Youtube series and Youtube problems

[hobbsyoyo]

I wanted to talk about various channels/series on Youtube as well as the various issues that Youtube has. I think the topic is distinct enough to be discussed outside the other Youtube thread but mods can fold it in if they disagree.

Anyways, I'd like people to talk about the various channels they watch or subscribe too. You can post individual videos if you want for exemplary purposes but they should have some discussion about the channels themselves as well.

On the issues Youtube has - the site is plagued by copyright bots which troll through the videos and issue takedown notices unfairly which cuts the income of the various channels pretty remarkably. Really this is an instance of big business engaging in flagrant rent-seeking and getting away with it. It's to the point where lots of channels avoid using snippets of audio or video that would normally fall under fair use because they can't afford to have their income stolen by said bots.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I'm really fond of a few channels -
Scott the Woz is a gamer channel where he discusses video games and he's really nailed sarcastic, self-deprecating millenial humor. I wasn't a huge fan at first but he's really grown on me. I especially like how upfront and honest he is about various games and topics. He did one show on lootcrate companies where he just absolutely trashed them even though they frequently sponsor various Youtube gamers and/or give them free stuff.

Scott Manley has really good series on space exploration-related topics that do an excellent job of breaking down various concepts and historical events in an accessible, non-snooty way. He also does a lot of gaming videos which are pretty good, especially his videos on Kerbal Space Program which is the game that launched his Youtube career.

Techmoan is an awesome British dude who goes break down various consumer electronics to go over how they work and their history. He's especially into audio and video technology but this means he's often avoiding showing the actual contents of the various audio and video systems he's covering due to the aforementioned copyright issues.

 

[Kyriakos]

I like some creative comedy channels, eg Screen Rant:

 

[hobbsyoyo]

What's their schtick? They poke fun of various movies? Is the humor absurdist?

 

[Kyriakos]

What's their schtick? They poke fun of various movies? Is the humor absurdist?

It is all one person, who plays two roles: the writer who pitches a script and the company man who hears him.
It is in the style of "honest reviews".

 

[Hygro]

I watch this really boring but not actually guy called Jon Sine. I skip a lot but he makes daily videos about 9 minutes long. They’re very professionally edited and often contain valuable information on music making from workflow to technique to distribution and promotion, but you have to wade through his personal life which is a mix of exciting as he’s a pro musician and super boring as he’s like the most normal German dude working a job (a cool one) with a girlfriend and a Nutella addiction.

What’s wild is that he’ll rarely break 4000 views on a video that covers topics that would get tens of thousands of views on other channels, and does it way better with way more credibility, but the whole thing is so laden with his personal daily life instead of being cut and dry tutorials it’s like buried treasure.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I watch this really boring but not actually guy called Jon Sine. I skip a lot but he makes daily videos about 9 minutes long. They’re very professionally edited and often contain valuable information on music making from workflow to technique to distribution and promotion, but you have to wade through his personal life which is a mix of exciting as he’s a pro musician and super boring as he’s like the most normal German dude working a job (a cool one) with a girlfriend and a Nutella addiction.

What’s wild is that he’ll rarely break 4000 views on a video that covers topics that would get tens of thousands of views on other channels, and does it way better with way more credibility, but the whole thing is so laden with his personal daily life instead of being cut and dry tutorials it’s like buried treasure.

Hey if you care about audio technology, definitely give Techmoan a watch. He's more into old formats and technologies though he does do some modern stuff but I find it all really interesting.

 

[Truthy]

I watch 3Blue1Brown, a channel that makes amazing and beautiful videos about math. To clarify, the videos aren't about tutoring like, say, Khan Academy; they're about math. The channel is run by a youngish guy (I think he graduated from Stanford a few years ago) and he has a phenomenal talent for what he does.

Spoiler :

Link to video.

 

[Synobun]

I don't watch much YouTube anymore. I mainly use it as a means to listen to specific songs or find related music since Spotify's recommendation engine blows.

I used to watch a few Let's Players religiously back in the day before Twitch took off. Now I don't watch any gameplay whatsoever, streaming or otherwise, unless it's a friend.

Before then I watched the OG YouTubers, like sxephil, Timothy DeLaGhetto, iJustine, Rhett & Link, etc. They're all still around, but I'm not super interested in them. There was a certain magic to "Old YouTube" that just doesn't exist anymore, both objectively and subjectively.

Right now I'm subscribed to Good Mythical Morning (Rhett & Link) for their food/product episodes (like eating dry foods wet and wet foods dry). I am also subscribed to the React channel for their "Try Not To Laugh" videos.

Beyond that I'm subscribed to three ASMR channels: Frivolous Fox, ASMR Bakery, and Raffy Taphy.

I am also subscribed to The Cosmonaut Variety Hour, Kurzgesagt, First We Feast, and What I've Learned. I barely, if ever, watch their videos; I'm only subscribed on the off chance they upload something I actually care about, which is rare. Maybe once or twice a year they release something I want to see.

ContraPoints is another sub, but same thing as the above. I only watch when she uploads something I care about. It used to be that all of her videos were bangers, but now they're few and far between. Her latest video about men was pretty good.

And finally, for humour/drama, I subscribe to PaymoneyWubby. He reacts/responds to YouTube drama and cringe stuff. Sort of like old h3h3. Uploads infrequently (two videos in a month is a huge departure from the norm).

 

[Marla_Singer]

Most of my favourite Youtubers are French-speaking: ScienceEtonnante for science, Mickaël Launay for mathematics, Linguisticae for language, L'Histoire par les cartes for History.

I like a lot African YouTubers as well (French-speaking again, sorry). ToubabouTV does a fantastic job talking about Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. A great city I'm thinking more and more to move to in several years.

African music is nice to. Here is song by Toofan from Togo . I'm posting it here not only because it's good, but also because of the lyrics which can always give you an insight from the other side about one of the key issue in the past decade.


Link to video.

I've translated the song just for you:

Koffi, a childhood friend, is gone to America
Abdoulaye, a cousin of me, is gone to Europe
At their return back home they've brought a lot of dollars
At their return back home they've brought a lot of euros
It's only this way that the life of a man can change
My family gave me a hint and my child will also move there

Oh life over there, life over there, life over there
Oh life over there is not easy, life over there
I have left my Africa and then moved to America
I have left my Africa and then moved to America
I have left my Africa and then moved to Europe
I have left my Africa and then moved to Europe
Oh life over there, life over there, life over there
Oh life over there is not easy, life over there

How many are gone?
How many have we lost?
How many wishes to endure this nightmare?
The educated ones are leaving
They leave forming teams
The West attracts them, we have our secret entries
Go beyond what is forbidden
Barbed wires, challenge the sea
Do we really need to take the risk?
Or rather stay to see our mothers cry

Oh life over there, life over there, life over there
Oh life over there is not easy, life over there
I have left my Africa and then moved to America
I have left my Africa and then moved to America
I have left my Africa and then moved to Europe
I have left my Africa and then moved to Europe
Oh life over there, life over there, life over there,
Oh life over there is not easy, life over there​

 

[Berzerker]

Aside from music and various how to videos from fixing my old vehicles to house repairs I watch Joe Rogan and Jimmy Dore. I started watching Sam Seder and David Pakman too, Aaron Mate, Glenn Greenwald and John Solomon - people covering RussiaGate. I just spent a couple hours watching clips from Kung Fu.

And of course Ancient Aliens and researchers like Graham Hancock, Randall Carlson. Just about anything I can find on the origins of the solar system, Earth, and life. Mythology, cosmology, etc... I luv youtube

 

[Narz]

Fitness : Brandon Carter, Athlean X, Jeff Nippard
Chess : John Bartholemew, ChessExplained
Politics : Bill Maher (tho he hasn't been so great lately, too much Trump ), David Pakman (my most recent subscription)
Science : Primer

And a bunch of other ones, many of which I haven't gone to in years (I go thru phases)

https://www.youtube.com/user/InfinityCurve/channels?view_as=subscriber

I also get tons of recommendations for channels I don't subscribe too. For instance I watched Joe Rogan when he has good guest but find 80% of his guests uninteresting.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Bill Maher is on Youtube? Or is it just his Overtime segments which come after the main show? I've watched a handful of those and they are pretty bad compared to the main part of his show as they're too unfocused and freewheeling.

One other problem with Youtube is the Swatting phenomenon. Basically, in competitive gaming, disgruntled dudes will call the police in the area of their target (inevitably it's a successful competitive gaming streamer) and tell them hostages are being held at the target's location. This being America, the cops go in with fully outfitted SWAT teams kitted up for battle and more than one of these poor kids have been shot in their own house by the cops for having the audacity to be really good at COD or whatever. Youtube itself doesn't seem to care about combating this growing phenomenon but I saw an article today where outside groups are now banding together to compile lists of potential targets to give to local police forces. The way this works is that if you're a successful streamer, you can give your location and professional data to the local police so if they get a call about a terrorist cell operating out of your house, they know to be suspicious of the call itself rather than to go in with guns blazing.

 

[Cutlass]

I can't actually subscribe to a youtube channel, because I can't log in to a youtube account. I used to, but it broke, and I've never been able to fix it.

I don't really follow a channel. Other than music vids, I just look at whatever catches my interest.

Recently I've seen this The Lockpicking Lawyer. Which has had some interesting vids.

 

[Estebonrober]

I watch 3Blue1Brown, a channel that makes amazing and beautiful videos about math. To clarify, the videos aren't about tutoring like, say, Khan Academy; they're about math. The channel is run by a youngish guy (I think he graduated from Stanford a few years ago) and he has a phenomenal talent for what he does.

Spoiler :

Link to video.

This is such a fun channel, you beat me to linking it

 

[Estebonrober]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2PA-AKmVpU6NKCGtZq_rKQ

I don't agree with everything, but I like his theatrics and takes on things.

 

[Patine]

Official music videos and, if I can find them, clever and amusing commercials from my childhood and youth in the '80's and early- to mid-90's. That would be about my only uses of YouTube.

 

[Patine]

I like some creative comedy channels, eg Screen Rant:

I actually have a liking and appreciation for the Star Wars Prequels. I know I'm in a minority for this, but I also can't stand any Star Wars movie or project made by Disney, and don't even regard them as being worthy of the label "Star Wars," as they've so abandoned the theme and tenor of the Lucas movies thoroughly - and not in a good way....

 

[Zardnaar]

I actually have a liking and appreciation for the Star Wars Prequels. I know I'm in a minority for this, but I also can't stand any Star Wars movie or project made by Disney, and don't even regard them as being worthy of the label "Star Wars," as they've so abandoned the theme and tenor of the Lucas movies thoroughly - and not in a good way....

Hey we have the same opinion. I don't mind Rebels and Rogue One.

 

[Narz]

Bill Maher is on Youtube? Or is it just his Overtime segments which come after the main show? I've watched a handful of those and they are pretty bad compared to the main part of his show as they're too unfocused and freewheeling.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6kyFxaMqGtpE3pQTflK8A

Yeah Overtime is generally boring. The opening monologues are hit or miss, mostly miss lately