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If you think PragerU or ReasonTV are "extreme right wing" content, respectfully I think you might be lacking perspective. I would describe PragerU as mainstream

If you think PragerU or ReasonTV are "extreme right wing" content, respectfully I think you might be lacking perspective. I would describe PragerU as mainstream within the conservative sphere. Their presentation is almost always high-quality in terms of production, respectful in its delivery, and even-keeled. You might disagree with the content (or their values), or find factual errors, but it is easy to find flaws with a wide range of content producers on the left as well. ReasonTV is even closer to center, and is near-right libertarian, and definitely not extreme right. As for your experience with recommendations - I am not sure why you would not see recommendations similar to the videos you like. I see videos from multiple ideologies regularly and get content recommended from all of them. I haven't had my feed dominated by one side. What I think is happening is that people _notice_ videos that incense them, and incorrectly perceive it as being dominant when it truly isn't.

PavlovsCat 8y ago
> high-quality in terms of production, respectful in its delivery, and even-keeled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7BgrddY18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7BgrddY18 "Why you should love fossil fuels", "It is easy for feminists to forget that men gave women the right to vote, gave up their monopoly on power, and invented birth control." -- even-keeled? > it is easy to find flaws with a wide range of content producers on the left as well. More importantly irrevelant, since the criticism isn't that imperfect right wing videos are presented instead of perfect left wing ones. > I haven't had my feed dominated by one side. So? It's perfectly possible for you to be in a different testing bucket. Don't assume what you see is what everybody sees, and that they are just interpreting it differently than you do. I might as well say "nah, you only think you see videos from multiple ideologies".
- throwawaysea 8y ago
  > "Why you should love fossil fuels" I did see a video from them showing the wide range of products that use fossil fuel as components. Was that the one you're referencing? I felt that video is a fair point to make, since many conveniences of modern life outside of the obvious (i.e. transportation) depend on fossil fuels. Most consumers will not want to give up those conveniences, and their demand for those products shapes our overall consumption of fossil fuels. That video was high-quality and respectful. As for the other video you are mentioning, I haven't seen it, but it seems like a single example picked to paint a narrative. But I don't really want to argue about individual examples, and don't think that's a productive line of discussion. My larger point is that PragerU is not "extreme right wing" content - that's hyperbolic. If they are "extreme right wing", what word will you use for actual right-wing extremists (i.e. those calling for violence)? It feels like anything right of center-left is being compressed into one label of "extreme right wing". > So? It's perfectly possible for you to be in a different testing bucket. Don't assume what you see is what everybody sees, and that they are just interpreting it differently than you do. I might as well say "nah, you only think you see videos from multiple ideologies". OK, if everything is anecdotal, then we should put no stock in those from the left continually complaining about YouTube's recommendation algorithms. After all, no one has standing to do so per your logic.
  - PavlovsCat 8y ago
    I was referencing the video I linked. > My larger point is that PragerU is not "extreme right wing" content - that's hyperbolic. If you replaced it with "very conservative" or something in the original comment, the whole point would still stand. > we should put no stock in those from the left continually complaining "The left" isn't doing anything, a specific individual commented.
fwip 8y ago
PragerU is absolutely garbage. Their "production value" is full of fun charts like this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyNY9z-WwAAY5xL.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyNY9z-WwAAY5xL.jpg:large
- throwawaysea 8y ago
  I haven't seen that one, and agree that chart is strange. But across the videos I've seen, I did not see something so egregious, so I have to think this is an outlier that is cherry-picked to paint a narrative about PragerU.
  - thundergolfer 8y ago
    Comeon now, that chart is a lot worse than "strange". It is so comically dumb that any channel seeing fit to publish it should have a very hard time getting anyone taking them seriously again.
- ersii 8y ago
  Well, I'd argue that they are not 'absolutely garbage' and it's disingenuous to say it is based on a single video (not even that, just 10 seconds of one video) as well as not providing any kind of context. The chart is from the video "Why is Modern Art so Bad?" published September 1, 2014 with artist Robert Florczak and is available here (5min 49sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc The chart you've linked is presented at 1min53sec (https://youtu.be/lNI07egoefc?t=113 https://youtu.be/lNI07egoefc?t=113) and it's not a key part of his views or arguments. It's shorter than a talk-show skit, even if you don't agree to what he has to say, I suggest watching it.
  - fwip 8y ago
    I've seen it, it's real bad. They say a lot of things that "feel true" if you're disaffected, surround it with pseudo-intellectualism, and then tell you who you're now better than.
    - 8y ago

PavlovsCat 8y ago

> high-quality in terms of production, respectful in its delivery, and even-keeled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7BgrddY18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7BgrddY18 "Why you should love fossil fuels", "It is easy for feminists to forget that men gave women the right to vote, gave up their monopoly on power, and invented birth control." -- even-keeled? > it is easy to find flaws with a wide range of content producers on the left as well. More importantly irrevelant, since the criticism isn't that imperfect right wing videos are presented instead of perfect left wing ones. > I haven't had my feed dominated by one side. So? It's perfectly possible for you to be in a different testing bucket. Don't assume what you see is what everybody sees, and that they are just interpreting it differently than you do. I might as well say "nah, you only think you see videos from multiple ideologies".

throwawaysea 8y ago
> "Why you should love fossil fuels" I did see a video from them showing the wide range of products that use fossil fuel as components. Was that the one you're referencing? I felt that video is a fair point to make, since many conveniences of modern life outside of the obvious (i.e. transportation) depend on fossil fuels. Most consumers will not want to give up those conveniences, and their demand for those products shapes our overall consumption of fossil fuels. That video was high-quality and respectful. As for the other video you are mentioning, I haven't seen it, but it seems like a single example picked to paint a narrative. But I don't really want to argue about individual examples, and don't think that's a productive line of discussion. My larger point is that PragerU is not "extreme right wing" content - that's hyperbolic. If they are "extreme right wing", what word will you use for actual right-wing extremists (i.e. those calling for violence)? It feels like anything right of center-left is being compressed into one label of "extreme right wing". > So? It's perfectly possible for you to be in a different testing bucket. Don't assume what you see is what everybody sees, and that they are just interpreting it differently than you do. I might as well say "nah, you only think you see videos from multiple ideologies". OK, if everything is anecdotal, then we should put no stock in those from the left continually complaining about YouTube's recommendation algorithms. After all, no one has standing to do so per your logic.
- PavlovsCat 8y ago
  I was referencing the video I linked. > My larger point is that PragerU is not "extreme right wing" content - that's hyperbolic. If you replaced it with "very conservative" or something in the original comment, the whole point would still stand. > we should put no stock in those from the left continually complaining "The left" isn't doing anything, a specific individual commented.

fwip 8y ago

PragerU is absolutely garbage. Their "production value" is full of fun charts like this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyNY9z-WwAAY5xL.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyNY9z-WwAAY5xL.jpg:large

throwawaysea 8y ago
I haven't seen that one, and agree that chart is strange. But across the videos I've seen, I did not see something so egregious, so I have to think this is an outlier that is cherry-picked to paint a narrative about PragerU.
- thundergolfer 8y ago
  Comeon now, that chart is a lot worse than "strange". It is so comically dumb that any channel seeing fit to publish it should have a very hard time getting anyone taking them seriously again.
ersii 8y ago
Well, I'd argue that they are not 'absolutely garbage' and it's disingenuous to say it is based on a single video (not even that, just 10 seconds of one video) as well as not providing any kind of context. The chart is from the video "Why is Modern Art so Bad?" published September 1, 2014 with artist Robert Florczak and is available here (5min 49sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc The chart you've linked is presented at 1min53sec (https://youtu.be/lNI07egoefc?t=113 https://youtu.be/lNI07egoefc?t=113) and it's not a key part of his views or arguments. It's shorter than a talk-show skit, even if you don't agree to what he has to say, I suggest watching it.
- fwip 8y ago
  I've seen it, it's real bad. They say a lot of things that "feel true" if you're disaffected, surround it with pseudo-intellectualism, and then tell you who you're now better than.
  - 8y ago