Why are user created videos not being viewed by the community?

Hi Mark,

I recently done a roadtest which included both a review and a teardown on a Keithley 2110 meter and I used video. Here are the videos and the view stats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdqtuHaiVIQ - 1,684 views

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI8s4hignaI - 1,442 views 

Now I have a pretty active blog related video channel so that does count for the majority of the views.  I did get some feedback (and do from time to time for other videos) that some people don't like video content, they prefer to read text and high resolution images and that would appear to be the case on element14 right now.

Another problem might be related to uploading video using elemnt14's own video streaming feature - I guess built into Jive Community (which is what powers element14), I prefer youttube for coverage but I can understand why element14 might like to have the content self-contained.

In summary, there are some things you can do on video that you simply cannot re-create using text and pictures so you need to pick the format that best suites your content and the intended audience. Not an easy task - you cant please everyone sadly.

Not sure thats of any help but its my understanding

Gerry

My employer's internet usage policy does not allow me to watch videos whilst at work. Others may be in the same situation.

I've commented on my dislike of videos before and I hope Gerry will forgive me for using his an an illustration .

The two that Gerry links to above are 25 minutes and 33 minutes long - in round numbers that's an hour. I was a little interested in the meter so I skimmed the two - spending perhaps 5 minutes on the pair. For me to spend an hour on something it's got to be important (or paid for).

I would much rather look at several short reviews than one long one. If a review is text and pictures it can be skimmed or searched much more effectively.

If there is something which can ONLY be illustrated by video (can't think of an example other than perhaps Dave the EEV Blog man's bouncing batteries) then by all means include a SHORT video.

In more general terms the other issue is that many review videos are of poor quality - scripting, acting, making and editing  a video is a serious skill and usually requires a team of people to make a good one.

MK

In my case the reason tends to be that I read most of the reviews and discussions via my email. I tend to only come to the forum itself if I wish to reply to a topic/post or, if something in the text takes my fancy and I want to see the images ( the image links in the emails don't work properly for me).

Whilst not an excuse, it does influence my thinking in that I'm of an age that is pre-internet, and whilst I do watch some electronic clips on Youtube and on the (shh swearing) RS site, it is normally where I see something demonstrated wjhere seeing something makes things clear to me.

For example, I watched and downloaded a clip by Eurocircuits\Elektor magazine showing multilayer PC boards being assembled and the complete PCB production, and a French one on someone making their own valves from scratch.  I'm less likely to watch something to do with a development board, but, a 3-D printer demonstration might pique my interest or something robotic that is different to the norm or if someone had made their own SMD oven controller or egg incubator from a dev board and showing it working.

On the other hand, I may well watch someones efforts on Youtube or somewhere as I have this mental block that separates what I think of work type stuff (Element14/RS) to something I might watch for non work purposes in the electroncis field.

Colin

PS> I should also say, I hadn't actually seen where these videos get uploaded to. I don't find the Community layout that intuitive myself.

MK,

No problem, gald to be of assistance - even if its to demonstrate what you don't like. I chose to use video because the the medium I prefer myself and actually I enjoy making them and improving on them over time.  Not to everyones liking I know.

Gerry

I think in most cases, I also read the reviews on the email, there is a limit to how much video i can watch and with so much infomration available I prefer to watch short concise videos, I one hope to generate small video on a technical nature butuntil my confidence improves to gett htat first one out. I can assure you that I will only produce short ones, Attention span start to get limited after a while. Sometimes longer video go onto another monitor and get fleeting glances based on audio content and fast forwarded when become monotonous.

Online webinars fall into a different category as more an information session and learning only, not so much for reviews.

There are several reasons I rarely watch the videos.  1.  The information density is too low compared to text.  2.  In most of the videos, the only thing moving is an image on a monitor, and it is of such low resolution and quality that it is useless.  3.  The video techniques are usually quite poor.

Ed

I rarely watch technical videos, because the sequential access nature of the medium is way too slow.  I would much rather have a 'blog entry with photos that I can skim down quickly to see what's of interest, and I usually only click a video if something has piqued my curiosity.

I particularly find most videos from chip vendors to be something to skip.  I'd much rather skim the first pages of the data sheet or the table of contents of a technical reference manual.

Gerry,

Very interesting.  The same two videos that have been viewed well over a thousand times each on You Tube have only been viewed twice (in one case) and zero times (in the other) on the Element14 Road Test site.  Could one factor affecting low viewership be where the videos are located?

Mark

John,

Thank you for that insight.  That is something I had not considered.

Mark