YouTube videos

[FreeLunch]

About two months ago I somehow stumbled onto the fact that we can watch YouTube videos on our regular TV. (I think we've actually been able to do this for years; but I didn't realize it.)

Obviously, Google (ie., YouTube) is picking up stuff my wife looks at the on the inter-webs. (Our home laptop and the TV are under her name.) But there also has to be just a certain randomness to what shows up in the 'recommended' videos from one day to the next.

Naturally -- first class dumba&& that I am -- I initially became obsessed with Sovereign Citizen videos. But after the first 100 or so of those that gets tiresome. Then I started watching the ones from these guys that are supposed to be experts in interpreting body language. That's at least as good as watching baseball on TV if you're trying to take a nap.

Of course, I've watched a number of Kennedy assassination videos. And there are a couple of professors who have thoughtful presentations on world politics. Lately, I watched some Elizabeth Holmes / Theranos videos. This new movie about her is getting ready to come out.


Now I've learned that I'm not the total dumba%% I thought I was for watching this stuff:

 

[Mr Winterville]

Yeah, YT gets a lot of play at my house. TV and iPad.

I've recommended it here before but do a search inside the YouTube app for "Bald and Bankrupt". It's a great travel vlog.

 

[PINEHEEL]

I don't have a better solution for them, but their model doesn't fit my family's lifestyle...yet. The ad experience is infuriating and terribly designed, and I think the whole interface is poorly constructed. I also think the algo needs tinkering.

The paid plan with no ads is much better, but frankly we just don't use it enough to justify the cost. I'm sure that will change as my small children get a little bit older.

I wish they offered the ad-free version as a $5-8 add-on for YTTV subscribers. I'm already paying you $100/mo for YTTV.

All of that said, I completely understand the popularity. It's an incredible video library of knowledge and as much as the ad experience bothers me, it is still free so I can't complain too much.

 

[Mr Winterville]

Agreed on the ad experience being bad. I'd resisted the urge to go premium for a long time but finally gave in when they offered a 2-month free trial.

The algorithm works.. "ok" for me. There is some absolute gold on YouTube. I like travel vlogs and some of the stuff that's been brought to my attention has been awesome. Seeing everyday people from Beijing going with friends on a trip through Tibet, for example, taking in the local cuisine, going on cliff-top hikes, etc. Where could we really get that kind of thing before YouTube? I enjoy watching random stuff like electronics repair people restoring some 40 year old studio recording console back to mint condition.

I do think YT needs to get better at detecting and down-sorting AI-generated content. AI has its purposes--it's great at writing software code, for one example--but when people are using it as a substitute for effort, it can get pretty obvious.

 

[FreeLunch]

By way of personal privilege since I created this Topic Thread .............

On the left is a Stanford professor of Neuroscience .... who was just awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology ............. in the center is my son-in-law who is one of the key researchers in this lab ........ he and our daughter have PhD's in Neuroscience from UNC ... that's how they met.

And on the right is our granddaughter -- she's an angel-princess and is too busy being precious to work in a lab.