Okay, seriously .

[JLSleather]

Yikes.  I just noticed a 45 minute long video on making a 3-slot card wallet.  The video 'craze' has been out of control for a while now, actually, but does anybody REALLY need to watch a video to cut out 4 pieces (2 pairs) of veg tan (about 3" x 4"), stack em together, and stitch em?  

I'll re-write this with pics of the actual leather (soon) but for now these make legitimate and painless father's day gifts. still time!

card_hor03.pdf

[Colt W Knight]

I use to be a very active member on a guitar website, and I posted a lot of blogs on building electric guitars because I thought it would stop folks from asking the same questions over and over. folks liked my directions because I laid them out in simple 1,2,3... format. Then folks asked even more questions, so I started posting picture tutorials. Well then people would look at the pictures but not read the text and I got even more questions. Then I tried doing some video tutorials, and it was just too much work and people didnt appreciate all the work. They would just criticize that either the video was too short, too long, didnt specifically cover what they wanted to do, or they requested videos on completely unrelated topic. It got to be too much, and I quit. I was getting too many emails and pms asking me to hold their hands through projects. 

I hate long winded videos on youtube. I wont watch a video if they dont get right into it or if they go off on tangents. And I really dont like the vlogs people post thinking they are some kind of pseudo celebrity. 

[JLSleather]

2 minutes ago, Colt W Knight said:

thinking they are some kind of pseudo celebrity. 

TOO funny, though I wonder if THEY think they are 'celebrity' or if they just want YOU to think so

But yeah -- that's exactly what I mean.

[R SFraser Sr]

Colt,I have mentioned it before in this site, but now that you are bringing it up,

I for one, very much appreciated your posts on the Telecaster Forum,

and I am sure many others did, and nowadays we miss your posts.

bob

[Colt W Knight]

3 hours ago, R SFraser Sr said:

Colt,I have mentioned it before in this site, but now that you are bringing it up,

I for one, very much appreciated your posts on the Telecaster Forum,

and I am sure many others did, and nowadays we miss your posts.

bob

Thanks for the kind words Bob. 

[jimmy eng]

From a sewing teachers point of view, I find a lot of people know zero about what they're going to do and doubt themselves on how to go about making something. And a lot of people are learning by themselves, so when someone watches a long video on the simplest thing it's like having someone working with you as you learn.

 

[JMWendt]

I used to be surprised at the hesitation people have to just try something.  These days, a lot of people spend more time watching how to do something on YouTube than they do trying to do things and learn.  Hands on has become hands off.  Giving up has also become normal.  So it doesn't surprise me now to see a how to video on the most basic things.  People prefer to watch, not do.  And there's always a monkey with a camera trying to build a brand. 

[Martyn]

8 hours ago, jimmy eng said:

From a sewing teachers point of view, I find a lot of people know zero about what they're going to do and doubt themselves on how to go about making something. And a lot of people are learning by themselves, so when someone watches a long video on the simplest thing it's like having someone working with you as you learn.

 

I have to agree. When you know nothing at all and are self-learning with no mentor, these long winded videos on simple subjects are very useful. Yes, once you have some experience, then they sound like they are full of unnecessary waffle, but I would suggest that the videos are not aimed at the experienced. Perhaps those with experience could remember that they were novices once too and find a little tolerance from somewhere. I personally domt care what the motive for making them might be, whether it's self-promotion, ego-stroking or just a genuine desire to help others, it makes no difference to me so long as I'm learning, I appreciate the effort they all make.

[JLSleather]

7 hours ago, JMWendt said:

People prefer to watch, not do.  And there's always a monkey with a camera trying to build a brand. 

Yeah, there's a mouthful!  Back when we had employees, there were always some who 'just didn't understand' and wanted to be shown again (instead of doing the work).  Which is of course one of the big reasons I will never have employees again   

I'm not "anti-video".  But when a 'how-to'' video is over, you should know how to do that yourself, or you're wasting your time.  Common sense says you don't need a 45 minute video to make a project you can make it 20 mins

But it IS true that some people just like to be there without actually doing anything.  I've seen some of those Tandy 'classes' (though never sucked into one myself) which appear to be a social hour, where people can pay to hang out with other people who weren't doing anything either.  

But ocassionally, you find one or two who really does want to learn something.  So in the end, I suppose people will continue to make long-winded videos, more of a low-rent self-promotion than an instruction, and I'll keep making simple instructions which make those wordy 'shows' even more unnecessary than they originally were

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by JLSleather

[Martyn]

56 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

I'm not "anti-video".  But when a 'how-to'' video is over, you should know how to do that yourself, or you're wasting your time.  Common sense says you don't need a 45 minute video to make a project you can make it 20 mins

It depends on the skill level and confidence you have. Lets take saddle stitching as an example, if you can do it, all you have to say is 'sew along this line'. If you cant do it, an hour long video on the subject barely touches the surface.  Anything I can do today is a direct result of people showing me how to do it on youtube and I'm grateful to all of them. My saddle stitching now is fairly good I think, but I would hardly be able to do it at all if it wasn't for the videos from the likes of Ian Atkinson and Nigel Armitage and others. When I watch the same videos today, them seem to be full of waffle, but I still pick things up and the first time I watched them, I hung on every word. If the video's irritate you, dont watch them, it's that simple. But I would encourage everyone with a camera and something to say, to make them. Good or bad, makes no difference. Motive is irrelevant. Youtube isn't short of bandwidth. The good ones will get recommended and passed along, the bad ones will slip away into obscurity. You also have to remember that the most skilled leather worker, might be the worlds worst teacher and video producer. You dont have to be smart, computer literate and eloquent to be good with leather. I want to learn from all of them and I'm grateful to all of them who take the time to make the videos, post instructionals (and share templates), whatever the motive or quality, It's all good.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Martyn
correcting typo