His 1-hour videos could normally be condensed into 20 minutes of content, maximum. I think he has mostly good takes (some bad ones), but I’ve ceased watching because he doesn’t know how to make a point in a reasonable amount of words.
This is most YouTubers who get very popular due to having original and opinionated content on niche topics. They tend to identify (perhaps correctly, perhaps not) their idiosyncratic personalities and opinions as the primary cause of their initial popularity and repeatedly double down on it as they grow in popularity. This is also the explicit advice that the vast majority of big YouTubers give to aspiring or up-and-coming YouTubers.
And I’m not advising that they should do anything different! Who am I?! I’m just pointing out that the culture of YouTubers is fundamentally about deliberately subjecting yourself to the most extreme audience capture.
Very true. But also, I have seen loads of youtubers that create a variety of things and then suddenly the algorithm rewards them with a video or two getting loads more views and they get fixated on that subject/stlye. It is kind of like rewarding someone at a slot machine, or a cargo cult.
Ben Jordan used to do almost entirely synthesizer stuff, now it is all privacy and security focused because that is what he got rewarded for. NatswhatIreckon, did all manner of comedy stuff like making fun are car shows, he ended up fixated on cooking because one video exploded in views back 2020. Heck, MrBeast used to be a minecraft channel.
In getting rewarded, they tend to lean into that. I don't blame them but also it does mean they become risk adverse at times.
Yes, and longer videos allow for Youtube to insert more ad breaks. For viewers that are Youtube Premium subscribers, the revshare portion that goes to the creator also grows linearly with watchtime.
Additionally, "the algorithm" rewards channels that have a lot of watchtime & retention (because againg, this leads to more ad placement opportunities for Youtube). So if you are able to produce long-form videos that keep the viewers engaged and watching, your videos are more likely to be recommended, which reinforces the popularity of long videos.
I'd say most subscribers to the channel want to watch his snarky ramblings as they are entertaining. I'd say the information provided is secondary to the format and personality.
I for instance don't subscribe because I want to know about old toasters, christmas lights and the internal combustion engine. If that was the case, I'd subscribe to channels specific to that topic. I subscribe to Technology Connections because I like his videos, and if I learn a thing or two along the way, that's a nice extra
brudgers · · focus · HN ↗
<a href="https://youtu.be/_KWdCqpXB7A" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/_KWdCqpXB7A
And of course complains.
But they are technologically informed complaints.
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And his research is original.
Not a book report cribbed from Wikipedia.
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samplatt · · focus · HN ↗
So does YouTube. It rewards longer videos both monetarily and algorithmically.
This is why there's been so many videos over the last few years that are just barely over 20min or just barely over 60min.
The result is video essays that could be 5min that are padded out to 20min.
tshaddox · · focus · HN ↗
And I’m not advising that they should do anything different! Who am I?! I’m just pointing out that the culture of YouTubers is fundamentally about deliberately subjecting yourself to the most extreme audience capture.
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FlowingRiver · · focus · HN ↗
Ben Jordan used to do almost entirely synthesizer stuff, now it is all privacy and security focused because that is what he got rewarded for. NatswhatIreckon, did all manner of comedy stuff like making fun are car shows, he ended up fixated on cooking because one video exploded in views back 2020. Heck, MrBeast used to be a minecraft channel.
In getting rewarded, they tend to lean into that. I don't blame them but also it does mean they become risk adverse at times.
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Additionally, "the algorithm" rewards channels that have a lot of watchtime & retention (because againg, this leads to more ad placement opportunities for Youtube). So if you are able to produce long-form videos that keep the viewers engaged and watching, your videos are more likely to be recommended, which reinforces the popularity of long videos.
agile-gift0262 · · focus · HN ↗
I for instance don't subscribe because I want to know about old toasters, christmas lights and the internal combustion engine. If that was the case, I'd subscribe to channels specific to that topic. I subscribe to Technology Connections because I like his videos, and if I learn a thing or two along the way, that's a nice extra
aaron695 · · focus · HN ↗
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