Ask HN: Would you prefer reading or watching a video about any subject/topic? - leenasoni99
======
clinta
Video is good for concepts that need visualizations, though a good blog post
with animations or illustrations can work too. Video is required hands on
demonstrations, like how to fix something on a car.

But videos showing somebody write code or commands is infuriating. There's no
need for that. A blog post with code examples would be much better.

~~~
ScottFree
I'll second this. The trend of recording videos or podcasts instead of writing
blogs and/or articles is both infuriating and concerning.

Videos, podcasts and audiobooks have attracted a much larger viewership than
anybody anticipated. Reading and reading comprehension are on the wane. More
and more, I see the label "post-literate" applied to Gen Z and it worries me.

------
digital_voodoo
Reading, by far. I'm getting sick of every single thing being videofied. It
seems like an "attention hack". Wife has been feeling the same too.

~~~
leenasoni99
Same! Thanks for sharing what your wife feels. I don't know if it'll be weird
to say, but this is my favorite part of the thread :p

~~~
digital_voodoo
It isn't weird;) Wife and I have many conversations about how knowledge
absorption is becoming bare media consumption. Listening at her, not as geeky
as me, raising her concerns about it, was truly delightful:)

------
CM30
Probably a combination of all three. Maybe with a video guide and text guide
on the same page, with the latter also using images and short video clips to
illustrate points too.

Video on its own is too slow, and often annoying to wade through if I need to
find a particular point. Text on its own can be too vague, and can make it
difficult to understand lengthy series of instructions if pictures and videos
aren't included (a common problem with text based video game walkthroughs).

------
Vaskivo
For complex subjects I prefer reading.

I find that programming made me absorb and create content non-linearly. I
write a bit of code here, and then there, and then change a little thing in
the first bit...

I read like that. I read the book from start to end but I'm constantly going
back to back material. (Or sometimes googling stuff.)

In a video, the "pause-rewind" loop is not so easy.

Also, I can't skim a video.

------
srijanshetty
For most CS related content I prefer reading up, but there are particular
domains which can't be captured by reading for example - fitness, analysis of
movies, learning to play an instrument.

------
valand
Reading, unless the video enhance the knowledge transfer.

Videos can help us understand about complex concept like quantum computing, 3D
graphics, the social impacts of a tech talk.

Most of the time videos are only people typing on their screen. Reading is
more effective in this case, since it is faster and less opiniated.

------
JohnFen
Reading, easily.

The way my mind works, when I'm learning something, nothing beats reading
about it. Audio and video alone is almost totally worthless to me.

~~~
leenasoni99
Same. If you're not learning, say a story. Would you prefer a documentary
about it or reading it?

~~~
JohnFen
Reading it, by a longshot.

------
jimmyvalmer
For tying knots, video. For everything else, reading.

------
Rannath
My favourite is a combination. Text for most things and images, or short
videos to demonstrate topics that are hard to describe.

------
Trias11
Reading.

Nothing irritates me more than google pimping me spammy videos as an answers
on simple questions.

Videos forces you to consume information slowly in a sync manner. Videos are
good for sense-rich entertainment.

Information is perfectly and efficently can be (and always were) delivered at
text.

~~~
leenasoni99
Same. I'll be surprised if more people prefer video form of content.

~~~
ScottFree
> I'll be surprised if more people prefer video form of content.

Not so much video as audio. I work for a company that provides digital lending
services for libraries. Guess what type of content is by far the most popular?
Audiobooks. It's not even close. Most of the "videoification" of blog posts I
see on youtube are basically just podcasts with somebody talking into a video
camera instead of a microphone.

~~~
Trias11
I saw Youtube "educational" video from a low life marketing guy recorded
himself speaking to camera and teaching others how to record videos of them
scrolling PPT slides with affiliate links and make money out of it

------
buboard
Reading, any time. I 'll watch an interview. but i m struggling not to doze
off watching a lecture on something.

------
caryd
I would never want to be exclusive to one or the other. It completely depends
on the topic and my current understanding of it.

Videos are great for soft skills or crash courses, but reading is necessary
for the fine details.

~~~
leenasoni99
Not courses only (or learning purpose), but generally. Say would you prefer
consuming content in the form of reading or prefer watching something online?

------
rolph
I prefer annotated diagrams ["cartoons"]

and blowup/cutaway illustrations

i like to include animated gifs where time permits.

------
aashishkoirala
Reading. No patience for videos, even at 2x speed.

------
shrthnd
Reading, please.

------
nb41org
Reading is usually more attractive in my opinion.

