I wish more shit on the internet were written down instead of goddamn videos

submitted by Klenvastergan from (self.whatever)

I hate how many interesting opinions and bits of information are buried in some insufferably long youtube video of some person looking at a camera (or annoyingly just-off-camera) and saying things they could have much more easily posted as text for me to much more easily and quickly read.

I know that the biggest reason that this happens is simply that our technology makes text the easiest thing to steal in the universe and so anyone who wants to sell advertising of any kind is stuck making some kind of video or podcast or whatever the fuck but it still makes me sad.

all 30 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–][deleted] 13 insightful - 4 fun13 insightful - 3 fun14 insightful - 4 fun -  (4 children)

And they tend to bloat the video to just over ten minutes to get more ad revenue. There's so much useless garbage that sometimes it's hard to find what you're looking for! They should, at the very least: make their scripts public and list their sources (matter of fact: most YouTubers plagiarize).

This is a big problem in academics, because although online videos often have the information you need, they can't be used as a source (even when you can, it's heavily stigmatized). I've often found myself digging for hours for the source of a video, only to come up empty-handed, or realize they just copied someone else's work word-for-word.

[–]NeilAnami 10 insightful - 4 fun10 insightful - 3 fun11 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

On youtube, when the vid starts press 1, it skips the first 10% of the video. 90% of the time you'll skip all their intro bullshit and ads and get to the content. If they're still blowing smoke out their ass, press 2, still fucking around? You guessed, press 3. If they're still jerking themselves off around 30% of the way into their video, you know there's not going to be any good content so just stop watching.

[–]Anykey 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Don't be a manual pleb, download SponsorBlock. It comlements uBlock Origin and automatically skips in-video ads, or even intros, creditrolls and self-ads.

[–]deleted 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Do it! It's the fkin' shit! Been using it for at least 6mo

[–]CarlDung 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

indeed, also audiobooks are shit because you still have to look for the pagenumber of physical copy. Our world is turning to shit!!!!1

[–]wuzizname 7 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

Ooof I’m there with you. “Hi guise today I’m going to show you how to troubleshoot your issue in windows ten. When I was a little boy....”

15 minutes of bullshit with 45 seconds of what you want.

[–]Klenvastergan[S] 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

The shame is that without youtube advert enforced bloat, how to videos are actually one of the best uses for video on the internet because, for example with your windows 10 example, I can see exactly where how-to dude is dragging his mouse and clicking and exactly what he's typing so there's no ambiguity about exactly what I need to do.

[–]wuzizname 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I’ve accomplished incredible things via YouTube videos - I’ve repaired things I had no businesses fixing myself and over the years I feel I’ve become a pretty good chef.

It’s an incredible age we’re living in. I remember the days when if you wanted to learn about something you had to hop on the bus and go to the library.

[–]bobbobbybob 5 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

me too. transcript app when?

[–]tomatosplat 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

play the vid @ your TextNow with voice to text, Send it to yourself??

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Personally, I quit doing it, watching videos for info. If someone decided to put info in a video it's because they're using that info as an ad to get you to watch their tv show while making money off of clicks or veiws or whatever.

Sorry that doesn't help, I used to request transcripts for videos I liked, but you very quickly find out who put it up for clicks and who put it up to actually spread info. The ones actually trying to inform will gladly send transcripts.

[–]sproketboy 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Click on the ... show transcript. Copy/Paste. Enjoy.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

[deleted]

    [–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 3 insightful - 4 fun3 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

    Why?

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [deleted]

      [–]madcow-5 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      Yeah, I can read faster than they’ll give you the facts. They’re also searchable and easier to cite.

      [–]carn0ld03 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      The next time you comment on the video, ask content makers to provide transcripts and get more people to echo such requests. The worst that could happen is they say no.

      [–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (10 children)

      Bloat is NOT exclusive to videos.

      " I hate how many interesting opinions and bits of information are buried in some insufferably long " articles.

      I listen to my videos at 2x or more while free to do other things.

      Quality sources are critical, regardless of medium.

      [–]wahala 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

      This is especially true with recipes. Everyone wants to preface the recipe with a history, cultural education, or meaningful personal blather. Just get to it already.

      [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

      Don't start me on recipes!!!! I copied and tried 3 pancake recipes of the web and they were all a disaster. I went back to grandma's 1 cup self-raising flour per 1 egg, pinch of salt and half water/milk to consistancy.

      [–]Klenvastergan[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      The difference with text is that all the meaningless personal blather is completely optional because you can ctrl+f "tablespoons" to get right to where the recipe is.

      A video where the useful part is buried in over ten minutes of blather means either doing a lot of tedious jumping around hoping you land on the right spot, or just listening to the blather.

      [–]Klenvastergan[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

      The difference is that I can skim-read a bloated article to get to the useful text much more quickly than I can skim-watch a video to get to the useful statements.

      Especially if there are obvious key words I'm looking for, then I can just ctrl+f.

      [–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

      To skim-read you need your full attention and eyes and your hands to navigate.

      I can be multi-tasking on my computer, petting my cat, washing the dishes, taking a shit, doing construction, reading SaidIt, writing on SaidIt, etc etc etc - while listening to YouTube taking a glance on occasion when necessary.

      It's a preference choice.

      [–]Klenvastergan[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      It's not a choice when the information you want is accessible by video and not by text.

      Then it's a non-choice that you're defending because the non-choice aligns with your preference.

      I want to pay full attention to things; paying full attention to things is good. When I'm absorbing new ideas and factual claims, I want to pay full attention to them. When I'm doing construction, I want to pay full attention to that, and not partial attention to novel ideas and factual claims.

      [–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      You may find that most of the news is not that critical and usually largely redundant. When it gets important enough for full attention you may stop, digest, and remember as necessary. You'd be surprised how much sticks. Obviously your multitasking should be boring for complex topics, and of course some things require actual reading and researching.

      [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      Fuck yeah! But they follow a generic pattern for the most part and I have learnt to scan the opening words of each paragraph, going down the page until the actual topic is being discussed. podcasts are my favorite media, Video is crap, the images for the most part simply distract me from thinking critically about what's being said. That what it all boils down to, critical thinking, the ability to discern between the truth, the opinion, the half-true propaganda and the outright lies.

      [–]C3P0 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      Sure, but videos are way worse. Ever watch a programming tutorial?

      [–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      How many programming videos have you shared on SaidIt?

      [–]plumedoomer 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      Hey Klen!

      [–]Klenvastergan[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      HOLLA 🤣👍🏻

      [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      I like the videos for fixing cars.

      [–]AcceleratedWallops 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      But before we get to the content, make sure you LIKE, FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE