I am not on this site to watch a bunch of video clips

[Joe Cool]

This discussion thread was locked by EarlG (a host of the General Discussion forum).

Who else is with me?

I know, I know, don’t watch them if you don’t want to but it’s really irritating when almost literally half of all posts are video clips with very little summary of the video in text on the post. The torrent of video clip posts makes me want to leave DU. This site isn’t Tik Tok, Facebook reels, etc…, but is turning into the political version of it.

[RockRaven]

1. One can "trash" an entire forum (or two or more) and it sounds like trashing

Liberal YouTubers and Cable News Clips, for example, might enhance your user experience.

[Joe Cool]

5. I don't have time to watch 41 minute videos with almost no summary to it.

Who is actually watching 41 minutes in this site?

[SharonAnn]

30. I dislike all the videos and don't watch them. I don't have the time for them so i pass them by. I miss getting a

brief written summary of an event and don't mind a video clip added to the post. I usually look at DU in places where I cannot play a video anyway. Cannot play the sound because of others in the area. And, I often "pop on and pop off" during the day while I am waiting in between tasks.

Not to mention that I can read MUCH faster than I can listen. especially to someone who has to fill out a time slot even if they have little to say..

[TexasTowelie]

2. People convey information in different manners.

While there are times when I prefer to read information, there are other times where I prefer to either listen or watch videos because I can accomplish other tasks simultaneously. There are also times when I prefer to receive the full context of a conversation including facial cues and body language, neither of which can be conveyed by a writer who may be injecting their own bias in the article.

I'll also mention that I've posted videos on DU when no written article is available to be included as a reputable mainstream source of information that is required in LBN.

[Joe Cool]

7. You are watching 19 and 41 minute videos?

Those are just two of the lengths of videos that were recently posted.

[TexasTowelie]

16. I may not watch the videos immediately before (or after) I post them,

but I do eventually watch or listen to everything that I post even if I increase the speed rate to 2 times the original rate (option available in the YouTube settings). I make the decision based upon the topic, media source, and how I'm doing handling things offline in the real world. I watch the posts from other members based on similar criteria, but I admit that I don't watch every video posted.

FWIW, I used to post a lot of articles in the state groups and would see little discussion or even worse, the person replying could have answered their own question if they clicked on the link for the article.

I'm sorry that you aren't seeing all of the discussion that you desire, but if videos weren't posted during the night then the site would slow down to a crawl. I remember one night on DU prior to the proliferation of videos when there was an 82 minute gap between new discussions being started and numerous occasions when there were gaps of more than 30 minutes.

Please keep in mind that you have your preferences for what you want to see and convey on DU, but other members have different preferences. I'm not a writer (IOW I procrastinate a lot), so a video is going to convey more than I can write with my limited abilities.

[mahina]

22. I watched the whole Jared Moskowitz Supercuts video

Twice

And shared it

I hope you will be able to find out how to filter videos out of your feed.

I dont enjoy cat posts. Nothing against cats. Had a cat that never liked us her whole (very very long) life. I can’t hide the cat posts. It was bugging me a lot for a while - I got a whole “ hey you kids get off my yard dammit” vibe going. I feel you. Cheeries

[Joe Cool]

14. Many of the videos are about 5% video of the event and 95% discussion about it.

One post was along the lines of “See what Trump said today” and it was about ten seconds of TSF speaking and ten minutes of commentary about it.

[TexasTowelie]

18. So?

They also do that on the TV networks--I know because my right-wing brother listens to Fox nearly every night. If I don't want to listen to it (about 99% of the time) or if I don't want to get into an argument then I find an alternate activity.

[SharonAnn]

31. That's why I have pretty much stopped watching "news" and "opinion" shows on TV.

[demmiblue]

3. I just looked at the first 25 posts in GD....

only one was a video clip.

[Joe Cool]

6. Are you looking at the latest discussion feed?

Video clip after video clip. 41 minute video, 19 minute video. Seriously, who is going to watch a 41 MINUTE video?

[demmiblue]

15. Good lawd, just use the tools that the administrators have provided in order to block those forums.

[Eugene]

36. The video you are complaining the most about is in a dedicated video forum.

Last edited Sat Apr 27, 2024, 06:01 AM - Edit history (1)

While summary text is a courtesy (which I would like to see done more often),
link alone has been standard practice in DU media forums for years.

[2naSalit]

72. I watch many of them...

And I am thankful to have them posted here, every day.

Why?

Because I don't own teevee, not interested in having one. But I do know of a great place to get news and watch videos of things I want to see right here on DU, all I have to do is scroll through the menus. If there's something I don't care to see, I filter it out or scroll past it, easy-peasy.



Perhaps it's easier to complain,

[FarPoint]

62. Not an accurate poll

it's just how it rolled out...

[Brother Buzz]

4. Here's a pro tip: Do not click ANY threads with a blue or red box in the subject line

Blue boxes contain tweets and red boxes are videos

That, and trash Liberal YouTubers and Cable News Clips forums, and you're good to go.

[msongs]

8. a sentence or two about the content would help. or a timestamp of the items of interest nt

[Joe Cool]

13. I agree about the time stamp.

Clicking on a video and seeing 41 minutes is a hard pass for me.

[eShirl]

11. but be aware, sometimes Liberal YouTubers has straight-up late night talk show clips

[Cha]

17. I didn't know that.. Thanks, Buzz!

I like tweets.. I can read them better. But I click on anything if the title interests me.

[Mister Ed]

9. Oh, I know, I know...

I've been here nigh-on twenty years, and I've been dismayed to see the site morph first into Link To Tweet Underground and then into Video Underground. It's clear to me, though, that many or most of my fellow DU'ers are fine with that, and so I don't rain on their picnic.

Those who do post audio-visual content can do a great favor for folks like me by including a written summary of the clip. That goes a long way toward helping me decide whether I really want to invest five or ten minutes (or more) in viewing it.

[Ptah]

10. You might like this video clip:

In the nineteenth century invaders from Russia took over vast swaths of the nation, threatening America’s very way of life in what has been described as one of the most rapid invasions in history. The invasion, and century and a half long war against Salsola Icali tragus, better known as “Russian thistle,” and even better known as the “Tumbleweed,” deserves to be remembered.

[JoseBalow]

19. That reminds me of this

Kudzu is a native vine from Asia that was introduced in the 19th century as a garden novelty, but later became a symbol of the South's environmental problems. The native plant from Japan and China became a serious threat to native plants and wildlife in the southeastern U.S. and beyond, earning it the nickname "the vine that ate the South".

[mahina]

26. I liked the Merrie Monarch hula festival live feed

It was Thursday, Friday, Saturday night from six until whenever it was done, live and direct from Hilo, Hawaii. It was spectacular. I won’t paste it in because I don’t want to give anybody a rash.

[JoseBalow]

32. That's probably best. I heard there's a shortage of olive oil

[Hekate]

55. I'd love to see that. I'll check on YouTube if I remember.

Mahalo.

[wolfie001]

35. Tumbleweeds are such a 'deserted town' meme for Western movies

Also, before the big confrontation when all the townfolk are hiding and the gang of baddies are walking down the main street. Director's cue to roll in the tumbleweeds.

[Hekate]

56. Oh, you bad!

[Laurelin]

20. When i lived in the US i skipped the videos

I didn't complain about them because they were easy enough to skip. Reading is faster than watching and it was easy to turn on the news.

Now that I live in Europe I watch a lot of the videos. They make it easy for me to catch up on what I missed overnight while I'm washing dishes or eating or folding clothes or whatever. I don't get msnbc here, cnn is annoying, Dutch news is, you know, in Dutch, so I don't always understand everything.

In general the internet is much more video than print nowadays. (Yes, I'm old enough to remember when it was all print. At least, everything I did was print, even the games. )

I love the variety of posts here. So sure, ymmv, but skip what you don't like and let those of us who enjoy the videos watch them.

[Celerity]

21. I truly fail to see why so many here choose to complain about things they can just ignore or avoid, things that are

pretty damn harmless (unless disinfo and/or RW agitprop) and easily walked by and ignored.

Also, I have literally, in the past, seen some of the the more agressive complainers disparage younger gens/voters (Millennials and Gen Z) as whiney kids, spoilt children/babies, and yes, snowflakes.

Oh, the irony.

SMDH

Not to mention the fact that the oldest Millennials turn 44 years old before the next POTUS is sworn in 9 months from now, January 20, 2025.

If a person here is a 67 year old Boomer now, when DU started you were around the same age, 44.

I am just a couple months from being a Gen Zer, born in the last 2 and some change months of the last year (1996) of the Millennial gen. I can assure anyone I am not a child, a snowflake, nor a baby. If a person is 50 now, they were roughly my current age or so when DU started.

Tempus Fugit.

Too short to waste on trivial things.

[Tom of Temecula]

23. Oh.

Then don't watch them.

[betsuni]

24. I like to watch.

[NJCher]

25. This is a current events/opinion site

Coverage of the spoken word is important. If we don’t have that, there’s a huge gap in the reportage.

[brewens]

27. Do what you want but if I don't see at least a quick explanation of what I'm supposed to be seeing, I won't watch

your video.

[Speaks2]

28. Post Types

I've seen a number of posts complaining about some type of posting or another. Generally, complaints from someone who doesn't like a posting type. I have some types I don't like, as I'm sure most users do.
The thing is, this site is used by enough people that such complaints need to be resolved in a manner different than "I don't want...."
Solution: An icon or something at the link (video, headline w no text, user-written article, primarily cut-and-paste, something indicating a post doesn't fit neatly into a category, etc).
We'd all easily know what type of postings to click on or avoid, based on our own preferences, and most everyone would be catered to.

[Think. Again.]

37. Apparently there's a "RED box" in the subject line of a thread that contains a video...

...I never noticed it myself but I don't mind the use of video as a medium.

Anyway, if you want to ignore any video posts, maybe that's what the red box is for?

Maybe someone could post a better explanation of the red box than mine.

[Rhiannon12866]

43. There's a red box by the subject line if the OP is a video and a blue box if the OP contains a Tweet.

[Think. Again.]

46. Whoops! Thanks! I'll fix my post!

[Rhiannon12866]

47. They're pretty visible so I don't understand what the complaint is?

[Think. Again.]

49. For some reason I don't see them on my screen...

...I'm assuming it's because I use my phone or tablet and not a laptop.

But I wonder if there is a way for those who don't ever want to see a video or a tweet to block anything that has those boxes somehow.

Personally, for me it's the content I'm either interested in or not, no matter how it might be presented.

[Think. Again.]

51. And by the way...

Thank you Rhiannon12866 for always giving such a good text description of YOUR posted videos!

[mahina]

53. Indeed!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

54. Oh, thanks so much!

I know that TexasTowelie always includes descriptions, too. I don't know why everyone who posts videos doesn't do that since almost all of the videos have explanatory descriptions available telling what they're about.

[pwb]

67. Forget this guy Rhiannon

I like your work here very much.

[Rhiannon12866]

68. Awww, thanks!

And I include descriptions.

[Mike Nelson]

29. I like the ones...

... with text, and vids as supporting evidence. My least liked are those with "headlines" suggesting something that really isn't in the vid - or is not there in the beginning of the vid. I'm learning to avoid them.

[multigraincracker]

33. I like most of them.

I’m older than dirt. I don’t go on Ticky Tocky or Twiter. DU kind of filters them for me so I don’t have sign up for them.
Some days I don’t have time to catch up on DU, the first thing I do is go to “Videos” and look at those.
That’s just me and my choice.

[wolfie001]

34. I've gotten a lot of important info from Texas Towlie!!!

Also, I wouldn't be aware of Meidas Touch if it weren't for their invaluable analysis of the various crimes constantly being committed by republicans and their enablers.

[NJCher]

40. Yes, meidas touch

Has become essential because legal understanding is incredibly important as we go through years of trials of the attempted coup.

[wolfie001]

44. "Hi, this is Michael Popok".................

[TexasTowelie]

60. Thank you.

I'm most active in the Liberal YouTubers and Foreign Affairs groups. I do attempt to post summaries to the videos when they are provided, but if the title of the thread provides an accurate description of the discussion, then I don't feel the need to write a summary. There are a few posters such as Beau of the Fifth Column which I do not summarize because the point is to get his opinion. I'm also uncomfortable summarizing legal videos since I am not an attorney.

Health issues over the past few years also factored into posting more videos rather than written articles. I was already at the limit for wearing contact lenses to correct my nearsightedness and now I developed a case of astigmatism. If I see a post with several long paragraphs then it is TLDR since my eyes don't shift between lines well.

[wolfie001]

71. Wow! I had no idea

Best of luck and stay well! Appreciate all you do!

[FarPoint]

65. True....I agree

but maybe DU can clarify or refine the posting rules wherein video clips without discussion narrative could be removed???? Or, some clarification for posters to only post videos in the video Forums..

Overall...I find it a bit detaching to get video instead of discussion ....thus I actually leave the Board....feeling disengaged from it...

This has nothing to do with our beloved Texas Towlie...just a board interaction issue many of us experience.

[wolfie001]

73. Yes! We do what we need to do to get information!

It's all about getting the vote out and beating Donito Mangolini

[Pototan]

38. I like when a video is brought to my attention

I'm not on social media. This is my site of choice. If a DUer likes a clip and posts it here, I'm grateful. Most DUers taste in video clips is close to mine.

[elocs]

39. No, I'm not with you. I'm guessing many of us who have been here for years are not either. n/t

[wolfie001]

45. Oh my!

[keopeli]

41. Reading and writing are in decline because of audio/video. It's a sad fact. As the years progress, I expect it to worsen

[Croney]

42. After trashing the video forums, I can now just complain about

posts with titles like THIS, or FOUND ON FB, or posts with just a link to something with no clue what it is.

[Emile]

48. I like them.

[kozar]

50. JoeCool,

As ,an OldGuy , videos, phones,
"Instant life" is our future.
As we, grow old, the future, is born.

Yes, videos dominate DU, you can also, just talk
As I did, when I adopted LilGlad,

The beauty of DU, ,
You will, be heard.
Someone,will, respond, when you talk, or yell.

Someone, will respond,,

You.
Were.
Heard.


Koz out

[bucolic_frolic]

52. Is it me, or does this OP get reposted every few days. Give it a rest. /nt

[Hekate]

57. Well, neither do I and I've been here forever, so I avoid all the ones that just clickbait.

I think I’m gonna trash a certain forum now.

[ThreeNoSeep]

58. This is not DUTube

If video is your thing, fine, but there's just so much of it. The video posts take up too much space and provides zilch to satisfy the reasons I visit DU, the cutesy stuff too. Plus the stuff linking to Elon's fecal drama is just annoying.
Perhaps DU should have in each forum a subset listing for video, or a way to effortlessly filter that stuff out.

[kozar]

59. DU rocks

As ,an OldGuy , videos, phones,
"Instant life" is our future.
As we, grow old, the future, is born.

Yes, videos dominate DU, you can also, just talk
As I did, when I adopted LilGlad,

The beauty of DU, ,
You will, be heard.
Someone,will, respond, when you talk, or yell.

Someone, will respond,,

You.
Were.
Heard.


Koz out

[FarPoint]

61. I agree 100 %....

I remember the days here on DU where we actually talked to one another.....I say 8 out of 10 thread clicks turn out to be a dang video...


I just leave the site....

I suggest there be some refinement of DU posting standards....

[MFM008]

63. I like cat videos

🐈?⬛🐈?⬛🐈?⬛❤️

[piddyprints]

64. You can skip them.

I like listening to them while I do my workouts in the morning. It's sort of hard to exercise and read at the same time, so the videos help me catch up while I would otherwise be bored. Also, we don't get TV, and I like listening to Rachel and Lawrence O'Donnell. I think it's great that people post clips from such shows.

Not everyone is going to like everything on a site. Look around and you will see all sorts of groups and forums. It's a little for everyone.

Now... time to exercise and find some videos.

[pwb]

66. You take care then?

Not with you after being here 18 years.

[dem4decades]

69. I'm not on the site to read multiple posts bitching about the same thing, I saw three without looking too hard.

[hot2na]

70. I am generally with you on this point

I thought the purpose of “General Discussion forum” is for discussion. Doing a drive by posting of a long video clip does not promote discussion, and a long video clip is anything more than 2 or 3 minutes. Give the members of the forum more detail such as; why did you post it, what was in the video that you particularly liked or found interesting, give some explanation and use the blockquote feature to highlight the takeaway(s), do the members of the forum a favor and post the minute mark of a key point in the video clip.

[ms liberty]

74. The red square denotes a video attached to the thread; a blue square is for Twitter

Just don't open the threads with a red square. Easy peasy.

[EarlG]

75. Of the 80 threads currently on the Latest Page

31 contain a video.

24 of those videos are located in either Cable News Clips, Liberal YouTubers, or Music Appreciation.

Trashing those forums would reduce the number of videos on the Latest page to seven out of 80. You can use the ignore function to reduce this further if you wish.

I already explained to you previously how this works, when I locked your exact same complaint on this exact same issue a couple of weeks ago:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218847554

You’ve made your point and it’s been explained to you multiple times how to solve your problem. Please do not start any more of these threads.

Edited to add: the number of threads containing a video currently on the first page of General Discussion is ONE out of 80. This is hardly an overwhelming problem.

SECOND EDIT: anyone reading this who is a Star Member: check your Account Settings to make sure the “Show tweet indicator” and “Show video indicator” settings are turned ON.

If they are turned on, you will see little red and blue boxes on the Latest/Greatest pages and in forums next to thread titles which tell you if a thread contains a video or a tweet.