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Here's a video that I think has a similar appeal:http://wimp.com/cinderblocks/ http://wimp.com/cinderblocks/ - it's just a guy laying cinder blocks, zero consum

Here's a video that I think has a similar appeal:http://wimp.com/cinderblocks/ http://wimp.com/cinderblocks/ - it's just a guy laying cinder blocks, zero consumerism. But relaxing. My daughter is about to enter Montessori, and one of the techniques they like is to simply demonstrate to a child - not much narration, no shortcuts or summarizing, just demonstration. And I realized how little I do this, even though I describe things to my daughter constantly. So maybe these videos are filling that gap. The commercialism might be a supply-side phenomena, since that's where the ad dollars are.

ams6110 12y ago
Watch as this talented carpenter works with amazing proficiency as he lays down a series of cinder blocks. I would think he means mason, not a carpenter. Though I didn't watch the video (no Flash).
chubot 12y ago
I dunno I think that one is different -- it's nice to watch someone who is good at what they do. But that's not what unboxing videos are. I've never found one to be enjoyable. I just stumbled across some when trying to search for reviews of products and they can't hold my attention.
- ianbicking 12y ago
  When I imagine a toddler watching these videos I think of this - for a toddler these unboxings are the work of people with manual skills they still aspire to.
  - walterbell 12y ago
    Since society is happily live-testing (90M instance) videos on toddlers, it could be extended to formal A/B experiments distributed on YouTube. Create variations of this popular video, changing one variable at a time - shapes, colors, voice, manual dexterity. Compare toddler learning with computer vision algos for training robots on manual movement.
- spacemanmatt 12y ago
  it is nice to watch someone who is good at what they do. I like to watch Franklin Barbecue videos on that basis.
cubicle67 12y ago
If you're considering Montessori, there's a few things I need to warn you of (I speak as a parent who's put 4 children through) 1. You'll never look at normal schooling the same way again. You'll find the thought of sending your kinds to a traditional school depressing and wonder how anyone can think it's a good idea 2. Every parent/teacher you who finds out you send your kids to a non-traditional school, and who hasn't experience of them, will find the need to defend traditional schooling 3. Unless you're lucky enough to have access to a Montessori high school, or you're able to homeschool, you'll have to face the day when you send your kids back into a normal school.
- frozenport 12y ago
  I went through a Montessori school and struggled to make the transition to regular education resulting in poor grades, mostly due to me being bored. On one hand it lets syudents explore curiosity but on the otherhand it doesn't teach important skills like paying attention. As I learned in college not everything can be learned by doing, or perhaps that it would take too long to do everything by hand. I had to learn these the hard way, my and cannot recommended the system. Interestingly in practice Montessori education is not a chouce between traditional and experimental education, but rather a choice between dysfunctional public schools or experimental education.
  - cubicle67 12y ago
    I think my kids are having the same problem (boredom) as you did. What do you mean by "paying attention"? One of the thinks I really like about Montessori, and I'm guessing each school is different, is that the children are able to develop long attention spans and learn to stay focused on something for as long as they like; half a day is not uncommon, and an entire day is possible. Normal school allows children just long enough to become absorbed in something, then interrupts them with "change class!". Montessori allows that child so keep focused on their activity (drawing a map, writing a story, maths, etc) for as long as they want. The up-side is that I've found Montessori to be a very efficient means of learning. My kids have no homework and an enjoyable relaxing day, but they're far ahead of their friends in normal schools. Down-side is, like you say, low tollerence for droning teachers and being bored
femto 12y ago
That is a great video. You can tell from the way that he is handling the mortar, that its consistency is just so. Each time he gets just the right amount of mortar in just the right place. The blocks get placed oh so easily. There's no wastage of materials, as mortar that gets squeezed out is efficiently reused. In short, he's an expert. Maybe this type of video is something every tradie [1] should have on their website? Watching this video makes me realise that this guy can do a fast job to a high standard, and that I'd have no hesitation in hiring him if I needed bricks laid, despite my general preference for doing jobs around the house myself. [1] http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tradie http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tradie
jbigelow76 12y ago
Two thoughts: One, great video, it had a very Zen like quality. However, I fully acknowledge my ignorance in understanding of "Zen" or Eastern philosophies in anything but the most superficial of ways (so it might not be that Zen after all). Two, did you see that mortar work?! (Full on 1st world problem self entitled asshole rant incoming...) I was told by my house builder that the brickwork of my home, which has a very baby diarrhea-esque mortar application vibe to it, is the current "style". I think it's more likely they didn't want to pay craftsmen like the guys in the video that do good clean mortar work.
- jpatokal 12y ago
  Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", about a bricklayer at a Soviet gulag camp, has a short section about how getting into the flow of laying bricks (well) is pretty much the only remotely enjoyable part of existence in this frozen hell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Day_in_the_Life_of_Ivan_Denisovich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Day_in_the_Life_of_Ivan_Den...
jaredandrews 12y ago
Ah I really love videos like this one. I recommend http://www.reddit.com/r/ArtisanVideos/ http://www.reddit.com/r/ArtisanVideos/ for those who feel the same way.

ams6110 12y ago

Watch as this talented carpenter works with amazing proficiency as he lays down a series of cinder blocks. I would think he means mason, not a carpenter. Though I didn't watch the video (no Flash).

chubot 12y ago

I dunno I think that one is different -- it's nice to watch someone who is good at what they do. But that's not what unboxing videos are. I've never found one to be enjoyable. I just stumbled across some when trying to search for reviews of products and they can't hold my attention.

ianbicking 12y ago
When I imagine a toddler watching these videos I think of this - for a toddler these unboxings are the work of people with manual skills they still aspire to.
- walterbell 12y ago
  Since society is happily live-testing (90M instance) videos on toddlers, it could be extended to formal A/B experiments distributed on YouTube. Create variations of this popular video, changing one variable at a time - shapes, colors, voice, manual dexterity. Compare toddler learning with computer vision algos for training robots on manual movement.
spacemanmatt 12y ago
it is nice to watch someone who is good at what they do. I like to watch Franklin Barbecue videos on that basis.

cubicle67 12y ago

If you're considering Montessori, there's a few things I need to warn you of (I speak as a parent who's put 4 children through) 1. You'll never look at normal schooling the same way again. You'll find the thought of sending your kinds to a traditional school depressing and wonder how anyone can think it's a good idea 2. Every parent/teacher you who finds out you send your kids to a non-traditional school, and who hasn't experience of them, will find the need to defend traditional schooling 3. Unless you're lucky enough to have access to a Montessori high school, or you're able to homeschool, you'll have to face the day when you send your kids back into a normal school.

frozenport 12y ago
I went through a Montessori school and struggled to make the transition to regular education resulting in poor grades, mostly due to me being bored. On one hand it lets syudents explore curiosity but on the otherhand it doesn't teach important skills like paying attention. As I learned in college not everything can be learned by doing, or perhaps that it would take too long to do everything by hand. I had to learn these the hard way, my and cannot recommended the system. Interestingly in practice Montessori education is not a chouce between traditional and experimental education, but rather a choice between dysfunctional public schools or experimental education.
- cubicle67 12y ago
  I think my kids are having the same problem (boredom) as you did. What do you mean by "paying attention"? One of the thinks I really like about Montessori, and I'm guessing each school is different, is that the children are able to develop long attention spans and learn to stay focused on something for as long as they like; half a day is not uncommon, and an entire day is possible. Normal school allows children just long enough to become absorbed in something, then interrupts them with "change class!". Montessori allows that child so keep focused on their activity (drawing a map, writing a story, maths, etc) for as long as they want. The up-side is that I've found Montessori to be a very efficient means of learning. My kids have no homework and an enjoyable relaxing day, but they're far ahead of their friends in normal schools. Down-side is, like you say, low tollerence for droning teachers and being bored

femto 12y ago

That is a great video. You can tell from the way that he is handling the mortar, that its consistency is just so. Each time he gets just the right amount of mortar in just the right place. The blocks get placed oh so easily. There's no wastage of materials, as mortar that gets squeezed out is efficiently reused. In short, he's an expert. Maybe this type of video is something every tradie [1] should have on their website? Watching this video makes me realise that this guy can do a fast job to a high standard, and that I'd have no hesitation in hiring him if I needed bricks laid, despite my general preference for doing jobs around the house myself. [1] http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tradie http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tradie

jbigelow76 12y ago

Two thoughts: One, great video, it had a very Zen like quality. However, I fully acknowledge my ignorance in understanding of "Zen" or Eastern philosophies in anything but the most superficial of ways (so it might not be that Zen after all). Two, did you see that mortar work?! (Full on 1st world problem self entitled asshole rant incoming...) I was told by my house builder that the brickwork of my home, which has a very baby diarrhea-esque mortar application vibe to it, is the current "style". I think it's more likely they didn't want to pay craftsmen like the guys in the video that do good clean mortar work.

jpatokal 12y ago
Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", about a bricklayer at a Soviet gulag camp, has a short section about how getting into the flow of laying bricks (well) is pretty much the only remotely enjoyable part of existence in this frozen hell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Day_in_the_Life_of_Ivan_Denisovich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Day_in_the_Life_of_Ivan_Den...

jaredandrews 12y ago

Ah I really love videos like this one. I recommend http://www.reddit.com/r/ArtisanVideos/ http://www.reddit.com/r/ArtisanVideos/ for those who feel the same way.