Surfing Around Steemit; Considering Articles, Photos and Videos
Somehow, I ended up spending most of my day reading, commenting and generally "curating" around the Land of Steemit.
Getting exposed to many different kinds of content, it occurred to me that everyone probably has their own way of surfing the web. To which I'd add that everyone probably has their own way of looking at content on Steemit.
I Guess I'm Just an Old Fashioned READER!
In recent weeks, I've noticed that I don't have a lot of patience with video posts (or so-called "vlogs"), and by far prefer to peruse text and image posts.
A peaceful sunny pond
Unless a video is on something I very specifically know I'll be interested in, I'm unlikely to start watching... especially if it's more than 2-3 minutes long. To be perfectly honest and rude... a large number of people just have a lousy video presence.
There are a few exceptions, of course... Steemit has a few exceptional videobloggers who keep their content really interesting. They also stay "on task" really well... a lot of self-made videographers tend to "wander" a lot... no, I don't need to know that there were almost no clean glasses in the kitchen, and that you're not sure where you set down the blunt you rolled earlier.
Am I being hypercritical?
Well, here's the deal... if you were writing your post, you wouldn't be telling me about the dirty glasses or your lost reefer, you'd just get to the point... so why ramble on, just because it's video?
On the whole, though, I'd much rather READ than watch and listen.
Tongue-in-cheek criticisms aside, I just prefer the written word on a page or screen. This may sound strange, but I actually don't find it "easier" to watch a video than read an article.
Lilacs in bloom
I suspect part of that is because I am older... I grew up with books and text... and I can "absorb" a 500-word post in about 6-8 seconds. No, I'm not kidding. "Speed reading" a video clip-- if such a thing is even possible-- is not a skill I have developed, as of yet.
Of course, I also love the work of the many amazing photographers we have on Steemit, I'm especially into the many images from different parts of the world-- places I, most likely, will not get to visit in this lifetime. So thank you all for sharing your amazing worlds!
And then there are our marvelous creative artists! Wow! Special kudos to those of you who take the time to show an entire progression of a piece of art, from conceptualization to finished piece.
Keep in Mind that You DO have an Audience!
What else have I learned on my reading rounds, today?
Wild rose with beetle
Well, this is a SOCIAL content site. That means... being here involves people other than yourself. Specifically, it involves a potential audience. It's fine that you might be writing or journaling "for yourself" but keep in mind that other people are likely to read your content.
And if you really want people to connect and engage with your posts? Show that you care... at least a little bit. And that means content that's reasonably easy to read, and attractively presented.
If it looks like YOU don't care about your posts... how could you expect others to care?
And for you videographers? ENOUGH with the whole shaky-camera cinema verité look and sudden "headache pans" of your surroundings.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming!
How about YOU? Do you sometimes spend most of your "Steemit time" just reading and curating, rather than making your own posts? Do you have specific "Steemit time?" Do you have a favorite format for what you like on Steemit? Leave a comment-- share your experiences and feedback-- join the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Published 20170714 17:45 PDT
Good post, and I read it, and I agree.
Thanks for stopping by!
Too true. It seems like many vlogs are full of fluff, and don't get to the point quickly enough. Unless it's an instructional video, I find it easier to absorb content through writing. Much of the time, vlogs have an ulterior motive to them too e.g showing how 'cool' their lifestyle is. Save me.
I would have to disagree..A video gives out more information than what an article does..You can gain more knowledge and information from a 2 minute video than reading an article for 2 minutes..Yes there are show off and lifestyle video but there are also show off articles..
I'll concede, at times a video is more helpful or useful than written text. But the opposite is certainly true too. My point was that with a video, it often contains 'fluff', or superfluous material. If I'd made a vid of this comment, it would have taken much longer to be up here too. Recording, editing, uploading etc. More than the minute it took me to write this. As for lifestyle stuff, I'm not interested whether they're in vid or written format, for the most part :)
Fact, on the "lifestyle" thing... not really a "currency" that spends well in my reality.
For a moment I thought you were me. LOL
In all seriousness though, I agree with everything you've said. I'm a reader. I love to interact. There are only very few people whose vlogs I will take the time to stop and listen to. And it actually does make me STOP. And Listen.
I didn't realize why I had a growing dislike for vlogs until you mentioned all of the strange asides that take them off topic. That is a very good observation!
The other part that I agree with 100% is how much people care about the presentation of their posts. If they don't care about what it looks like, why should I care to spend my precious time there? For me, "quality" is never about content it's about the presentation.
Heh... well, there you go! Seems we share a lot of similar approaches to life, and such.
Maybe some of this is Steemit specific-- since this IS a somewhat "alternative" community-- but some of the vloggers go off on these... what I call "stoner sidetracks" where they just ramble for five minutes about nothing in particular... before finally figuring out why they were there.
"Quality," to me, is an overall impression that suggests "I did my best."
I like a variety of formats. You're definitely right that some people don't have the "video presence", in that case it can be hard to watch.
But sometimes after reading a bunch of posts, a video can be a good change of pace. Moderation in all things, perhaps?
Moderation in all things... yeah, I'm about that, too. There are definitely some good vloggers here... and some entertaining content.
I agree completely.
how'd THAT happen?
I dunno Everitt.
Maybe we should call a press conference.
Or just have a cold one on the back porch...
cold one sounds good.
If we call a press conference we'd have to speak baby talk.
that's boring.
I enjoy reading compelling posts as well. I'm not into the 1 pic or meme posts, there's no value in that for me. I have come across a few accounts since I joined like yourself that always have interesting, or thought-provoking topics. I also like posts with photography, but I prefer there to be a story to go along with the pictures so I better understand what they were thinking or feeling at that time to put it all in perspective. I try to do that will all my posts as well, even my contest entry posts.
Photo essays are among my favorite types of content... I have a few favorites like @budgetbucketlist and I like @wadepaterson's interviews with various Steemians... I find that type of content quite appealing.
To be honest, the endless parade of dank memes on Facebook was largely responsible for my willingness to pretty much abandon that part of social media. Yeah, I still Facebook, but now it's almost 100% business related.
It's been tough to watch the internet as a whole decay over time.
Twenty years ago I created my first web page (AOL 1.5) and the internet had such potential. Skip ahead to today and I'm just about over it. Very few sites provide pure, well-intended content anymore. Even the ones that do are usually buried in advertising, tracking scripts, and analytics. Having a site like this with no advertising, where you earn your rewards by the power of the people is refreshing.
I have a blocker in my browsers called ghostery, it strips it all out down to bare bones content. Most sites has that thing lit up with 20-50, Steemit has only 2.
Fully agree - with only about three poster exceptions, I pretty much never look at videos on Steemit.
I also never look at posts with no pictures, and am unlikely to read any posts that start with a full screen of text and no picture breaks - dozens of posts to look at, not enough cool pictures!
And videos are just a major time waster...
Some videoblogs are definitely worthwhile... I have learned quite a lot about cryptos and alt coins by following @heiditravels, and I often watch @papa-pepper's clips with critters... because he just does delightfully crazy stuff. But mostly no.
And massive blocks of text with no paragraphs or photos? Get off my planet!
Old school here as well. I don't need you to dictate your post to me on video. Plus I usually have a 'let's play' video going on my other screen while I read articles here. No room for another vid.
Couple of good points there... I'm often listening to a YouTube playlist or something, and don't want to shut it down to hear the voice on the vid. And I'm often persuing Steemit at work... and can't have any sound going.
@denmarkguy I prefer the written word as well. If there's a video in a post and it's more than about 3-4 minutes long I have to be really interested in the topic to sit through it. I have a hard enough time keeping up with what comes through my feed as it is.
There's a concept in marketing called the "elevator pitch", basically what would you say to someone to get their interest if you had to say it on an elevator between 2 floors?
People should understand that.
Thumbs up for the "elevator speech!" I remember that one well... if you can't describe what you're about or what you're selling in 15 seconds (a "short" radio spot), you need to refine what you're trying to say. I remember that well from marketing... and from writing radio commercials as a freelancer.
I agree, I have watched maybe 3 vlogs in 2months here. I know I post my Airstream Videos, but that is important info to get out there for people interested. I enjoy creating text/image stories more as well. I would have to be VERY interested to sit and watch a video. Especially if someone posts some other persons video from the past...nope!
Yeah, but your videos are a little different in that they are informational/instructional... and your sharing the journey through an entire project, bit by bit. If you just posted one 90-minute clip of the whole process... that might be a bit dull... but you mix in stills and explanations.