What do you think of YouTube and YouTubers?

[kye]

I was surprised by a lot of the negative comments about YouTube and YouTubers in the Casey Neistat vs Logan Paul thread and wondered what the overall vibe actually was on here.

I wrote deliberately polarising options in order to separate out the luke-warm opinions from those who feel very strongly about it.

Please vote and share your thoughts

[Dan Sherman]

It depends on how it's used, and who is using it.

[Cinegain]

Exactly. Unlike television you tune in to what you want to see at any given time. There's plenty variety, so there's something for everyone.

Unfortunately it's also a popularity contest and shit floats to the surface. But if I see that, I swim around it and stay clear of it. But apparently some people like to get their hands dirty... but at the same time that's the beauty of it, everyone has the freedom to go about it however they like.

[Ivko Pivko]

Thanks to Youtube I discovered plant based diet, lost 20 kilos and left high blood pressure medication (wondered why I couldn't eat a banana doing the protein diet and still feeling awful after half a year and I found Happy healthy vegan>Forks over knives>Dr. McDougall>Dr Greger), I have a little more control over the things we have, despite having two children who love toys (the minimalists, Matt D'avella,...) and with the tiny houses and vanlifers I delayed my need to overspend in a bigger flat (Levi, Exploring alternatives, Living big in a tiny house) appart from the video audio classics that probably we are all following.

Idiots screaming at the microphone and doing stupid things are for young people who don't know better yet. So yes, it's good, but as Dan said it depends of who and how it's being used.

[jonpais]

Thanks to YouTube, I learned that Q-Tips can be dangerous.

[Ivko Pivko]

11 minutes ago, jonpais said:

Thanks to YouTube, I learned that Q-Tips can be dangerous.

What??? 

Let me check that...

I've been doing it wrong all my life!!  Those things are nasty! Better go the old fashion way with fingers!

[Andrew Reid]

It's a mixture of everything bad and good. Overall, it's a good thing but with a lot of issues and complexities. There are some great YouTubers I follow and some wonderful talent on it, but every one of those 3 poll options describe something about the site, so you can't sum it up by choosing just one.

[newfoundmass]

The click bait is getting a bit out of control. It's making me less inclined to "surf" YouTube more and more, which has narrowed the amount of new content I discover in favor of just focusing on select channels. It's nice that I can at least do that, however it's become extremely limiting. 

As far as YouTubers, there are those I enjoy (mostly those focused on video and photography) and then the rest, which I pretty much ignore. Outside of my video / photography interest, I really don't watch videos centered around actual YouTubers/vloggers. I just don't find those people to be that interesting. If I'm not getting some kind of educational value from their video, I just don't find most people talking to the camera and showing their exaggerated life to be that interesting. 

I think one of the major negatives about YouTube is that it has enabled unfiltered megalomaniacs like Jake Paul. In "traditional" media those types were coached or filtered out so, for instance, they don't show a fucking dead person that committed suicide for lulz and views. While it's a more honest version of these people, I think most of us would appreciate not being reminded they exist more than we already are on a daily basis. It enables them and feeds their delusions, and I really want nothing to do with it. 

Creatively it has been both a blessing and a curse. I've learned so much from watching certain YouTube channels. At the same time it has retarded creativity, resulting in a legion of people that copy the same look and style as your Peter McKennas and Casey Neistats. That's incredibly disappointing. 

Don't even get me started on the politics and monetization bullshit, ha ha. 

I know it sounds like I'm being excessively negative; I do appreciate the value and possibilities of the platform. But those things have really have started to bother me more and more. 

[Kisaha]

Everything is about education and critical judgment. If someone  managed his life and did alright in the 80s, do not see the reason why youtube could destroy, or make his life now. It can be a an educational and entertaining tool that WE can choose what to do with it (unlike the TV passiveness of previous decades).

Like everything new and not scintifically studied there are a few things to consider though.

I have noticed talking with young people in the industry that their main education is youtube, while skipping completely traditional sources like books (reading), film school and/or seminars, and they feel watching a few youtube videos can skip a few years of experience. In short, they are trying to get from A to D (or even E-F) without ever passing from B or C which is not great in my opinion. The first steps are the most important to create the citizens and professionals we are.

[kye]

Great responses

I agree with most above and think that it is what people make it.

I've had the most gratification with content where there is no dialog.  Channels like Primitive Technology and many of the "maker" channels like Laura Kampf's early videos are excellent - I think it's easier to edit footage with no dialog, and it makes storytelling elements easier to see, so videos are more likely to be well paced instead of rambling, tedious and self-absorbed.

Channels where people talk but the emphasis is on making something other than a video is probably the next most useful ones.  I watch a lot of videos by people that have made their own log cabins, who restore old mechanical devices, or do wood or metalwork.  Partly because it's fascinating seeing how people make beautiful things, partly because I'm living vicariously, and partly because the emphasis is on making something rather than on the creators typically unfocused thoughts that make most videos way too long.

In terms of how people monetise videos, I notice a distinct gap between two different approaches.  The first approach is to encourage people to buy something after watching the video, and so the temptation is for this to have vested interests skew the content, and to do tricks for views.  The other is people who are paid by sites like patreon where making videos is the point rather than making sales or whatever.  There are some who attempt monetisation via the former method but state that their views are entirely their own, but it's hard to keep credibility and not many manage to get it right.

[Oliver Daniel]

Well it’s just like TV really. 

Most of it is nonsense and garbage, however there’s plenty of brilliant content in there. 

I think the problem is, it’s much harder to find the quality stuff, and people get hypnotised by the low quality click bait stuff, and the good stuff barely has space to breathe. 

The way I use it though, I find it a great resource. Plenty to see. 

[User]

For me it is a black hole where I imagine it's possible to waste endless hours in, so I  just stay away. Although I  hear that there are interesting channels, I can't imaging how I would easily find them. And if I did, I can imagine that I'd always be wondering if there was something better that I'm missing, so it could be an endless process. Maybe I'm old school and just want to hear by word if mouth about something great as a way source stuff.

But part of me also likes the idea that anyone can become a content producer and that this fucks with the traditional conservative broadcasters.

"Those who watch television or are too much on the Internet, they lose the world. And those who read, they win it." - Werner Herzog

[webrunner5]

Well like I have stated I am a Patreon supporter of 6 different people. But what I have seen is now they are pumping them out left and right to make more money. Sometimes the content is good, sometimes it is pretty damn week, and instead of a 12 minute video it is like 6 minutes. So I am beginning to doubt my support for a few of them. I can see why they do it, but it seems ehh, not kind of ethical..

Unfortunately, as usual, the human race sort of sinks to the bottom of things not the top on average. So yeah it is sort of becoming a crap hole like everything else.

[IronFilm]

There are zillions of different youtube channels, you can find whatever you like. You can also find anything you don't like! So just ignore them

You want some great cinematography discussion channels? Then check out some like these:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnw2-4hXY26-W2w9Ja9GBvw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTjh6GOn218KbjhF8mtFLA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ya9gBlwOhRwtloTn1hvbA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7_XcAZ6vyc0j55qWDrjZQ

What sound channels instead? Then sub to these ones:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtHYM50mRY7o-VMGhEDzOnw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqtCwfDs0b8xhEl6WhwhmqA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0vDTntQjs8RD4F6XRlducA

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding ?
 

Don't want to watch Jake Paul's videos? I have a very simple solution for you: don't! Easy.

9 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

Sometimes the content is good, sometimes it is pretty damn week, and instead of a 12 minute video it is like 6 minutes.

I'd rather watch a good 6 minute video than one which drags it out to 12 minutes. 
Many people make there videos be a bit longer than 10 minutes by a bit, as you get more ad revenue once it is longer than 10 minutes.

[kye]

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

There are zillions of different youtube channels, you can find whatever you like.

I'd rather watch a good 6 minute video than one which drags it out to 12 minutes. 
Many people make there videos be a bit longer than 10 minutes by a bit, as you get more ad revenue once it is longer than 10 minutes.

I think it's easier said than done finding quality channels.  You can't search for people that are intelligent, edit their content well, or are highly skilled... unfortunately!

I think content-per-minute is the defining factor.  It's a big differentiator between UK and US TV - I've found it common for the UK to put a similar amount of content in a 6 episode season that a US show might put in a 22 episode season.  (Obviously there are exceptions on both sides!). YouTubers often have pretty low content-per-minute unfortunately.

[Mako Sports]

Ive learned so much from Youtube over the past few years. The term "YouTube University" shouldn't be taken lightly. 

[aaa123jc]

YouTube is why I can get high grade in nearly every classes in University without really even attending lectures. 6-10 mins video is much more time efficient than 3 hours long lecture. Because of YouTube, I can study a day per exam and still do better than most classmates. So for me personally, YouTube is a savior. ?

IMO, YouTube is really good search engine. There are so many good YouTubers who gives out really good information. Sometimes more information and more in-depth than formal education. There are information which I had to read some very hard to find books (writings that are centuries old) that are not in modern English (quite hard for non-English speaker like myself) 8-10 years ago. Of course it depends on the type of topic you are looking for. Certain topic has more experts talking about it. Therefore better content in general.

But as far as a lot of Vloggers, I just don't find them very interesting. But I do understand there is certain appeal in this type of video. 

So if you are looking for information YouTube is a 10/10. If you are looking for entertainment, that really depends on your taste and lifestyle.

[Dan Sherman]

23 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

Well like I have stated I am a Patreon supporter of 6 different people. But what I have seen is now they are pumping them out left and right to make more money. Sometimes the content is good, sometimes it is pretty damn week, and instead of a 12 minute video it is like 6 minutes. So I am beginning to doubt my support for a few of them. I can see why they do it, but it seems ehh, not kind of ethical..

Unfortunately, as usual, the human race sort of sinks to the bottom of things not the top on average. So yeah it is sort of becoming a crap hole like everything else.

You need to be careful with this line of thought, because some times people go through life changes, Marriage, moving, child breath, family health issues, personal health issues etc etc. Any of them can have an impact on a creators content.

The number one thing that annoys me, are the negative little piss-ant commenters, doesn't matter if its my videos or someone else's. They complain the presenter is talking to much. or not enough, is giving to much detail or not enough,  is talking to fast or to slow etc etc  etc. I mean honestly, it takes a special kind of a-hole to act like that considering the content they are watching is free 99.9% of the time.
 

[webrunner5]

Well when you deal with the public you have to be ready to take the heat. People in person are bad enough let alone on the Internet. That is why the vast majority of people like to work for someone else.

I don't feel much sorrow for anyone on YT. No one held a gun to their head to do what they present. I Rarely ever comment other than to give someone a like. If I don't like them I just don't come back. Pretty easy solution. You Tube is now flooded with people trying to make a buck. The best rise to the top until they screw up, and then some other person takes their place like monkeys climbing a tree. Nothing new under the sun as they say.

[Dan Sherman]

4 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

Well when you deal with the public you have to be ready to take the heat.

I've got no issues with constructive criticism even if it's negative. However far to many people go full a-hole because they can hide behind the anonymity the internet provides.