# Unnecessary length of YouTube videos **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829 "2015-04-29T17:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/1 "2015-04-29T17:26:08Z")
Now admittedly I’m an impatient person but what’s the deal with videos on YouTube being painfully long? For example, pick a random “How to…” video and you’ll likely get 2 minutes of worthless introduction, 2 minutes of rambling and then a totally unnecessary wrap-up. The actual content could’ve been covered in 30 seconds. I’ve started to watch everything at 2x speed and it’s still frustrating. Is it mainly just that people enjoy hearing themselves speak? ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/2 "2015-04-29T17:35:38Z")
Yes. You start the video and they blather on and on about how they used to do something X way, but it never worked right. Then they did it Y way, but that had other issues. But today they will show you the Z way, which is clearly superior for reasons, 1, 2, and 3… If we are lucky, they will actually get around to showing Z method in the first 2 minutes. Or the videos that are supposed to show some outrageous stunt (or some similar event). Well, the first 40 seconds are of people standing around, the camera being dropped or swung around wildly, or failed attempts. Can’t uploaders trim the start/stop time of the video inside YouTube? Isn’t it like ridiculously easy? What is your problem people?! Can’t you see I am a busy man!!! I chalk it up to the fact that the internet has ridiculously shortened my attention span. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/3 "2015-04-29T17:38:47Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > I chalk it up to the fact that the internet has ridiculously shortened my attention span. By uploading shit that takes way too long to see? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/4 "2015-04-29T17:41:13Z")
There’s an old “template” for giving a speech: [•Tell your audience what you’re going to tell them. •Tell them. •Then tell them what you told them.](http://www.businesstown.com/presentations/present-tell.asp) Some of what you’re complaining about may just be a matter of people trying to follow this advice. But a lot of it, I think, is that being concise and to-the-point and putting oneself in the shoes of one’s audience are skills that not everyone has mastered. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/5 "2015-04-29T17:43:12Z")
Downvote the video and move on. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/6 "2015-04-29T17:47:18Z")
this is why I never really got into listening to podcasts. I tried listening a couple a while back, and it just seemed like “uhhhh… yeah, huh, this is, like, our podcast or something? Huh hurr durr I can talking on internat!” ---
**Author:** ![Teach-me-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Teach-me-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach-me-not)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/7 "2015-04-29T17:48:48Z")
Um, not to mention the opening music and end credits. And then there’s the obligatory “If you liked this video please like, comment, share on _this_ and _that_ social media. And hit the subscribe button near my crotch.” Thankfully with the popularity of social media, most viewers already know this message, so actually many uploaders are going easy on it. That’s one consolation. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/8 "2015-04-29T17:51:44Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > this is why I never really got into listening to podcasts. I tried listening a couple a while back, and it just seemed like “uhhhh… yeah, huh, this is, like, our podcast or something? Huh hurr durr I can talking on internat!” Yes, but you don’t _have to_ listen to Joe Rogan… ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/9 "2015-04-29T19:29:21Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > this is why I never really got into listening to podcasts. I tried listening a couple a while back, and it just seemed like “uhhhh… yeah, huh, this is, like, our podcast or something? Huh hurr durr I can talking on internat!” This is certainly true, too… there are lots of podcasts that seem like they would be interesting but are presented in such a boring, drawn-out way that I can’t manage to stick with them. Maybe it is my attention span, who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/10 "2015-04-29T19:32:03Z")
I think that most people who produce YT videos have no idea what “editing” is. They just start the cam(phone) and fumble their way through a process until it’s done, and leave in every pause, joke, comment, interruption and glowing particle of their precious words. Then hit the auto-upload button that’s such a wonderful, breakthrough, useful, world-changing feeeeeeeeechurrrrrr these days… Although I just discovered a set of audio files (radio plays, of a sort) on YouTube, where they were a prize to find… but each had 30-40 minutes of dead air tacked onto the end. Serious “Huh?” time… But then, I don’t have the patience for even the tightest, shortest how-ta video that could be replaced by five short written steps. But the upload button is easier than writing 100 words for most netizens… ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/11 "2015-04-29T20:05:26Z")
oh, and the countless idiots who post videos of nothing but them talking about something. Just having a webcam and an opinion doesn’t mean you have anything worth listening to. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/12 "2015-04-29T20:27:40Z")
Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, but I find it incredibly useful when someone tells me why they chose Z and the, perhaps simpler or more obvious, methods 1, 2, 3 are not right for the job. I do appreciate some background about why I should use this method and why it is superior or why the others fail. Getting some insight into the methods is especially helpful if I don’t have the exact same problem as the video demonstrates, but I am trying to solve a similar problem. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/13 "2015-04-29T20:33:58Z")
I agree even to the point I don’t understand why some of these videos are even there. Video how to procedures (that could be done in text), video reviews of new model kits (why?). News articles that are only video, no text version. And that’s not even getting into video reviews of movies that _last longer than the film they are reviewing!_ Who has the time for that? Do these “young people” not like reading or something? Does everything have to be video based? When will we get “video texting”, where you record a selfie video and text it to your friends? (maybe I shouldn’t be giving them any ideas) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/14 "2015-04-29T20:53:14Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Downvote the video and move on. Downvoting does nothing. I don’t even know if the originator sees the downvotes. Downvotes on comments certainly do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/15 "2015-04-29T20:56:01Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > When will we get “video texting”, where you record a selfie video and text it to your friends? Isn’t that more or less what Vine is? And InstaGram? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/16 "2015-04-29T21:00:15Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Downvoting does nothing. I don’t even know if the originator sees the downvotes. Downvotes on comments certainly do nothing. It’s all a part of the false “intellectual democracy” of the webz - features and concepts that foster the idea that there’s some kind of check, balance, limit or approval on the flood of participation, but in reality, it’s all biased towards kindergarten “evvabody’s efforts are equal” and promotion of the [ad/marketing-driven] platform over the content. The most common progression is from a “democratic” system used by only select invitees or participants, whose “negative” features have to be successively nulled as the user base gets larger and less homogenous. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/17 "2015-04-29T21:09:26Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, but I find it incredibly useful when someone tells me why they chose Z and the, perhaps simpler or more obvious, methods 1, 2, 3 are not right for the job. I do appreciate some background about why I should use this method and why it is superior or why the others fail. > > Getting some insight into the methods is especially helpful if I don’t have the exact same problem as the video demonstrates, but I am trying to solve a similar problem. There is useful content there, to be sure, it’s just buried way too often: a lengthy, irrelevant anecdote to start things off. Footage of the person holding a product and turning it slowly for a minute. Long interstitials and drawn out fades. Even a “professionally” edited video (by which I mean no apparent flubs) has an insane amount of filler. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/18 "2015-04-29T21:16:39Z")
And so video length is part of the “game”. How to get the ‘credibility’ up ? have more videos… So make each topic longer Have consistent length videos… so that you appear reliable, planned (not random,sporadic,unhinged, or on par with an axe wielding psychopath)… and so videos will then have filler… Have professional standards… An intro, a body, and then a repeat of the previous two, because conclusions are rather tautologous when there’s no significant levels of philosphy to switch to… (in a dry report, you might give your opinions in the conclusion …if thats the sort of thing that you were meant to be doing , evidence to opinion… like WMD in Iraq… evidence to opinion… the report concluded… ) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/19 "2015-04-29T21:31:50Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Isn’t that more or less what Vine is? And InstaGram? It is? Oh my. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829/20 "2015-04-29T21:48:31Z")
Just as owning a still camera does not make one a skilled photographer, owning a video camera does not make one a skilled videographer. Actually, while most photographers learn composition, lighting and image retouching, the same skills are involved in creating good video but also audio and editing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnecessary-length-of-youtube-videos/718829.md?page=2)