They could not make it more difficult for bloggers to avoid paying them the added money. They offer ambiguous instructions on getting a tool that I am still trying to find. The result is that we have been cut off from posting video content for the moment until we figure out either the new way of posting or buy the premium service.
In the meantime, WordPress has yet to fix basic problems on the system like the sudden failure of the “incoming links.” WordPress has simply said for months that “the API that powered the incoming links through Google Blog Search is no longer working.”
It is unbelievably frustrating to feel that WordPress is constantly trying to find ways to clip its users. It may be time to look for an alternative. It is not the added marginal costs each year but the feeling of a bait-and-switch with WordPress acting like a car dealer revealing undisclosed hidden costs for rust-proofing and undercoating. This is not a lot of money but it is a growing complaint among bloggers about the creeping added costs, even on blogs like this one that pay an annual fee and other collateral fees.
I went ahead and paid WordPress not to put advertising on the blog. Now, it is demanding more money to post videos when using the “add video” option.
Perhaps other blogs can share their own experiences.