The latest articles on DEV Community by Akshit (@siakshit). https://dev.to/siakshit https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1848505%2F7af630fe-4b84-4c30-b77c-6f8b84db2676.jpg https://dev.to/siakshit en Akshit Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:36:09 +0000 https://dev.to/siakshit/adtube-i-made-youtube-10x-better-youre-welcome-4g5k https://dev.to/siakshit/adtube-i-made-youtube-10x-better-youre-welcome-4g5k <p><em>This is a submission for the <a href="https://dev.to/challenges/aprilfools-2026">DEV April Fools Challenge</a></em></p> <h2> What I Built </h2> <p>I built <strong>AdTube (Faketube)</strong>: a fully functional YouTube-like web app designed to make your experience as frustrating as possible.</p> <p>It looks clean. It feels familiar. It works.</p> <p>But every interaction is engineered to betray you.</p> <ul> <li>Clicking a video triggers unskippable ads</li> <li>Premium doesn’t remove ads</li> <li>The more you interact, the worse it gets</li> </ul> <p>This project intentionally solves zero real-world problems.</p> <p>Instead, it explores how far we can push dark patterns, user frustration, and anti-value design… while still keeping the system technically robust and believable.</p> <h2> Demo </h2> <p>Live Demo: <a href="https://adtube.si4k.online" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://adtube.si4k.online</a></p> <p>Try to:</p> <ul> <li>Watch a full video</li> <li>Escape ads</li> <li>Buy Premium</li> <li>Find all hidden teapots ☕</li> </ul> <p>Good luck.<br> You’ll need it.</p> <h2> Code </h2> <p>GitHub Repo: <a href="https://github.com/akshitkamboz13/adtube" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/akshitkamboz13/adtube</a></p> <p>The codebase includes:</p> <ul> <li>A global "Chaos Engine" using Zustand</li> <li>A custom video player with forced ad interruptions</li> <li>A fake streaming system using chunked video playback</li> <li>A TTS system for some dynamic ad voiceovers</li> <li>Hidden Easter egg tracking system (☕ 0/5)</li> </ul> <h2> How I Built It </h2> <ul> <li>Next.js (App Router)</li> <li>Tailwind CSS for UI</li> <li>Framer Motion for animations and chaos effects</li> <li>Zustand for global ad state management</li> <li>Custom TTS pipeline using Google Translate proxy</li> <li>LocalStorage-based persistence for user behavior tracking</li> </ul> <p>The entire system is designed to simulate a real product while intentionally degrading user experience over time.</p> <h2> Prize Category </h2> <h4> Best Google AI Usage </h4> <p>While I did not directly integrate a live API, I used Google AI tools during the creative and content generation process.</p> <ul> <li>Video assets were generated using Google Veo 3, helping create surreal, synthetic content that fits the chaotic nature of AdTube.</li> <li>I experimented with Google Antigravity concepts to inspire unconventional interaction patterns and anti-UX behaviors in the product.</li> </ul> <p>This project explores how AI-generated media and experimental thinking can enhance satire, user manipulation, and absurd product design.</p> <h4> Best Ode to Larry Masinter </h4> <p>The system includes multiple hidden HTTP 418 "I'm a teapot" Easter eggs triggered through user interactions such as:</p> <ul> <li>Clicking ads</li> <li>Searching for "teapot"</li> <li>Attempting premium checkout</li> </ul> <h4> Community Favorite </h4> <p>The project is designed to be shareable, frustrating, and strangely addictive — encouraging users to explore, suffer, and laugh.</p> <p>If you managed to survive AdTube…<br> you probably deserve Premium.<br> Unfortunately, Premium also shows ads.</p> devchallenge 418challenge showdev webdev