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Youtube "how to" videos are mostly useless

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soldar:
Even leaving aside the obvious fakes and scams I find most videos quite useless. I search for "how to make X" and I get a bunch of videos where some guy is seen working with his tools for 30 or 40 minutes and, at the end, he has made something.

If it is wood he is seen using the table saw, the drill, some hardware... and in the end he made some piece of furniture or something.

If it is metal then he is seen using a lathe, a drill press, maybe a milling machine and in the end he made something.

If it is basic electronics he is seen soldering a few things together and in the end he has made something useless.

I just don't get it.

I know how to use tools. If I didn't know how to use tools I would be searching for videos on how to use those tools.

If i want to build a structure, a piece of furniture, a metal thing,a tool, an electronic circuit then what I am looking for is plans, ideas, designs, drawings, diagrams, schematics. A tutorial on everything I need to know, what I should look out for.  That is what I need. Not just watch some random dude in his workshop doing things. That contributes nothing to what I am looking for.

I have to wonder if those videos are directed at people who know nothing on the subject and just like watching other people work.

I want a good intro an what you are going to build. What is the finished product. Then a good explanation on how to go about it. I do not want to see a video where the guy just starts out cutting lumber in a mysterious fashion.

Just give me a set of plans and don't waste my time.

And get off my lawn! Sheesh!

soldar:
And this was supposed to go in the general chatter channel but I put it in the repair section by mistake.

Absent-minded and grouchy. I think I need my morning coffee.

elektryk:

--- Quote ---If it is basic electronics he is seen soldering a few things together and in the end he has made something useless.
--- End quote ---

Yeah, a lot of stuff that can't even work in a real world, especially those free energy related.

Nominal Animal:

--- Quote from: soldar on March 18, 2024, 09:46:56 am ---Even leaving aside the obvious fakes and scams I find most videos quite useless.
--- End quote ---
I, too, don't think howto/tutorial videos are sufficient for conveying such information.

I once got into an argument with Dave about how useful tutorial videos are.  Dave ended up calling me a troll. :'(  I don't think I was expressing my position clearly at all.

I know there are people who prefer videos, and obtain sufficient information from them, but I always worry that they only get a superficial understanding, only enough to look like they understand; that they do not understand enough to correctly apply the understanding in real world situations.

The best videos are the ones that describe the reasons behind the choices in the plans or implementation.  Stuff like "this gusset is here to support the join in case of forces in this direction, and that cross member spreads the load between these points", or "to transfer these signals over 1m distance, we're using twisted-pair cable with a shield foil/mesh and differential signaling" or "the primary winding is triple-insulated, which helps avoid shorting mains to the low-voltage side; this is good for safety".

I particularly like the teardown videos by AvE (BOLTR), BigClive, and DiodesGoneWild.  It is never just "this is good, buy this" or "this is bad, don't buy this", but an examination of what in the thing is done well, and what is iffy or downright dangerous.  You need practical experience to do that, and the videos are like looking over the shoulder of a talkative old hand who is telling what they see and think.  It is not that their opinions matter much, it is more that they describe the reasons, experience, and logic behind those opinions; and those are the valuable part that is difficult to obtain except through lots of practical experience.

Funnily enough, I often encounter the exact opposite in higher math, where the disposition centers on proving some statement or other is formally correct, but applying it for solving real-world problems is usually left "as an exercise": exactly the opposite to what is most useful to me and people like me!  Seeing Bessel functions still makes me cranky.

Thus, I do admit that there are people who get everything they need out of tutorial videos and similar material, but I don't; and I worry that of those who claim they do, most get an understanding that is too superficial/simplified to actually apply in practice.

JohanH:

--- Quote from: soldar on March 18, 2024, 09:46:56 am ---

I have to wonder if those videos are directed at people who know nothing on the subject and just like watching other people work.


--- End quote ---

Pretty much the whole idea with Youtube. Entertainment and views.

As soon as you concentrate on design, engineering, or any profession really, you narrow down the potential viewer base and don't earn any money (there are of course a few exceptions). I see this in many areas. Many have tried taking their profession to Youtube and tried to make a respectful amount of educational videos. They get a few hundred views, so they don't earn any money. Then they start doing these stupid Reaction Videos, in where they sit and stare on a video clip of someone else doing something and possibly giving their expert opinion about it. Suddenly they have tens of thousands of views. It's ridiculous.

Look for a reference to a blog, web page or github with design plans. Or their videos are 30 to 60 minutes and consists of several parts. These ones are serious, but few and far between.

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