oldguycrusty

It seems odd to me - watching the shift towards video as the default medium in news stories online.

99% of the time, I don't want to watch a video. I want to read the story. I want the information.

Video is okay in support of the text of the report - but I generally want the text first & foremost. The facts, the data.

When I click a news link - and turns out it is just a video link & no text - I generally bail before the video plays.

#News #Internet #Media #trends #demographics

Feb 1, 2023 at 5:01pmWeb
Show threadStacyFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Preach.
Show threadSomcakFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty That seriously just happened to me! On a discord server, someone just shared a story, I wanted to read it and see a pic, to see if I wanted to discuss it. There was a headline and a video. i clicked close so fast!
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Same here.
Show threadKeith Wagner Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty most of the time if there’s only video, I close the tab and go somewhere else.
Show threadPaul J. Fisher Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty @kpwags Yup, this is the way. 9/10 times it is faster and more enjoyable to read than watch.
Show threadChupacabra 78704Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Same
Show threadTazorFeb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty

I agree. When I'm hiding from work in the bathroom at my job, I want to read something, not play a video.

Show threadMaisie Pubblechook, Esq.Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty My local newspaper is a Gannett joint, and all Gannett papers put a video player on every story afaict, and the player will play a **totally unrelated** video if they don't have direct footage for the story. Damndest waste of electrons I've ever seen.
Show threadJack Regan Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I think most Mastodon users (myself included) are likely to agree with this but I don’t think the average person does.
Show threadMattLeidholmFeb 1, 2023
@jack_regan @oldguycrusty I would guess the average person does agree, actually, but not to the extent that it makes up for the vastly larger ad rates that video ads earn vis-a-vis banner ads. Enough people don't mind video to make it more revenue-generating.
Show threadJack Regan Feb 1, 2023
@MattLeidholm @oldguycrusty I think that’s true of some people for sure but I also think *many* people just prefer video full stop. Think about the popularity of product reviews on YouTube. In many cases there is a written version containing the exact same information but people opt for the video.
Show threadAngry CentristFeb 1, 2023
@jack_regan @oldguycrusty The "average" person isn't on news sites anyway... they're flipping slack-jawed through endless tiktoks and instagram vids.
Show threadJack Regan Feb 1, 2023
@dkbgeek @oldguycrusty That’s true of certain demographics but not the population as a whole. Plus, even younger generations are watching news - it’s just coming from MKBHD instead of CNN.
Show threadKarl AuerbachFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty It also takes much longer to watch a video than to read the text.
Show threadIan ButlerFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Completely agree (another old guy shakes his fist at the clouds). Not to mention, my older tablet is often overwhelmed by a video determined to load itself onto my screen, willy-nilly. It'd be nice to have a choice.
Show threadIain NashFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty my thoughts exactly.
Show threadMassaging the MediumFeb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty I’m the opposite, kinda.

I want it in audio format. My eyes can’t take it anymore!!

Show threadJohanZFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Same thing with podcasts!! Don't make me listen: let me read. It's more efficient.
Show threadCarl IngallsFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty
I also prefer to read text. Perhaps I am too impatient with the slow speed of video.
Show threadChopFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty @stevesilberman Video ads pay way more than display ads.
Show threadGrinning Cat Feb 2, 2023

@chopaganda @oldguycrusty @stevesilberman

Ad blockers for the win. Not only do they make for a much calmer reading (and YouTube watching) experience, but they’re also self-defense against psychological warfare.

(Not an exaggeration, not ads promoting brand X over brand Y, but precisely targeted campaigns by Robert Mercer and others, getting people to DOUBT THEIR BASIC VALUES and sit out and not vote.)

Show threadCJ SchexnayderFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Often I want to see the text so I can parse it to find the salient piece of information I'm interested in. That's not possible in video. Additionally, videos narrative constraints means many key details are simply not included.
Show threadUnderten OverFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Yep, I'm not watching a video of a news story. They can at least chatgpt something out for text.
Show threadakaFlamingogrrlFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Same here.
Show threadBig Head TalesFeb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty I'm the same way! I can typically read a news story in seconds or minutes, it takes ten times as long to watch the video to gain, typically, less information!

If it's video, make sure there's pertinent video information instead of just background filler.

And I'm in media! Go figure.

Show threadAngry CentristFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Video "news" online is a scourge. Given a choice between reading an article and watching some talking-head babble on the topic, I'll choose to read it every time and twice on Sundays.
Show threadAngry CentristFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty btw this goes beyond news these days. Search for "how to" information (from fixing a computer problem to fixing a plumbing problem) and you're likely to find 10 (awful) videos for every concise written solution. 🤬
Show threadJames M.Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty oh yes. Also: Please use headlines that give useful info, not clickbaity ones.
Show thread🤖 The Droid EngineerFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty due to the imprecise nature of writing and video, I prefer to hold my conversations using signal flags
Show threadflopperdogFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Ditto. If I click a news link and see a video player, I'll close it before the first ad even starts
Show threadJOFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty same
Show threadBob HarveyFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty
This. Exactly this.
It is driving me demented.
Show threadKay4BlueTexasFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty This is true for me as well - perhaps because I grew up reading a lot. Not gaming or on social media.
Show threadJoly MacFieFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty and especially if there’s a pre-roll ad! We are talking you #BBC and you @washingtonpost
Show threadGrinning Cat Feb 2, 2023

@joly @oldguycrusty @washingtonpost

uBlock Origin is worth a try. Can’t speak to BBC or WashPost videos, but it eliminates YouTube preroll ads for me.

#uBlockOrigin #AdBlocker #YouTube #ads

Show threadChrisUFeb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty

Yes, I do too

Show threadDmitri ☕️Feb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty Video can be advantageous for many reasons but it's no good for research:

- Can't easily skim or search videos.
- Can't print videos.
- It's hard to trust a video as a reference. Videos themselves usually list 0 references.
- There's no dark mode for videos and you can't consume in a distraction-filled environment (reading subtitles is significantly worse than reading an article). Transcripts and subtitles are also an afterthought.
- Can't easily copy or read text/diagrams.

Show threadevofiveFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I do exactly the same especially if they insist on showing me adverts during it. I close and find the written version.
Show threadPhilFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty @mmasnick Agree.
Show threadSusanGFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty And not only that, what if you are in a position where the video does not good because you can't listen to it because you can't play the audio while listening to something else, like a meeting.
Show threadJeremy L Lawson ☕Feb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty Preach! 🙌

I despise video only news stories. I want to READ the article. If it's video only I'll immediately close the window/tab.

I'm a multi-tasker with multiple screens, so chances are I've got some sort of video I actually want to watch running already. I'm not going to pause it to watch something else.

Show threadTroy PattersonFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty
Me too. I can read much faster than videos will play.
Show threadJonas Hellö Pr.D.Feb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty Is because they can force you to watch commercials first. At least here in Sweden that's the case.

Which makes it even slower, when video is slower than reading already to begin with.

Show threadSean BlakeyFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I know a previous round of pivot-to-video was driven by fake metrics from Facebook. What's driving this round?
Show threadClaire 🐇💨Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I couldn’t agree more. And then you get a smaller version of the video that moves with you as you scroll down the page, which is distracting and infuriating. The first thing I do is find the X to get rid of it.
Show threadGrant   🇨🇦Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty
Hard agree. I will watch a video clip on a news source when I want to, not when *they* decide. And if there’s an ad before my clip of choice starts I’m more often than not out of there.
Show threadDavid MyersFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I am not spending half an hour ingesting info I can get in 5m of reading.
Show threadJosh BiggsFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty @mmasnick Well said. I can’t tell you how many times I google for something; a news story, a question that has a simple answer, or a review of a product and the top links are videos that are not direct, too long, and usually annoying to watch.
Show threadAdron 🤘🏻Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty @seanb same. I especially despise the talking heads bullshit!
Show threadKing KaufmanFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty Same.
Show threadalohajane 🙄Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty , word.
Show threadchristian frock ☕Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty i'm on your side pal...
Show threadParttimesailorFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty you are not alone in this.
Show threadExzim🇿🇼🇨🇦Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty agree plus I'm forced to watch advertising before the video. Can't stand the videos and I don't have time or want to watch ads when I'm on the site to read news.
Show threadThat Anonymous CowardFeb 1, 2023

@oldguycrusty

So YOU'RE the reason they make the videos autoplay and chase you down the screen because its obvious you WANT everything to be video & you just don't know it yet.

Show threadJohnnyangel (Jonathan Angel)Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty I am appalled by the news links that send you right to a video. Video is a much more inefficient way of getting information than text, and for that matter, usually offers much less info than an article would.
Show threadPyperkubFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty IN the attention economy, video is still the easiest way to force users to watch ads.
Show threadJohn Bell 🇺🇦🇪🇺🔸🕷️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Feb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty totally agree. Video takes longer to get the message across. Also, I don’t always want audio intruding into my browsing
Show threadPaul HébertFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty
This is 100% me. I would like to think I'm as informed as your average foreign affairs/foreign policy nerd when it comes to, say, Ukraine, but I can count on one hand the number of minutes of moving pictures of the conflict that I've consumed.
Show threadMike Sullivan (avogadro) movedFeb 1, 2023
@oldguycrusty ABSOLUTELY! I don't always want to spend 4 minutes, with sound on despite others around me doing other things, instead of quickly scanning an article.