Add Share Button with Auto-Copy Timestamp Feature for YouTube Videos

[fahadshahbaz]

⚬ PROBLEM:

I often find it inconvenient to manually note down or copy the timestamp of a specific moment in a YouTube video that I want to share with others. This process interrupts the flow of watching and sharing content.

⚬ SOLUTION:

I propose adding a "Share" button to the extension, which, when clicked, automatically copies the timestamp of the current moment in the video to the clipboard. This feature would streamline the process of sharing specific moments from YouTube videos with others.

⚬ ALTERNATIVES:

• One alternative could be manually typing or selecting the timestamp, but this is prone to errors and interrupts the viewing experience.
• Another alternative might be providing an option to manually adjust the timestamp before copying, but this could add complexity to the feature.

⚬ RELEVANCE / SCOPE:

This feature would benefit a wide range of users who frequently share YouTube videos with specific moments. I estimate that a significant portion of our user base, potentially around 50%, would find this feature useful.

⚬ SIDE EFFECTS:

There shouldn't be any conflicts with existing features, as adding a "Share" button with auto-copy timestamp functionality would enhance user experience without interfering with other features. However, some users who prefer not to share specific moments from videos may not use this feature.

⚬ CONTEXT:

This feature aligns with the goal of improving user experience and streamlining interactions within the YouTube environment. By providing a convenient way to share specific moments, users can engage more effectively with the content and each other.

Thank you!

SHORT Table	(Summary)
Problem	Difficulty in manually noting or copying video timestamps for sharing.
Solution	Add a "Share" button that auto-copies the current timestamp to the clipboard.
Alternatives	Manually typing or selecting timestamps, or adding an option for manual adjustment.
Scope	Estimated significant utility for around 50% of users.
Side effects	Minimal interference with existing features, potential disinterest from some users.
Context	Enhances user experience and promotes easier content sharing on YouTube.

[ObjectOrientedMindset]

Hi, I can work on this task if it hasn't been taken yet. I was thinking of saving the timestamp along with the video's URL for sharing convenience.

[ImprovedTube]

hi & thanks @fahadshahbaz @ObjectOrientedMindset

youtube's share dialog has this in the bottom:

• start at _:__
  • takes 3 clicks.
    • We can provide the same with just one click (or through pressing a keyboard key)

---

• And we can provide more: example: start at 60 seconds, stop at 70s: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_video_ID_?autoplay=1&end=70&start=60 (and more url-parameters like &loop=1&playlist=video_ID (which requires "a playlist", even one with a single video ID)
• So we can both add a button to select a clip (or loop) in place with our existing code: video buttons: clip-selector and share that as a youtube.com/embed URL (embed fills the full tab)
  • (Yet optionally we could also make a simple html file on improvedtube.com where the embeddded player has similar position and size as on youtube.)
• and we can add and write new code multi-range slider and / or key scene selector
  • Once we allow such multi-range selection, we should actually add the features's code to improvedtube.com too, to allow sharing that with people, who don't have the extension installed. (such as improvedtube.com/watch?v____ &start2 &end2 &start3, or just &most-viewed-only=10% )

[fahadshahbaz]

@ImprovedTube Thanks for breaking it down! It's awesome to see these enhancements. Simplifying with a single click or shortcut is exactly what I had in mind. Excited about the clip selection and multi-range slider too. Let's definitely look into integrating these.

[ObjectOrientedMindset]

@ImprovedTube Very exciting stuff indeed. I will look into all that!

[ImprovedTube]

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