeding at about 1am I turned on the Roku to continue watching a episode of The Biggest Loser only to get a message basically saying how they no longer had permission to stream the show and the only way I could watch it via hulu was on a computer.  ????? Really??? because there’s a huge difference of watching it on my hulu account on my TV versus watching it on my hulu account on my computer?!?!?

Later the next day I discovered this same issue had also affected the show Bones.  I don’t know about you but I’m getting sick and tired of companies changing up the way they do things.  In this case hulu is a paid account/service, so what business is it of theirs where or what device I watch it on?   In the case of other online social media, Facebook, and sadly now Pinterest too have changed their algorithms so that users don’t actually see the things they’ve intentionally subscribed to in their news feeds.  All in the name of making more money.  Meanwhile it’s basically just a manipulation of the systems and information we use daily.  For some reason the movie “The Net” keeps popping into my head!

The sad part is we have become dependant on this sites and programs and therefore don’t have a choice but to just accept the changes they make for us.  For bloggers like me it’s become a major shift and affects the amount of people that see our page, which also affects any income potential.  Luckily I blog more for fun than as a job replacement, but there are many bloggers out there that do it solely as a job and income for their family.

Now you’re a little more updated on at least my rants and frustrations 🙂