Youtube as a social media outlet or a waste of time for professional procrastinators?

YouTube is an excellent source [like Vimeo can be] that knocks the stuffing out of the USG official conspiracy theory with science, facts that are real, supported by actual evidence.

I love youtube.

I use it regularly as a means of learning a new skill, finding out practical information, as a down time/brain clearing device, following (though not in the official social media sense) certain people who I've found very interesting.

And much more.

I'll sometimes send a video to a friend or two...things they might find interesting or get a laugh out of.

When learning how to do something, I love that I can go at my own pace, rewind, fast forward past parts, review later on, improve my skills, etc.

I've learned to do things from the silly to the money making, which btw, are not mutally exclusive.

I get a lot out of youtube.

Music. I find an album/band I like and hit play while I'm doing other things. Easier/quicker than going through records/cds etc.

Just curious... I suppose you don't subscribe to the Youtube Music program (to avoid commercials)? Just curious. I'm a very passionate Spotify premium member myself. I think they have the best AI algorithm available (def better than Netflix or Youtube's recommendation).

I use google chrome with an ad blocker. The only downside is if I'm away for too long the computer will switch off.

I feel I can credit youtube for a safe road trip yesterday.

Knowing I had to drive 750 miles back to the States, I watched several of those highway road rage and accidents/near misses with tractor trailers, ususally caused by drivers in cars doing foolish things.

Car drivers on modern highways going through country sides and deserts are WAY better in Mexico than in the US. You don't see any road rage, and there is definately and awareness, and no ego in knowing that truck is hella bigger than you are, and you're not gonna win.

Still, just watching the vids were a reminder to give them a lot of clearance when pulling in front of them.

Entering the US is like night and day. Douchebage Nation.

Entering San Antonio on IH35 from the South, after sunset, there was a big slowdown, actually stopping, because of night road construction. It came up sudden like, no warning. I had to brake pretty firmly, and put on the flashers and hope I wasn't going to get rear ended. There were a lot of cars, and really a lot of big trucks on the road.

As I was starting the hard brake, these 2 cars, which had apparantly been messing with each other, suddenly came flying up on either side of me, and simultaneously cut me off from either side, each then cutting off other cars than were in front of me from either side. It was like 2 shoelaces being crossed. It was only then that these morons realized traffic was at a standstill immediately ahead, and there were trucks with "flammable materials" signs on them, as well as just huge moving pieces of metal.

They each narrowly missed slamming into something by driving off either side of the road. One went down into median which dipped down sharply, and the other disappeared on the right side of the road.

If I hadn't spent time watching the youtube videos the day before, I'm sure I would have driven a few yards more before realizing to brake, and that could have made all the difference. I actually thought of the videos when those 2 cars did their testosterone dance, and just stayed out of the way as best I could.

Amen . . . driving in Mexico is a pleasure. Driving through the desert at night is a trip. With a full moon, you can see for miles and miles. I remember my sense of wonder on the first occasion on which I drove through the Chihuahuan desert at night, and I could clearly see the shadows of the clouds moving across the chaparral, just from the light of the moon. I also found the drivers to be more skillful and courteous.

I depend on Youtube today more than ever before. For lots of topics, other than music. As with any site, there are the nut jobs and the ill informed, but I don't mind dealing with most of it. I don't pay for any services.

Honestly?

I don't drive anywhere at night in Mexico, unless it's of course right in San Miguel de Allende.

Don't know how it was when you were there, but Chihuahua is not safe. Durango is the worst of all. All Mexicans will tell you to stay way from there.

I enter from Laredo into Nuevo Laredo, passing through the green swath in the center of the map below, and into the State of Guanajuato.

I admire Mexicans more and more each time I go there, like every three months or so. They are so ingenious.

BTW, I went to Queretaro while I was there, looking for moderate priced furniture stores. Wanted to replace 2 chairs. We stopped at a mall which had many high end stores. It was a Saturday, and both men and women where dressed to the nines, wearing suits, elegant dresses, expensive but understated jewelry, and all was done in this really quiet environment, because Mexicans are generally a quiet people.

I looked around and said to my friend. "I'd love to have some blind folded, red neck Trump supporter here right now. I'd take off his blind fold, have him take a look around, then say 'THIS is Mexico'. They probably haven't been someplace as nice as this in their lives."

I do go up on my roof in the middle of the night, and am amazed, even if the moon is full, how many stars you can see.

Sorry I'm going off track, but this^

Driving through the mountains during the day is a trip too, because of the clouds. You can see their huge shadows on the sides of the undulating mountains. There's this one spot in particular that's just amazing. It's cool when you can see the cloud shadows slipping their way across the sides, but just as wonderful when the clouds are stationary.

You can see the shadows making shapes on the sides, like enormous lizards and snakes, or something dancing, or what looks like a huge flying bird or the like.

It's easy to imagine the stories that were made up about them. Gods, spirits, omens and the like.

Even though there are big cities, and places like malls and other consumer oriented places, overwhelmingly it's a place where you realize you are one person, and where you place is at the moment, and that you wouldn't want to be or feel anything else.

I used to spend a lot of time at youtube - particularly when I was first studying middle eastern and turkish folk dance. it was the only source of some traditional choreographies. then I found an entree to other private websites with more old film footage. some of that is now hosted on vimeo.

I was super-addicted to a youtube blogger from turkey who lived in northern germany who did makeup tutorials. not so much because of the makeup but because I was fascinated by her accent. it was a very traditional accent of the area and is rarely spoken these days. now I follow Yared Dibaba who speaks/teaches/performs in an even more obscure north german dialect - the one I learned from my father and uncle. he makes me giddy.

I rarely use it for music anymore and don't trust anything to do with politics I find there. Like absolutely nothing. As far as I'm concerned the political side of youtube is one big festering mass of conspiracy theorists and whackjobs.

I do occasionally checkout dance videos from friends/mentors/inspirations.
My first dance teacher recently remarried. A couple of other former instructors danced/sang/performed at the wedding and reception. The bride and groom did a brilliant dance routine to live music performed by musicians from our community. I loved watching parts of that. Watching professional dancers do wedding dances is a good thing.

I've discovered that my younger colleagues think ýoutube is for old people or kiddie gamers. I guess I'm an old people

That may well be . . . that was in the 70s, before the over-the-top drug dealer madness began.

I love listening to Bolero, I don't remember how old I was when I first heard it, but it was mesmerizing. All I do is close my eyes and just listen. Never get tired of it.

Thank you for posting it

Unless you posted because you think i'ts greatly over rated, I've read that quite few think it's trite or ordinary, but I always enjoy it.

Here is the power of Youtube as a social media outlet … but from a creator's perspective:

Sorry, but I was only able to listen for a minute waiting for that guy to actually say something. Does he ever?

I guess the purpose of social media escapes me if this is power.

This actually is my biggest issue with youtube. You want to know something, have to sit through minutes and minutes of the 15 year old that has the skill you want to know about, rambling on about what's on her dresser, or how she feels her eyes look puffy today.

I can understand that. This is an odd choice for me of a video to choose for this particular channel. He usually is more on point and disciplined. Also, he can be a tad really pretentious and overly-academic to a flawed point (if that's not your thing... it is mine... especially when it comes to film reviews).


My choice of the word power was a tad off. Definitely doesn't mean it literally as you put it. This video ... just seems a bit more personal and close to the heart in terms of why he has his channel and why others do as well while also hitting on how difficult it is to run a moderately successful channel.


Youtube, I admit, is filled with overly charismatic and drama queenesque characters. If you want ... literally functional... (that sounds insanely boring... yep... jump off a bridge to end how boring that could be) then try Skillshare or wikihow (though wikihow might not be your thing because they can be really unintentionally hilarious as well as terrifyingly weird in their how to guides).


Also, a how to channel run by an obviously intellectually and/or emotionally mature individual? You get what you pay for.

You have to be kind of shrewd in determining who to follow and why. Not just assume competence because a given Youtube celebrity has X number of followers/collective Youtube viewer hits.

I take your points. There is this gal I love that has taught me so much about keto in the practical everyday sense. Most of her videos are a delight to watch. What I love most about her is that she is just such a normal, day to day person. She is entertaining and knows how to hold your interest in the subject, but not in an over the top way. She and others like her can be a rarity.

I think it's hard for some people to find the balance between holding your audiences attention, not making it all about yourself (like particularly teenage girls tend to do, although I get that's where they are in life, in their bubble), keeping on track with only small occassional diversions that don't take away from the purpose of your video.

I get appreciating the person who can point out the smallest flaws, if the subject is one that's important to you, and you are a connoisseur of that area. It's lovely to have those small things presented.

The example I'm giving below is a step up from the "I'm sitting alone in front of the camera. I have a message. I want to give it in a way that holds my audiences attention."

I decided I wanted to learn how to make sauerkraut. Looking around, many of the videos are dry as bones, doesn't address some weird thing that does crop up, assumes you are already knowledgeable about the subject, etc.

Then I found Brad.

Ok, he and Vinnie do edit the videos to make them more entertaining, funny. That's what makes you pay attention to him, and the process. Not everyone can make fermented foods entertaining. That's why Brad (and the invisible Vinnie) are so great. The thing is, things more along smartly even though he's fooling around.

After watching, and rewatching certain bits as I tackled this task, I felt so much more confident than watching others that were as unstimulating as you would expect the subject of saurkraut to be.

EU's Article 13 is a cancer against Youtube and free speech/fair use/satire.