Dear 'Ol Linus' (I know I'm not the first)

[LogicalDrm]

Excuse me, what was point of this thread? Another complaint about how LMG content is/has changing/changed? Can you name some more popular, or even less popular channels (no links, just names, I know how to check them), who have stayed with their style over certain milestones like 500k or 1M subs? And if this was just about thumbnails or titles, if you care so much about that, there are ton of others doing more informative titles and thumbnails.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

9 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Excuse me, what was point of this thread? Another complaint about how LMG content is/has changing/changed? Can you name some more popular, or even less popular channels (no links, just names, I know how to check them), who have stayed with their style over certain milestones like 500k or 1M subs? And if this was just about thumbnails or titles, if you care so much about that, there are ton of others doing more informative titles and thumbnails.

The complaints keep coming so that means those people are still watching. There really is no point to these threads. The mods might as well take these as "Post count/reputation farming " threads because at this point, that's all it really is. None of these posts are constructive in any way and from how I see it, it's just for haters to find others to stroke their egos. 

[LogicalDrm]

2 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

The complaints keep coming so that means those people are still watching. There really is no point to these threads. The mods might as well take these as "Post count/reputation farming " threads because at this point, that's all it really is. None of these posts are constructive in any way and from how I see it, it's just for haters to find others to stroke their egos. 

Let them have threads. Imo (and this isn't personal for OP of this particular thread, though thumbnails being issue was hidden deep in general ranting), they start to sound like that dude in some bar or marketplace or like who has negative opinion about everything and only needs keyword to go off about it for hours.

[LAwLz]

32 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Excuse me, what was point of this thread?

The same as the point of your post. To express an opinion.

 

34 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Can you name some more popular, or even less popular channels (no links, just names, I know how to check them), who have stayed with their style over certain milestones like 500k or 1M subs?

I don't see the point of doing that, but sure.

 

Glove and Boots

Ashens

Internet Comment Etiquette with Erik

YourMovieSucksDOTorg

penguinz0

Trolden

MKBHD

Vsauce

Abroad in Japan

ExplosmEntertainment

nigahiga

minutephysics

Periodic Videos

exurb1a

Veritasium

Kilian Experience

You Suck At Cooking

psychicpebbles

Every Frame a Painting

JonTron

Zero Punctuation

CGP Grey

CrowbCat

Casually Explained

CaptainDisillusion

Primitive Technology

 

Some examples from my subscription list.

 

In before you move the goalpost like "they changed camera so therefore they changed style!", "350K subscribers is not enough!" despite several of them having way more than that or some other reason why they "have changed" even though they haven't changed styles.

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

None of these posts are constructive in any way and from how I see it, it's just for haters to find others to stroke their egos. 

I think there have been several constructive posts here.

Constructive does not mean positive by the way, just in case you didn't know that.

[Tellos]

Didint linus post a video explainign his reason behidn this? Oh yes he DID!

[Skanky Sylveon]

13 hours ago, LAwLz said:

By the way, for everyone who says Linus doesn't do clickbait. The actual definition of clickbait is:

"something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest".

 

Are the new titles designed to make more people click on them? Then it's clickbait.

Just because there are other more extreme and annoying examples does not mean only those ads fits the definition.

Thank you.  You don't have to be misleading to be click bait.  That said, my problems with Linus's new video thumbnails are not that I find them "click baity", but that I find them obnoxious.  I still watch his content however.

[LogicalDrm]

11 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

I don't see the point of doing that, but sure.

My point can be summarized with one of your picks:

11 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

MKBHD

While he doesn't have as direct change in thumbnail or title style (thats the main part of this thread I have been told). There's clear trend from beginning towards current. The fact that you need to go back 5 years (or so) to get title without exclamation mark at the end being more common than one with it, for example. Thumbnails are slowly showing less of him, more of product and numbers and other symbols. Soon his marketing staff will convince him that its better to loose fancy stuff keeping old guys around and going for top trophy.

 

And since I don't watch MKBHD regularly, I would notice style with thumbnails being same as with everyone, while more subtle. UnboxTherapy does same, at least with thumbnails, but I've been subscribed only after bentgate so I can't say if there has been some change or not. I will check rest of the list tomorrow, but I'm sure you are right about some of them. Some do have principles of doing things their own way and not the way to get more viewership and grow.

[LooneyJuice]

I have to say, for everyone commenting so passionately on this subject, on a supposed hot topic, this thread, in roughly a day has amassed a grand total of 56 posts. Including this one. How many views does an LTT video amass in 20 hours? How many likes/dislikes? How many viewers who may genuinely appreciate the content? Would you invalidate their input according to some sort of criteria? Youtube is progressively making it harder and harder to live off of, even resorting to baked-in ad spamming. Some channels have even noticed a declining trend in visits to old videos. Not to mention all the stuff I and many other people don't know about regarding what's going on under the hood. 

 

And I can't find a reason to believe the video on this kerfuffle wasn't genuine. It was backed by numbers, demographic stats, you name it. Constructive input is always nice, but vehemently expressing an opinion on this subject expecting a few tens of posts to change the course of an entire media entity is a bit, ambitious methinks.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

41 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

I think there have been several constructive posts here.

Constructive does not mean positive by the way, just in case you didn't know that.

I'm talking about the kids who just complain and don't provide any meaningful input other than "I don't like clickbait". 

[Skanky Sylveon]

13 minutes ago, LooneyJuice said:

I have to say, for everyone commenting so passionately on this subject, on a supposed hot topic, this thread, in roughly a day has amassed a grand total of 56 posts. Including this one. How many views does an LTT video amass in 20 hours? How many likes/dislikes? How many viewers who may genuinely appreciate the content? Would you invalidate their input according to some sort of criteria? Youtube is progressively making it harder and harder to live off of, even resorting to baked-in ad spamming. Some channels have even noticed a declining trend in visits to old videos. Not to mention all the stuff I and many other people don't know about regarding what's going on under the hood. 

I believe that Linus said his thumbnails gave up to a 20% increase in views.  If true, that is significant.

[LAwLz]

4 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

While he doesn't have as direct change in thumbnail or title style (thats the main part of this thread I have been told). There's clear trend from beginning towards current.

My list is based on style of content, but necessarily thumbnails or video titles. I think it will hold up quite well for that though.

But please bear in mind that if you go back far enough, you will end up with videos released before you could pick thumbnails. Don't confuse "they didn't have the ability to pick thumbnails until 20XX" with "The year 20XX they changed their style because their thumbnails started being different!".

It's also important to understand that "this channel changed thumbnail style to attract more viewers" is different from "this channel changed thumbnail style because it was finally able to do something better than before".

 

4 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

The fact that you need to go back 5 years (or so) to get title without exclamation mark at the end being more common than one with it, for example.

Ehm... What's your point exactly? You just gave an example of how he has not changed in 5 years.

 

7 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Thumbnails are slowly showing less of him, more of product and numbers and other symbols.

That goes back and fourth. You can go back 5-6 years and find a ton of thumbnails where the product is the main focus of the thumbnail (a lot of times he isn't even in the thumbnail).

 

12 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Some do have principles of doing things their own way and not the way to get more viewership and grow.

Yep, and I think that's the way to go. Put your own feelings and quality content before "I want to make as much money as possible, even if it means I will put out things I am ashamed of". Looking over my list of subscriptions it seems like most of the people I am subscribed to are in the former category. I tend to unsubscribe from channels when they do like Linus and start selling out and aren't even proud of what they make.

 

3 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

I'm talking about the kids who just complain and don't provide any meaningful input other than "I don't like clickbait". 

Oh I see. When you said "none of these posts" I assumed that you were referring to all the posts in the thread, not just specific ones.

[LooneyJuice]

14 minutes ago, Cinnabar Sonar said:

I believe that Linus said his thumbnails gave up to a 20% increase in views.  If true, that is significant.

It is true, sadly, which is why absolutely everyone and their dog is doing it. I really can't fault them if the content is still up to snuff. Hell, if you have no choice, might as well go apeshit and have some fun with it too while you're at it. The kind of fun Luke had when he was puking a punch of CPUs no one knew how he stashed.

[JoostinOnline]

4 hours ago, ARikozuM said:

Pique, not "peak"... Unless you're having an orgasm every time...

Well if Luke is in the thumbnail...

[Tsuki]

oh yay another one of these threads!!

 

so you dont like the clickbait but you're begging to work for him so you can make clickbait?

yup real smart cookie we've got here

[Yo_Smith]

13 hours ago, Fonzie92 said:

damn. out of all the problems in this world you're crying about a successful tech dude making click baity titles

 

ahahahah priorities mate

Is your priority telling people out of all the problems in this world to stop crying about a successful tech dude making click baity titles?

 

Priorities mate.

[Yo_Smith]

29 minutes ago, Tsuki said:

oh yay another one of these threads!!

 

so you dont like the clickbait but you're begging to work for him so you can make clickbait?

yup real smart cookie we've got here

Everything I say is 100% serious and factual at all times.  Thanks for reading.

[Fonzie92]

32 minutes ago, Yo_Smith said:

Is your priority telling people out of all the problems in this world to stop crying about a successful tech dude making click baity titles?

 

Priorities mate.

yes it is because this thread doesn't accomplish anything lol

[Yoinkerman]

Their content *has* changed.  The clickbait seems like a scapegoat.

 

Their video every day mantra has led to a lot of questionable videos

[Skanky Sylveon]

4 hours ago, LooneyJuice said:

It is true, sadly, which is why absolutely everyone and their dog is doing it. I really can't fault them if the content is still up to snuff. Hell, if you have no choice, might as well go apeshit and have some fun with it too while you're at it. The kind of fun Luke had when he was puking a punch of CPUs no one knew how he stashed.

It honestly doesn't bother me too much, like you said, as long as the content is still up to snuff i'm OK with it.

1 hour ago, Yo_Smith said:

Everything I say is 100% serious and factual at all times.  Thanks for reading.

OK then, serious question.  Do you have a better solution?  As Linus has stated himself, he gets a significant increase in viewership when he creates stupid thumbnails.

[LogicalDrm]

9 hours ago, LAwLz said:

My list is based on style of content, but necessarily thumbnails or video titles. I think it will hold up quite well for that though.

 

When whole thread is rant about thunbnails and click-baity titles, why would you think I go for content? Imo LTT content has had its gradual change for longer time, and I've been vocal about not liking that trend. But this thread is all about clicky-baity stuff seen at first sight --> Why would you think I look at content? MKBHD's case his content has been clicky-baity (according to titles) for longer time (many lists. people like lists).

 

Quote

But please bear in mind that if you go back far enough, you will end up with videos released before you could pick thumbnails. Don't confuse "they didn't have the ability to pick thumbnails until 20XX" with "The year 20XX they changed their style because their thumbnails started being different!".

It's also important to understand that "this channel changed thumbnail style to attract more viewers" is different from "this channel changed thumbnail style because it was finally able to do something better than before".

 

You think I would be that nickpicky or shallow? I had my reasons of asking, because I've seen channels having trend of going for certain style of content (which can be seen from titles and thumbnails directly) when viewerbase is increased.

 

Quote

Ehm... What's your point exactly? You just gave an example of how he has not changed in 5 years.

 

Yet you were the one to bring up LTT using lot of question marks in their video titles? The fact that MKBHD has been using click-baity style from shadows for past 5 years doesn't bother you?

 

Quote

That goes back and fourth. You can go back 5-6 years and find a ton of thumbnails where the product is the main focus of the thumbnail (a lot of times he isn't even in the thumbnail).

 

True, but last 2 year to 6 months trend has been more there.

 

In other news, summarized. I think you have pretty good 50-50 selection of ones fallen into clicky-baityness, and those going with their own style.

Spoiler

YourMovieSucksDOTorg - Given content, has used same style from beginning. However, if you look what kind of pic is chosen as thumbnail, makes my clicky-baity sense tingle.

penguinz0 - Shows how far you get with gameplay content. Clicky-baity thumbnails only in last 3 weeks and not yet constant, better raise your concerns quick before they go for it.

Vsauce - Clicky-baity from beginning as far as I can see.

nigahiga - Clicky-baity thumbnails since 2 years ago. Not constant and titles are still good. I think you can live with this one.

 

The odd one out:

Escapist - Which has magazine/news outlet backing. Meaning that they can produce content that nobody watches and do occasional hit (which you mentioned). For a single/group creator with only YT this would have been prime example of keeping principles, but since it just side outlet, no deal.

I didn't bother looking over those channels with under 500k subs, the limit is for reason since its clear milestone set by YT I can/have seen to have some effect on creator. And those channels with pure single style content (like Trolden with complition videos).

 

I would say that youtubers who have only started creating  content within last 5 years have had more opportunities to see what draws viewers and made style constant from day-1. Does that come out as more or less click-baity than with those who have 7+ years worth of content? I would argue that its 50-50, but as we are already used to it, its not that noticeable.

[kasugatei]

I will also admit that I am watching LTT much (much) less often than before. IDK, like when watching a movie or new TV series I like to read a synopsis of it and then decide whether watch it or not. I believe that new thumbnails/descriptions don't include that anymore so I skip most of them. New thumbnails/descriptions are made to address viewers' curiosity, but it does not work on person like myself. The last video I've watched was the one about quantum computer, but still the title was misleading (Linus did not unbox anything). Otherwise, the video was a really good one.