Weird. I’ve even used it in the past, because I linked the wrong one of my multiple Youtube accounts to my Google account.
(I have one account for videos where the content is entirely mine - and therefore nice and simple if they make the grade for revenue sharing - and one account for everything else)
If your account was made after some date in 2009, you can’t unlink it. Mine is such an account (Oct '09). I have to log out of Youtube to sign into Gmail.
If you are using Firefox, CookieSwap might help: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3255/
It allows fast switching of profiles and cookies.
The truly pathetic bit is that the only people who “require” multiple youtube accounts is for rating up their own videos and comments, or to double-dip channel views.
This made me LOL and LOL.
And LOL again.
Bullshit!
My reasons for having multiple accounts are not your reasons for having multiple accounts.
I have different accounts for different purposes. I shoot videos of performers at the School of Rock. I have different musical channels for different artists. One is for videos I’ve shot of my niece performing at her high school. Why should I mix that with the one for particularly choice political rants?
OP, I don’t know what to tell you . . . but I managed to sign into my Youtube account tonight without having it link up to Google.
Now as soon as I did so, some giant fuck-off screen came up that tried to get me to link my account. But it wasn’t required. Just ignore that screen, pretend it isn’t there, and you should be good.
It appears to affect only people who have YouTube accounts created before 2009. We were NOT given any damn choice.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/youtube/thread?tid=6d48c5f5c387a6f5&hl=en
That’s both a confirmation that this problem exists, and a possible solution, that at least worked back in 2009.
If that doesn’t work, I’d just create new accounts (that, while they will force you to link to a Google account, it won’t have to be a Gmail account, but just any email you have.) Reupload any videos you think you may have to change. In your old account, make a playlist of your newer stuff, and, if it’s not too much hassle, add a notation to your stuff telling people about your new account.
You can even just upload all of them, hide the old videos from search, and just weight until a significant number of views are on your new account, and then delete the old ones entirely.
Oh, and never, ever log in to your YouTube while also logged in to a Google account. They can’t link them if they don’t know which one is yours.
Bollocks. I have two accounts, (as described above) and I’ve never, ever done anything like this.