ProviderJul 25, 2023

How do you guys remember the early days of the internet? What do you miss about it?

https://feddit.de/post/1850883

How do you guys remember the early days of the internet? What do you miss about it? - Feddit

Wanted to ask you about this article, how do you remember the early days of the internet (I was sadly too young at that time). Do you wish it back? And do you think it can ever be like that again? I would be very interested

Riccardo PericoJul 26, 2023
Show threadbstix
I miss written tutorials. I hate how every tutorial is a YouTube now. I don’t want to watch 15 minutes and forget to pay attention for the second that has the detail that I am missing or it just doesn’t show. Even short tutorials are 3 minutes when it could have been a ten second read. I want to skim a page and go directly to the point. Has writing really become that hard to do?
Jul 25, 2023 at 6:39pmWeb
Show threadBernie EcclestonedJul 25, 2023
Wikihow is pretty good. Most offer a written and illustrated article as well as a video
Show threadn3wjackJul 27, 2023
@bernieecclestoned @bstix they are letting AI do the writing now, so bye bye to that too
Show threadAnders429Jul 25, 2023
Drives me crazy when I see this kind of format for things like programming. Nothing like pausing the video and trying to see what their code says.
Show threadNepentheJul 25, 2023

I was all set to start bitching about the obligatory 10-15 minutes of "older, medicated suburban housewife shows off her whole yarn closet, every needle, which needle she likes (it's just pretty), her fingernails, pushes her state-mandated store, and then finishes off with an internet recipe story about how her gramgram was fleeing the war and had to knit jasmine stitch backwards to survive......before fucking up the stitch and never editing that part out. But it's ok because her hands were in the way the whole time anyway."

But I think you've found the only thing that has me beat.

I will at least use this time to implore any knitting/crochet peeps on the fediverse that if you or someone you love is uploading how-to videos anywhere on the web.....SHOW ME THE DAMN STITCH SO I CAN LEAVE. I HAVE PROJECTS, I DO NOT CARE.

Show threadswan_prJul 25, 2023
I'll usually go with the length of the video in cases like this. Anything above 5 minutes is a red flag!
Show threadNepentheJul 25, 2023

I still remember a video I found a year ago that was just barely over a whole minute long. It was a guy doing one single really clear cable stitch in complete silence, and then the video cuts out.

I do not know who they are, but I will vouch for that man before god.

Doing a cursory search to see if I can find it again, the second video suggested to me is 26:44 long.

Show threadswan_prJul 25, 2023
It probably disappeared into the ether because it was too short or lacked a backdrop of dried flowers and a cup of tea.
Show threadJeroen van BergenAug 28, 2023
@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 @swan_pr some procedures are easier to understand when you see how it is done. Like changing the battery in the key of a car.
Show threaddeejay4amJul 26, 2023
YT algorithm favors videos that are at least 10 minutes (they fit more ads in) so those get recommended more. As a result, runtimes get padded with fluff so you get recommended to more viewers.
Show threadflipthetubeJul 26, 2023

That’s disgusting.

I feel like relying on the algorithms completely misses the human elements.

If I need an answer to something, I want my top results to be short and sweet. If I want a documentary or dj set, I don’t want a 3-10 minute version.

Show threadUbergeekJul 26, 2023
@4am @swan_pr remember the days when the max video WAS 10 minutes?
Show threadAlexander The 1stJul 28, 2023
@4am @swan_pr It'd be nice if they do that padding at the end, not the beginning.
Show threadNoah GibbsJul 29, 2023

@4am @swan_pr And it's much harder to sell ads on text instructions 😞

The ad-driven nature of the internet means we get that instead of what we want.

Show threadKeith ☕ 🇳🇿 🤔Jul 31, 2023
@codefolio @4am @swan_pr which is fine, if people want to get paid for providing tutorials or instructions, then that's good for them, if advertising is the mechanism to allow that, then so be it.
Show threadNoah GibbsJul 31, 2023

@keith @4am @swan_pr

It's still hard that it cuts off the early internet. Ads driven by search engines means SEO, which mean making it *very* hard to find the kind of instructions you can't sell ads on.

It's understandable that people write what they can get paid for. It's hard that the early Internet methods of doing this are now effectively dead, with no replacement.

Show threadsalguod, man 🍂🍁 lazysupperAug 11, 2023
@keith @codefolio @4am @swan_pr people should get paid for their efforts, but advertising and algorithms negatively impact the quality of what they produce.
Show thread🇮🇪 Wlado 🇪🇸Aug 2, 2023
@4am @swan_pr 
Show threadKelvin n0mql EN35ldAug 28, 2023
@4am @swan_pr
Except now they're also pushing shorts (which is so stupid).
Show threadflopperdogAug 27, 2023
@swan_pr @Provider @bstix @Anders429 @Nepenthe
A five minute video is the WORST because it's going to be four minutes of branding, then 12 seconds of them showing me where in the menu the option I need was buried, then 48 seconds of Don't Forget To Like And Subscribe Kay Thanks Bye!
Show threadSecond Chance BikesAug 28, 2023
@swan_pr @Provider @bstix @Anders429 @Nepenthe
I generally don't view them all, just keep searching for a text-only explanation. Even those have a lot of blabbity blab to scroll past.
If I DO launch a vid, i jump through hoping to find the worthwhile part.
Show threadAcmeworksJul 26, 2023
@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 Haha, I'm tempted to turn that whole thread into a piece of music with "I HAVE PROJECTS I DO NOT CARE" as the chorus. (I'm hearing it as some sort of electronic hardcore punk.)
Show threadNepentheJul 26, 2023
If you can pull it off, you have my blessing. Better post it when you're done, though.
Show threadTinaJul 26, 2023

@Nepenthe The only thing worse are patterns with only a video and no written instructions or charts (I love charts, much easier to read than text).

I actually learned to knit with YT but everything else I want it in writing or charted.

Show threadFanCityKnits 🇺🇦🧶Jul 28, 2023

@spinni81 @Nepenthe patterns that are only video are a thing?

And here I'm bitching about overly wordy patterns. At least it's easy to skim over text to find the relevant parts.

I really can't see why it worked make sense to make a whole pattern a video.

Show threadTinaJul 28, 2023
@FanCityKnits @Nepenthe Unfortunately, yes, there are. I don't come across them often because I mostly search for patterns on Rav but I've seen them there too. To be fair, though, there is a substantial number of crafters (mostly crochet) who prefer videos because they can't read charts and don't understand written instructions. For them YT is crafting heaven.
Show threadTim N7KOMJul 26, 2023
@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 that's why I made a 2-minute how to series for the FT-60r. Each video has to show how to do something on the radio in 2 minutes or less.
Show thread@AlexBlock has movedJul 26, 2023
@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 I need a tutorial to show me how you added bolded text to your post!
Show threadNepentheJul 27, 2023

I assume it all works the same on mastodon, if it's showing up ok, so:

Bold is two asterisks on either side like *this*

Show thread@AlexBlock has movedAug 3, 2023
@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 Thanks for the tips, handy to know!
Show threadwebhatAug 27, 2023

@Nepenthe @Provider @bstix @Anders429 @alexblock **bold** *italic* ~~strikethrough~~

Does this look MD to you?

Show threadSvenjaJul 26, 2023
@Anders429 @bstix for me its even not accessible then, because I can't see the Code in the Video on Screen, ocr is also not reliable there.
Show threadtechnicatJul 28, 2023
@Anders429 @bstix and forget about copy and pasting code
Show threadjanananenaJul 28, 2023
@Anders429 @bstix lol actually i watch videos for programming sometimes - what is really bad is getting a good look at that one knitting stitch that has a six letter abbreviation and only the worst text explanations WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TAKING A PICTURE OF THIS
Show threadShirley EugestAug 28, 2023
@Anders429 @bstix
Or their screen looks like this, but blurrier.
Show threadnoctiswholeJul 25, 2023

Has writing really become that hard to do?

It's probably more to do with discoverability and monetization. I'm generalizing a ton, but I feel like there isn't even a ton of super useful YouTube tutorials outside of beginner content because that gets the most views.

Show threadWitek KowalikJul 28, 2023
@noctiswhole
Yes, plus especially craters have discovered that tutorial on YT are more discoverable than their sites in the still so called search engine - as those sites are commonly found only after a more specific query, and mostly only after going through a dozen of pages of sponsored and irrelevant search results. Google's enshittification of the search engine in all of its glory!
@Provider @bstix
Show threadMechanismaticJul 25, 2023

Video title: “How to unlock the demon door on the fourth level of Demon Smasher Elite”

“Hello, video game fans! Don’t forget to like and subscribe! Last week I posted a video that isn’t relevant to this video, but I need to drag out the time on this one to game the algorithm, so I’m going to rehash and plug that video. I’m going to shout out to my Patreon subscribers with ridiculous usernames I won’t pronounce well. Now let’s get to the part you’ve waiting for: I’m going to play through the entire thirty minutes worth of level four before you get to the demon door and I will stop to make useless commentary on the bad guys you encounter. Okay, now you’ve skipped forward to what looks like the area before the demon door part of the stage, but I’m going to talk about some unrelated anecdote about this game or maybe the game devs, and then plug my Patreon account and mention a completely different game that I’ll be streaming next. Oh and here’s the five seconds of the video you wanted to see when I tell you to click the right mouse button on the hidden lever next to the demon door in order to open it, except you aren’t seeing it because you skipped forward too far and gave up. Don’t forget to like and subscribe! This video has been brought to you by Nord VPN.”

Show threadNepentheJul 25, 2023

Now let’s get to the part you’ve waiting for: I’m going to play through the entire thirty minutes worth of level four before you get to the demon door and I will stop to make useless commentary on the bad guys you encounter.

About a month ago, I'd gotten back to replaying Suikoden Tactics, and there's this whole quest-accepting mechanic that's the easiest way to rack up skill points.

But one of them is a series of "go get X out of the murder death ruins for me" and for the life of me, I could not remember which floor what item was on in order to know whether it was worth trying for right now. That place is pure ass and permadeath is a thing, so I'm not just going to go jaunting down to the final floor because I'm bored.

This game is so old that there are almost no discussions about it. I'm rooting through abandoned forums from 2005 looking for gems. God bless forums from 2005 btw.

Somehow, there is a single video on this subject. It is a series of videos as the youtuber fights through the entire dungeon in one go. There is commentary. There are no timestamps. He does not split the videos according to floor. The information I'm looking for is somewhere in here, but I have zero guarantee he's even treasure hunting, so he may not mention it.

I could have cried.

Show threadfinthechatJul 25, 2023

Has writing really become that hard to do?

The cynic in me says yes.

Show threadDarthYoshiBoyJul 25, 2023
1996 is on the latter end of what I consider the early internet, but I really miss the Video Game FAQ Archive (GameFAQs) which was murdered by a thousand cuts culminating in the death of the gamefaqs.com domain. FAQs used to be so good, these days the same information is dispersed over 50 pages of an HTML "guide" that is more ads than information, and often for less complete information, if it's not just a YouTube video that's even worse and shows you things but doesn't explain them at all.
Show threadbrandonJul 26, 2023
@DarthYoshiBoy Man, that just activated a core memory or something. I used to check GameFAQs daily, if only to vote in the poll. Some of those walkthroughs and guides opened completely new doors for me as a kid.
Show threadSnowBuntingJul 26, 2023
Same. I missed those days where you can just control F to the part of the page and get the info you wanted. Now it’s wait for 2 ads to play, scroll through the intro and then a bunch of scrubbing to find it.
Show threadgaydarlessJul 26, 2023
YES, this is such a peeve for me!!! I’ve developed an aversion to viewing video content unless it’s for something I truly need to see done. And even then, I’m more likely to check wikihow and endure their gifs than I am to watch someone’s video. It’s just so overdone.
Show threadWhatTheChelJul 26, 2023
@bstix @Provider This! I'm not sure who is more at fault. Is it that writers don't want to write or that readers don't want to read (causing writers to shift from writing)? Either way it is torture. I'm a fast reader. Videos go at their own agonizing pace. Who thought this was a good idea???
Show threadMark GardnerJul 26, 2023
@WhatTheChel @bstix It’s not about whether people want to read or write, it’s what can be monetized by providing enough #video runtime to allow the platform to insert more #advertising
Show threadWhatTheChelJul 26, 2023
@mjgardner @bstix Oh, there's definitely that! And I rarely watch videos (even when downloaded and sent to me), because I just don't have the patience to sit through what I could read in mere seconds...
Show threadChris BoeseJul 26, 2023
@WhatTheChel @mjgardner @bstix @chefraven Me too!
Show threadLaura 🏳️‍🌈Jul 27, 2023
@WhatTheChel @mjgardner @bstix I had to watch some video tutorials at work, because it was training I was required to do. And the training material was not on YT but on the company's own website. Could not get away from it. Hate them because my mind starts wondering after 15 seconds, and I get bored with the slow speed. Reading works better for me.
Show threadWhatTheChelJul 27, 2023
@BioHumanisti @mjgardner @bstix Yes, this! My mind will go off on a tangent so easily if I'm not actually reading. It's so slow that I will start skipping ahead and trying to figure out whether I missed anything. Pure torture! 😂
Show threadPeter BrownJul 27, 2023
@WhatTheChel @BioHumanisti @mjgardner @bstix it might be worth trying to play the video into voice recognition software and see if it will produce you a printed transcript.
Show threadStrfnurfnAug 28, 2023
@WhatTheChel @BioHumanisti I know this is not a timely reply, but if it happens again: I found a browser extension - I think it's called Video Speed Controller - that works on all sorts of videos. It worked for my work training! I just can't focus when the pace is too slow.
Show threadWhatTheChelAug 28, 2023
@earthtoneone @BioHumanisti Oh, wow! I'll have to check this out. Thanks!
Show threadApisNecrosJul 26, 2023
@mjgardner @bstix
It's exactly this. Just look at recipes. They have to be 5+ paragraph essays about the author's family history, or else they won't get picked up by search engines (read: Google). And if you don't get on the top 5 results, you may as well not exist. Even if written tutorials were more common, they'd also be pressured to be word salads that make it tedious to get the info you actually want.
Show threadRAMΞNJVNKIΞ🍜Jul 26, 2023

@WhatTheChel @bstix @Provider Videos get better monetizing.

This is 100% the driver.

Show threadWylieCoyoteUK Jul 27, 2023
@WhatTheChel @bstix @Provider No, its because google prioritises search results that point at Youtube so they can push ads at you..
The stuff is often out there, but hidden below the Youtube links.
Show threadWhatTheChelJul 27, 2023
@wyliecoyoteuk @bstix @Provider I'm sure that's true, and I skim right past those. But I'm not even talking just about things I've googled. A lot of people I've followed for information on different topics have started pivoting to video because they say they get more traction, presumably because more people would rather watch than read. I don't know whether that's the right analysis (maybe also just easier for the creator to talk than write?), but something is definitely shifting that direction.
Show threadAllan Svelmøe HansenJul 26, 2023
@bstix @Provider I cannot express how much I agree with this :D
Show threadNewkJul 26, 2023

@bstix @Provider

True and if you liked that remeber to follow here, like here and leave a comment, please!

Show threadMatthias DL4MATAug 28, 2023
@Newk @bstix @Provider so ... you don't have a shop?
Show threadKathy ReidJul 26, 2023
@bstix @Provider it's harder to stuff ads in written docs 🤮