How to post comments on YouTube

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Is there a way to post comments on YouTube without having to create a "channel" account? I have a Gmail account, but apparently that's not enough. Sometimes I want to tell someone I liked their video, but every time I try, I get a message that I need to make a channel account. I looked into it, and it looks like something I would only need if I were going to post videos, music, etc. to YouTube. I am not interested in doing that. My old digital camera and my Tracfone camera both are capable of taking videos, but I have never used that feature. I don't have anything interesting to film, and I don't want to be an internet star anyway.

It strikes me as odd that I can't simply use an email address, and maybe a user name to post comments on YouTube.

I have the same problem, even though I'm already a person with an operative Youtube channel. Several years ago Youtube got taken over by Google, and Google strong-armed people who had YouTube accounts -- and I guess even those who don't -- into needing to create a linked Google identity before they could post comments on other channels or even reply to comments on their own channels.

I gather it was an attempt to discourage troll comments, because it forces people to feel more accountable if they have a linked identity elsewhere I guess, but it hasn't worked, as Youtube comments can still be the worst on the internet.

It caused mass disgruntlement, and the latest is supposedly that they are rolling things back and you don't need this anymore -- but I haven't seen any changes.

I can't even reply to my own video's comments from people, because when I try, it still forces me to choose to create this other thing I don't even understand, to be honest.

It's something that has made a lot of people pissed off with Youtube and Google. There doesn't seem to be a way around it even though there have been reports that they are removing this forced linking.

I myself would be interested if anyone knows the solution.

Or... one could use a fake name, I bet these corporations didn't see that coming...

Yes, I miss the old YouTube before Google messed it up and forced this stuff on everyone. It's one more of those things they "fixed" even though it "wasn't broke." Hotmail is the same. Since Outlook took over it's a mess. It was great before, zippy and basic.

Additional info from the OP

I do have a Gmail account, but apparently that isn't enough, because it still insist that I need to create a YouTube channel to post comments. Also, creating a YouTube channel isn't just a matter of putting in account info, such as name, age, etc., but you must also do at least some configuring of the background of the channel page. I don't know how to do that. I am capable of finding out, but it will take time I don't want to spend, when all I want to do is just post a comment. I don't see why they can't just let you use a Gmail or YouTube account, without having to create and configure some kind of page background. I don't have to do that at other sites, unless I am creating a home page. Since I already have a couple of home pages, I don't need any more at the moment. I am also not interested in adding any videos to this channel page they want me to set up. I have a digital camera, and a camera phone, both of which can take short videos, but I lead a boring life, so I have nothing to record. I also don't really know how to use those functions, and since I don't need to make videos, I am not about to take the time to learn how to do it.

Guess I'll have to pass on the YouTube comments, at least for now.