Smarter Every Day: Coast Guard Series

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I absolutely agree. Videos are good for some stuff, but if I'm looking for instructions on how to do something, I don't want a video. I want a writeup that I can skim through quickly and find the relevant parts (then look back at it 5 times while I'm working).

Take a look at plugins like Video Speed Controller. Most programs can be viewed at 1.5X or even 2X

[lo2jones]

Sorry, but I’m out on this one: bad camera work, self absorbed selfies. It DID remind me of one of my favorite tours: the Hurricane Center at University of Hawaii, Honolulu. It may be the same at your local center Hurricane Center… National Hurricane Center, 11691 SW 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33165. They give tours for graduate students in meteorology, and the public.

[CyKlop]

Originally Posted by Chotu

This is a little bit of a thread drift. I apologize. I’m sure the videos in this thread are great.

Does anyone else have trouble with the format? I can’t bring myself to devote time to watching videos. It takes so much longer than reading and looking at a picture.

It depends on what I'm looking for and the circumstances. When I have my hands greasy up the elbows and buried in my engine, I want a shop manual with diagrams.


When I want to learn a skill and have never done it before, I like a good video to introduce me to things...


And then I want the shop/instruction manual to actually study...

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Chotu

This is a little bit of a thread drift. I apologize. I’m sure the videos in this thread are great.

Does anyone else have trouble with the format? I can’t bring myself to devote time to watching videos. It takes so much longer than reading and looking at a picture.

I am really disappointed when I’m looking something up, especially something I’m repairing, and instead of a one page write up with a few pictures, it’s like 20 minutes of listening to somebody yammer on about nothing. Takes a lot of bandwidth and it’s difficult to actually get the information you want, while not spending half an hour doing it.

I’m thinking of, say, looking up how to gap of spark plug. That’s about a paragraph. With one picture. Maybe a couple extra pictures to help people figure out if their plug is dirty or fouled.

But no. Instead, we have a half hour rambling session about the same topic. 5 minutes of that is the person yapping about nothing while ratcheting the plug out.

I’m just curious if I am one of the only people that thinks like this, or if there are others that share my frustration.

I've taken to "watching" Youtube videos while I do other things at my desk rather than listen to music. Between science-oriented, programming and cooking vids I can chew through a lot in a day and actually watch the ones that contain content I really want to know.


But back on topic, I swear Destin is only doing these Coast Guard vids because they got jealous of his Navy under-the-arctic-ice-in-a-nuclear-submarine series And those are definitely worth a watch. Being such a noob it never occurred to me that gps and traditional navigation were completely useless under the ice.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Does anyone else have trouble with the format? I can’t bring myself to devote time to watching videos. It takes so much longer than reading and looking at a picture.

Mixed thoughts. Normally I hate videos for the various reasons you mentioned; I want to quickly read the info I'm looking for, and it's also hard to "search" through a video.

But! I also agree with the other comments that some things are probably better communicated through video. Written descriptions that seem clear to the author often contain enough assumptions to confuse or mislead someone who isn't already familiar with the topic.

So, I too have a shortlist of videos. Typically for any topic I'll skim a few until I find someone who presents the material effectively. They are out there, but Sturgeon's law does apply.

If the presenter is doing something particularly interesting, such as Destin's video of how a carburetor works, I'll allow a bit more leeway. (It's not everyday you get extreme slo-mo video of the process using a see-through carburetor.)

[ben2go]

When I try to watch the video, it say it has been removed. Can someone link his youtube page so I can check out his other videos? Thanks.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by ben2go

When I try to watch the video, it say it has been removed. Can someone link his youtube page so I can check out his other videos? Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/c/smartereveryday

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

https://www.youtube.com/c/smartereveryday

Thank you.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by CyKlop

It depends on what I'm looking for and the circumstances. When I have my hands greasy up the elbows and buried in my engine, I want a shop manual with diagrams.


When I want to learn a skill and have never done it before, I like a good video to introduce me to things...


And then I want the shop/instruction manual to actually study...

Yes
And good pictures too detailed pictures