5 ms·

Just an anecdote, but I literally never watch video news online. I can consume information from text many times as fast, so watching a video just feels like slo

by kyllo 12y ago

Just an anecdote, but I literally never watch video news online. I can consume information from text many times as fast, so watching a video just feels like slow motion. I doubt I'm alone in this.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
qq66 12y ago
I think the major reason for John Oliver's success is his ability to produce videos that are long enough to capture some of the insight of long-form text, with enough gags to meet today's attention spans.
- rjbwork 12y ago
  Exactly. I LOVE his weekly (well, when he's on...) 15 or so minute examination/attack of an important political or social issue. I may not always agree, but I find I come away with a better understanding of an issue and a few good laughs.
bluthru 12y ago
And you don't have to put up with "anchor speak". I don't know or where these people pick it up, but I wish they would talk like normal human beings.
- chao- 12y ago
  Agreed. I began to abandoned TV news entirely back in 2006, driven in part because of the (apparently universal) habit of leading and/or closing every story with a pun, idiom or catchphrase. At least when my eyes start to detect it in text, I can jump two lines down and spare myself the groan.
001sky 12y ago
Your're exactly right, of course. The people making bets on video are MBAs trying to fit numbers into spreadsheets. The video "growth story" is a multiple expander for future earnings growth {blah blah blah}. But such is the sway of the ad/cpm based biz model. The inefficiency of video is the alure...to the advertsiing people on Madison avenue. The emotional malleability and inertia of the video experience is arguably a much stronger context to insert a behaviour modifier. Because its less efficiency, you are more open to new ideas...the hyper-efficient mindset and instinct is turned off...etc. I'm sure you know this, but its worth spelling out in context here.

by kyllo 12y ago

Just an anecdote, but I literally never watch video news online. I can consume information from text many times as fast, so watching a video just feels like slow motion. I doubt I'm alone in this.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

qq66 12y ago

I think the major reason for John Oliver's success is his ability to produce videos that are long enough to capture some of the insight of long-form text, with enough gags to meet today's attention spans.

rjbwork 12y ago
Exactly. I LOVE his weekly (well, when he's on...) 15 or so minute examination/attack of an important political or social issue. I may not always agree, but I find I come away with a better understanding of an issue and a few good laughs.

bluthru 12y ago

And you don't have to put up with "anchor speak". I don't know or where these people pick it up, but I wish they would talk like normal human beings.

chao- 12y ago
Agreed. I began to abandoned TV news entirely back in 2006, driven in part because of the (apparently universal) habit of leading and/or closing every story with a pun, idiom or catchphrase. At least when my eyes start to detect it in text, I can jump two lines down and spare myself the groan.

001sky 12y ago

Your're exactly right, of course. The people making bets on video are MBAs trying to fit numbers into spreadsheets. The video "growth story" is a multiple expander for future earnings growth {blah blah blah}. But such is the sway of the ad/cpm based biz model. The inefficiency of video is the alure...to the advertsiing people on Madison avenue. The emotional malleability and inertia of the video experience is arguably a much stronger context to insert a behaviour modifier. Because its less efficiency, you are more open to new ideas...the hyper-efficient mindset and instinct is turned off...etc. I'm sure you know this, but its worth spelling out in context here.