Non woodworker woodworking videos

[paulrbarnard]

We have all seen them. Videos where a completely unskilled woodworker does woodworking. Do you think these add value or create completely misguided content?

Here is an example from a photographer I follow, have actually met, and have a great deal of respect for as a photographer. He has a technology back ground but boy oh boy he is not a natural craftsman. Credit to him though as he shares his mistakes.

I’m all for people having a go but worry people get the wrong ideas from this type of content.

 

[Sideways]

If a person has no skill in any field and posts youtube videos there are only three real conclusions:

1. They are doing it for the views - ultimately money or ego.
2. They have some misguided world view that other unskilled members of the public should also be encouraged to have a go and that sharing their own attempts will do that.
3. They have no sense of objective reality and think that their work is good - back to ego again.

He may well be a decent chap, but (and I haven't bothered to watch the video) which of 1, 2 or 3 would you put him in ?

 

[paulrbarnard]

If a person has no skill in any field and posts youtube videos there are only three real conclusions:

1. They are doing it for the views - ultimately money or ego.
2. They have some misguided world view that other unskilled members of the public should also be encouraged to have a go and that sharing their own attempts will do that.
3. They have no sense of objective reality and think that their work is good - back to ego again.

He may well be a decent chap, but (and I haven't bothered to watch the video) which of 1, 2 or 3 would you put him in ?

I think he is definitely a 2 but given he is a professional YouTuber 1 obviously plays a part.

His motives aside to me it is a problem if people take him up on 2 and totally screw something up. I mean he makes enough to buy a Mercedes fan to convert and has already done significant damage to it that will probably be a problem for a future owner

 

[Ed Weber]

He can do what ever he want to on his own van.
1. I don't watch this kind of garbage.
2. He's not very skilled from what I can see.
3. Others that mimic him are just stupid.
Not everything everyone does or attempts to do is worthy of making a video and recording every moment of the process.
So he made a flat square partition in a van, wow. (it already had one)
So he gained a tiny amount of insulation (which could have been added to the existing one)
He made a pass through portal (same as above)
He could have use the old bulkhead as a template, which it didn't appear that he did.
Too many people with too much time and not enough smarts.

They do sell them made to fit any van

 

[HOJ]

Videos where a completely unskilled woodworker does woodworking. Do you think these add value or create completely misguided content?

Maybe I shouldn't, but you got me on this one, In my view they are an absolute liability, encouraging novices & armatures in the first instance to adopt bad practices, and others, to be drawn in to buying inappropriate (sponsored supplied) tools and equipment, setting standards to a low level, but in their mind being more competent than a professional, and the bottom line and its a word I hate to use and one we all now know, "influencing" peoples thinking.

I had a utuber feed pop up this afternoon, regular up loader, offering yet another workshop overview, and gear they'd bought that was at the base end of cost, (and with a discount) only to then wonder why it didn't perform as well as a machine for thrice the price. And had a go about the cost of Festo tools. I really shouldn't watch them, but bizzarley they can be quite interesting in a curious sort of way, maybe I need therapy.

What I did find interesting was the admission they used to get commissioned for work, but hasn't had any (proper work) for a couple of years! couldn't possibly be anything to do with the fact they publicly demonstrate they are ******* **** at it.

 

[John Brown]

Slightly off-topic, but has anyone seen the ridiculous YouTube videos of people "reacting" to other videos? There's some guy called "Seb Duran"(I think), who "reacts" to hearing guitarists like Mark Knopfler, Stevie Ray Vaughan et al, claiming to have never heard of them before. It's really weird. Maybe someone should post videos of themselves reacting to bad woodworking videos?

 

[Sachakins]

We have all seen them. Videos where a completely unskilled woodworker does woodworking. Do you think these add value or create completely misguided content?

Here is an example from a photographer I follow, have actually met, and have a great deal of respect for as a photographer. He has a technology back ground but boy oh boy he is not a natural craftsman. Credit to him though as he shares his mistakes.

I’m all for people having a go but worry people get the wrong ideas from this type of content.

I thought I'd give it a watch before I comment, glad I did it was the best comedy I've seen in a while.
It was also tragic to see the balls ups, safety risks and down right stupid things being done.
Not the sort of thing I would normally watch because of risks you can see very early in the video, I'd bin it off quickly.
But will say he's a good amateur photographer. Just no diyer, with woodworking skills of zero.

 

[TRITON]

We have all seen them. Videos where a completely unskilled woodworker does woodworking. Do you think these add value or create completely misguided content?

You are aware most on here are amateurs ?

Ask yourself. What inspires people to get out and do things

 

[paulrbarnard]

You are aware most on here are amateurs ?

Ask yourself. What inspires people to get out and do things

True but are we putting out videos on YouTube as a business? There isn’t a correlation between amateur / professional and unskilled / skilled.

 

[Drifter2406]

I can remember someone else doing similar videos to this years ago, I think his name was Kenny Everett.

 

[Cabinetman]

@Drifter2406 Reg Prentice with the jig saw was hilarious.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

True but are we putting out videos on YouTube as a business? There isn’t a correlation between amateur / professional and unskilled / skilled.

I'm curious what your mental model of a YouTuber is. Whilst some certainly have a channel dedicated to teaching, the vast majority only aim to entertain. If the entertainment comes from something that they are an expert in, fine, if it comes from something that they are bodging, also fine.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I'm curious what your mental model of a YouTuber is. Whilst some certainly have a channel dedicated to teaching, the vast majority only aim to entertain. If the entertainment comes from something that they are an expert in, fine, if it comes from something that they are bodging, also fine.

Good point. I tend to view someone showing how they do something to be educational in intent. Unless it is intentionally intended as comedy or satire.
I have to confess I don’t watch YouTube for entertainment.

 

[Spectric]

but given he is a professional YouTuber

I would think that Youtube is just a channel to portray your skills, there is no point in being a proffesional youtuber if you have no skills to portray. Then you have these weird so called influencers, who are they trying to influence because you would need to be either a sheep or a lemming to take any notice.

Do you think Peter Millard would have such a following if he looked like this !

 

[Ed Weber]

YouTube has a culture that everyone is an expert. Everyone has the best way to do something, no matter the subject. The economics of YT have to do with numbers of views not the content quality.
That's why there is click bait and a gazillion bad, unsafe, sad and unwatchable videos for every decent one. A very small percentage are both enjoyable to watch and informative.
Had it not been for this thread, I would have never watched the video in the OP.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I would think that Youtube is just a channel to portray your skills, there is no point in being a proffesional youtuber if you have no skills to portray. Then you have these weird so called influencers, who are they trying to influence because you would need to be either a sheep or a lemming to take any notice.

Do you think Peter Millard would have such a following if he looked like this !

View attachment 184842

You just caught him on a bad day

 

[paulrbarnard]

YouTube has a culture that everyone is an expert. Everyone has the best way to do something, no matter the subject. The economics of YT have to do with numbers of views not the content quality.
That's why there is click bait and a gazillion bad, unsafe, sad and unwatchable videos for every decent one. A very small percentage are both enjoyable to watch and informative.
Had it not been for this thread, I would have never watched the video in the OP.

His photography is great

 

[thetyreman]

YouTube has a culture that everyone is an expert.

definitely agree with this, it can be quite annoying how ignorant some creators are, there is a ridiculous amount of misinformation, often when selling products in the video are involved or a hidden motive.

 

[TRITON]

definitely agree with this, it can be quite annoying how ignorant some creators are, there is a ridiculous amount of misinformation, often when selling products in the video are involved or a hidden motive.

Well I think its definitely perceived as that, but the real problem people going on YT for advice are facing, is working out who is worth watching and as point of this thread, who is just making vids for the money, and are in fact offering dangerous advice.

Like that clown on another thread a few weeks back, who was running vids on how proper woodworkers use a router, when he simply didnt have a clue and was actually attempting to use the router in reverse to the cutting direction.

A few people posted comments on his vid pointing out how wrong he was but he removed them.

I see he's since made that vid private. Not surprising, it must be an embarrassment to claim to be some sort of experienced woody and have not a single clue about how to use the powertools he's supposedly showing others how to use
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/learning-woodwork-from-youtube.147809/#post-1735618

 

[Ed Weber]

I'll add that collectively, YT has no sense of history.
How many times have you started to watch a video of something you thought was a new method, new product, new idea, etc. only to find out it's;
A. as old as the hills
B. just plain dangerous
C. Stupid to the point, no one in their right mind would do it.
all the while the "content creator" is just blisfully unaware.
The endless amount of "NEW" tips, tricks and hacks is mind numbing.
If any of them bothered to look, they'd realize there's not too much new. The tools may have changed but wood hasn't. If there was more time spent actually working with wood, not trying to work around things with a cheap short cut, the content quality would skyrocket.