Video

[bunn]

I'm so sorry 2013. I'm afraid I still hate informational web video.

Video on the web is great for entertainment, to show off things that are visually spectacular or comic in a physical way. But PLEASE! How much of my life must I spend sitting through:

"Click. click. Great! Sooooo, ahhhhhhh, welcome, everyone.
Um, um, this is a showcase of [thing that I have already read on the screen six times while you have been umming]
I'm going to be shooooooooooooowing you [description of thing I am now already bored of] aaaaaaaaand ...[click] let me just start with some introductions. I am [name I ALREADY READ ON THE SODDING SCREEN, OK???] and I hold [job I already know about BECAUSE IT'S ON THE SCREEN] and also joining us are [people whose names I've read and I don't CARE about because how long do I have to wait for some actual informational content around here???]"

Grrrrrrrrr. Just put your notes on the web in text form! Honestly, my eyes are so much quicker than your voice!

ETA : it has just occurred to me that the word 'Showcase' in internet terms means 'Superficial and uninformative'. 

Comments

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

My particular pet hate is when you're stuck on a computer game, and just want to be able to read, "the key's under the third statue on the left," and get on with it. Back in Yore you could usually find your answer within seconds by searching for the right keyword on a written walkthrough. Nowadays your answer is normally buried somewhere in the middle of a 20 minute video clip of someone playing the entire mission and telling us how awesome his gaming skills are.

I also dislike it when the BBC news website displays an interesting headline, but it only goes to a video clip. Fair enough if it's a video of tightrope-walking gerbils, but usually it's just a presenter talking to the camera and telling us stuff. I always click the "back" button straightaway.

[andrewducker]

Yes. I'm exceedingly glad that the BBC's RSS feeds label their video posts explicitly, so I don't end up opening them and being frustrated.

I wish more places would do transcripts.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yeah. I think informational video is primarily for people who read slowly or are auditory learners. I do like it for some things (my favorite embroidery blog does great stitch tutorials), but they have to be things that really require video, and for goodness' sake, not rambly.

[sally_maria]

I completely agree, it's so frustrating.

I suppose there must be people who actually learn better or appreciate more with video, but give me text every time.

[sibila-cantus.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I'm going through something similar slogging my way through a horrendous online training course atm where I'm forced to stay at the mind-putrefying, slow pace of the narrator. Even though it's all information I need to retain my non-auditory learning brain is dying a slow and painful death trying to pay attention. Print materials aren't even offered to follow along--or skip ahead like I'd prefer. Whatever happened to reading? *cries*

And eek, happy belated birthday! I hope you had a lovely one. :)

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I feel the same.