I think you are the one who is astro-turfing here, if i apply the finger pointing criteria to you too. It is better if you reply to the argument leaving your personal preferences neatly tucked in.

What Google's been saying from 3 years while dragging it's feet is that Windows Phone does not have enough users to make an app for, but now their claim is that so many people are using the Microsoft Youtube App for Windows Phone that it's hurting the content creators. Huh? Why can't they monetize them by making an app and show twice as many ads in it just to spite WP users? No, they won't. They want to disadvantage Windows Phone compared to Android. Vimeo has had a Windows Phone app from a long time, and Google' can't afford to make one? And you believe them?

Why don't they come out with the real reason then, like Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Skype, do about closing down things and eat up the bad press? Why beat around the bush and play delay tactics and hide behind facts? Oh, they want to protect their clean image of being "open" and "do no evil". This is a ploy by Microsoft to force Google to tell the public exactly why they refuse to make a Youtube app and even ban Microsoft from doing so.

How can Windows Phone have so few users that use YouTube that it's not worth monetizing and have so many users that use Microsoft's new app that it's hurting Google and content creator revenue? Why not agree to allow MS to show Google ads and make money since they don't have to spend the money to create the app but can take the profits?

2. Microsoft is obliged to follow the ToS on websites they are pulling data from. Regardless of user count.

I'd love to see Google forced to admit what they are doing also, though.

They built an unauthorized app and now they are complaining that the app is unauthorized.

Trying to enforce a client side rule of 'no downloading' when every web browser in the world can download should be disregarded and mocked heartily.

I'm looking forward to the day when Microsoft is completely irrelevant. They should just shut down everything except for the research and Xbox departments now.

Sometimes the truth is a lot simpler than you're thinking it is. You write a lot of posts that are pro-Google. Are you sponsored by Google?!?!?

We live in a world where weird fanboys exist for just about anything, including Google and Microsoft.

Fanboys work for free.

(From all directions, not just pro-google.)

Trying to paint this black/white picture of someone just because they disagree with you is frankly pathetic.

Now, can we get on with the discussion instead of trying to derail it by ad hominem attacks?

If you're not getting paid you should be.

Because if you don't then YOU are the one degrading the quality of HN with baseless allegations.

Whether or not he is being paid and regardless of who their employer may be, it seems pretty clear they are working for Microsoft.

If Microsoft is paying recoiledsnake a billion dollars to make that post, does it change any of the facts in it? No? Then why whinge about possible or probably astroturfing instead of just addressing the facts in their post?

Unless you want HN to do a full background check on every poster here, it's hard to identify Google/Apple/Microsoft fans/haters/employees/shareholders. You have the option to remain silent, vote and move on if you're not interested in a post.