Disagreeing with a Youtuber - DC Breaker Safety Concerns

[edcoopered]

For what its worth I've never managed to successfully post a link to anything on a YouTube comment, the comment appears, and then a few minutes later just disappears.

 

[Dzl]

Youtube has become such a bad platform for technical discussion, I've wasted several hours of my life trying to construct helpful comments, and they just get voted into oblivion, replaced by "YT presenter name, you're incredible, amazing, free energy, how are you so incredibly brilliant, you've saved the world, love the product, I've brought 400."

Removing the down-vote ratio means you now have no idea if a technical video is total bullshit, unless you trawl through the comments - looking for the useful ones....

Upvote/downvote was never a good way to judge the technical accuracy or legitimacy of something anyways (as you've just shown above with your example). Look at reddit, youtube, etc. On Reddit you can say something purely objective, simple, and provably true, but if its unpopular it will be downvoted to all hell. Likewise you can say something unambiguously false, but if it 'rings true', sounds witty, or reflects back what the majority wants to believe it'll often be upvoted, even if its pointed out that it isn't accurate in the comments. Simple up/down voting should never be a basis for judging whether something is factual, accurate, or true, as they are a reflection of what is popular or unpopular not what is true or false.

My feeling is any system with up/downvoting and an algorithm that is tuned to 'engagement' is a poor place for technical discussion. A simpler platform like a forum is a better format for technical or more in depth discussions I think.

 

[Cdkipp]

Upvote/downvote was never a good way to judge the technical accuracy or legitimacy of something anyways (as you've just shown above with your example). Look at reddit, youtube, etc. On Reddit you can say something purely objective, simple, and provably true, but if its unpopular it will be downvoted to all hell. Likewise you can say something unambiguously false, but if it 'rings true', sounds witty, or reflects back what the majority wants to believe it'll often be upvoted, even if its pointed out that it isn't accurate in the comments. Simple up/down voting should never be a basis for judging whether something is factual, accurate, or true, as they are a reflection of what is popular or unpopular not what is true or false.

My feeling is any system with up/downvoting and an algorithm that is tuned to 'engagement' is a poor place for technical discussion. A simpler platform like a forum is a better format for technical or more in depth discussions I think.

I love youtube for some things even if it means turning the sound off. It can be extremely helpful, for instance in mechanical work, to see someone else open the engine and components so you know what things look like before you get in there.

Seems like more and more garbage though especially on some topics and the posters are incentivized to get clicks at the expense of truth.

 

[robby]

For what its worth I've never managed to successfully post a link to anything on a YouTube comment, the comment appears, and then a few minutes later just disappears.

Youtube comments are sorted very oddly. It seems like certain comments, like ones from well know content providers stay at the top and ones from regular folk get randomly shuffled around every time you reload the video page. Most good videos have more than 100 comments, sometimes 500+ comments, so yours may be buried down several pages.
The content providers remove comments they don't like and Youtube removes comments based on policy algorithms. David Poz does remove comments when he feels like doing it.

Also I have seen where comments show up on the account I made them on but if I use another account they do not show up. It's like the content provider can ban you from making comments but the person who is banned does not know it because they still see there comments. I assume its to prevent people from just making a new account under a different email address. They keep on talking and don't realize nobody can see their post.

UPDATE:
OK just went into my old account from when I use to make content and yes they have added a lot more tools to the system. You can remove comments or moderate the comments from a user. It is the Approve comments or Hide the User that makes them visible to you but no one else. Always have two accounts so you can verify if your being blocked.

 

[robby]

David's technical inaccuracies have been brought up multiple times on this form already. To me, he's the definition of "paid product reviews".

I wouldn't take any advice from him.

Same here. If you just want some entertainment then look at his videos, if you want technically sound advice then look elsewhere. That breaker is not something I would ever use.

 

[robby]

Unfortunately, I sometimes suspect Will has fallen into the same pot hole as other YTers.
I bought some of the tools he recommended, just to be outright disappointed. They don't work like he advertises (makes things look easy, when they are not, and the tools don't work flawlessly like in the vids).

Never had that problem and his Videos always seem to be on the up and up to me.

 

[MrM1]

For what its worth I've never managed to successfully post a link to anything on a YouTube comment, the comment appears, and then a few minutes later just disappears.

@Thermodynamical
^^ This.

Has happened to me more than once. Put a link in a comment and the comment gets deleted.

 

[MrM1]

Same here. If you just want some entertainment then look at his videos, if you want technically sound advice then look elsewhere. That breaker is not something I would ever use.

I take him for the reviews, and that with a grain of salt and one eye wide open. But he is entertaining.

And I'm interested in that 32 seer Innovair AC heatpump.

 

[A.Justice]

I take him for the reviews, and that with a grain of salt and one eye wide open. But he is entertaining.

And I'm interested in that 32 seer Innovair AC heatpump.

I like him for new ideas for stuff to do. He does do some very cool projects. I'm like, "I didn't know I needed a 48 volt battery to haul across my yard so I could use corded tools, but now I think I might" but I couldn't care less what equipment he's using, I do my own research for sure.

 

[Browneye]

I love YT, but that guy is just scary.

 

[Tecnodave]

You Bullshit Tube

 

[Browneye]

People like Poz make me just shake my head. I do like that he's creative, thinks outside the box.

I've never had any problem with any advice on any of Will's vids. And if things change he'll update and correct, or change his recommendation. This makes his info more current and relevant IMHO. He's also wildly innovative, but in a more conservative way compared to Poz. Everyone likes reliability.

Or put another way, I've seen Poz vids on YT cuz I surf it, but don't subscribe or view, but do and have Will's vids.

Another YT'r I like that is basic and simple, and chronicles his own project is an easy-listening comfortable sort of way. He explains the how and why and I got value out of his materials. Seems like his main source for product is amazon, but I think that's just due to being in Croatia. I would really like to tour that country!

https://www.youtube.com/c/FreelyRoaming

I watch a lot of RV and offroad stuff, ebikes and RC crawlers, lots of covid vids, and more than half of the people that post are just not very smart. At least they don't appear to be someone I would take advice from. Some things that are truly anecdotal can surely be of benefit.

I don't know about social media and blogs like YT, but censoring or blocking for url links online is not unusual - most mail filters are default that way. It's too easy to send an execute file in a url, especially if you can get the reader to actually click on them.

 

[edcoopered]

Upvote/downvote was never a good way to judge the technical accuracy or legitimacy of something anyways (as you've just shown above with your example). Look at reddit, youtube, etc.

It required a degree of interpretation, if I was looking for a how to wire a plug tutorial and there was over 5% downvotes that would immediately rise my suspicions and cause me to go looking beyond the top-rated sycophants posts. For home DIY projects this rule was pretty foolproof.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Again, it's not just Will, it's probably 99% of the YTers out there.

I don’t believe that’s a fair assessment.

Will doesn’t hesitate to diss bad stuff, and he very often says he’s trying something “I bought with my own money.”

The OK crimpers some people dislike work OK. Very well for $30 tools or whatever. But not as nicely as the fancy pants $200 crimpers. To my way of thinking I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed that an okay $30 tool doesn’t perform like a $200 tool.

Will is often recommending good, cheap stuff for DIY. If you’re a tool junkie like me but can’t tolerate OK tools, go buy the $200 version. It makes no logical sense to pee on Will because he affiliates a good cheap DIY tool when one actually wants an FAA/ISO/SAE stamped tool and didn’t buy it.

 

[meetyg]

I don’t believe that’s a fair assessment.

Will doesn’t hesitate to diss bad stuff, and he very often says he’s trying something “I bought with my own money.”

The OK crimpers some people dislike work OK. Very well for $30 tools or whatever. But not as nicely as the fancy pants $200 crimpers. To my way of thinking I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed that an okay $30 tool doesn’t perform like a $200 tool.

Will is often recommending good, cheap stuff for DIY. If you’re a tool junkie like me but can’t tolerate OK tools, go buy the $200 version. It makes no logical sense to pee on Will because he affiliates a good cheap DIY tool when one actually wants an FAA/ISO/SAE stamped tool and didn’t buy it.

I'm not expecting great performance from cheap tools. I am expecting Will and other YTers to give an honest opinion.
As I mentioned, Will (and others) make some tools and products seem "perfect" and "must have" (whether cheap or expensive) but in many cases its far from that.

Saying that they were bought "from own money" isn't an assurance that the review will be honest, especially if you make $$$ from affiliate links.

 

[robby]

I'm not expecting great performance from cheap tools. I am expecting Will and other YTers to give an honest opinion.
As I mentioned, Will (and others) make some tools and products seem "perfect" and "must have" (whether cheap or expensive) but in many cases its far from that.

Saying that they were bought "from own money" isn't an assurance that the review will be honest, especially if you make $$$ from affiliate links.

I get your point, many times Will tends to lean towards the low end item that work good, I never found anything he recommended to be of poor quality but of course it's not going to work like the one that cost 3 times as much.

I guess he knows his audience and caters to them. I sometimes wish he would do some reviews on higher end equipment because there are a ton of guys already reviewing low priced batteries and Inverters, although none of them is as good as he is.

I know there is also a huge market of people who have the money to plunk down on a $20K-$35K Solar System and they crave knowledge on what to buy but have very few choices of channels to get detailed info.
I like engineer775's and Johny's videos but they tend to spend more time talking about trenching and laying wire than talking about the actual technical details about what they are building and expressing their thoughts on how well it works.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Saying that they were bought "from own money" isn't an assurance that the review will be honest, especially if you make $$$ from affiliate links.

That is revealing of your presuppositions and bias but it isn’t a supportable assessment. He made a video once revealing his revenue streams. At this point he’s made enough money from his book (and considering his personal history) that he doesn’t care if you click his affiliate link. And good for him!
Recently he discounted his book to the lowest Amazon cost as well. Essentially giving it away.
Ya, it sounds like he’s being greedy and disingenuously promoting linked products. Not!

I’ve never met the guy but I’d like to. A person that bootstraps from nothing and ‘makes it’ while showing integrity and - perhaps- compassion is an admirable person to me.
If he’s making tons of income: good for him! He’s paying the taxes to support people who won’t or can’t take a leap and make something of themselves.

Will’s reviews don’t smack of disingenuous motivations to me. If you like his videos you can choose to support him by buying linked products, unlike television or online networks that force you to watch ads whether you like the products or show AND you pay for those ads every time you buy a Brand product because that cost is built into the post-excise pricing.

Your criticism is reflective of your personal bias but it doesn’t actually hold water under thoughtful scrutiny imho.

(Nevertheless, sorry, Will. I didn’t buy that crimper because I have a more expensive one LOL)

 

[meetyg]

That is revealing of your presuppositions and bias but it isn’t a supportable assessment. He made a video once revealing his revenue streams. At this point he’s made enough money from his book (and considering his personal history) that he doesn’t care if you click his affiliate link. And good for him!
Recently he discounted his book to the lowest Amazon cost as well. Essentially giving it away.
Ya, it sounds like he’s being greedy and disingenuously promoting linked products. Not!

I’ve never met the guy but I’d like to. A person that bootstraps from nothing and ‘makes it’ while showing integrity and - perhaps- compassion is an admirable person to me.
If he’s making tons of income: good for him! He’s paying the taxes to support people who won’t or can’t take a leap and make something of themselves.

Will’s reviews don’t smack of disingenuous motivations to me. If you like his videos you can choose to support him by buying linked products, unlike television or online networks that force you to watch ads whether you like the products or show AND you pay for those ads every time you buy a Brand product because that cost is built into the post-excise pricing.

Your criticism is reflective of your personal bias but it doesn’t actually hold water under thoughtful scrutiny imho.

(Nevertheless, sorry, Will. I didn’t buy that crimper because I have a more expensive one LOL)

Don't get me wrong, I admire Will and his work/contributions to the solar community (and bringing up this forum, of course).

I have no problem with him or any other social media influencers making money from the hard work and countless hours of video editing etc...
My problem is when the videos are biased, just to make that money.
My personal opinion is that what started out like a genuine and truthful YT channel, has become no better than those ads on TV.
Again, I'm not saying all of Will's video are like that, but sometimes I have the feeling that some are.
It's not just Will as I mentioned. It seems like many YTers that made it "big" have become biased towards selling things (affiliate links etc...) than giving us honest reviews and recommendations.
That's my disappointment... that's all.

 

[MrM1]

I didn't buy the ratchet crimper Will likes and I don't like the one I bought. I did buy the pliers crimper he liked. They work fine . But that yellow wire stripper he raves about and strips 4/0 with... Garbage. Cuts casing like curly fries.

For me I watch several YouTube channels not so much for what they are doing, but for for the "How" they did it, and "Why" they did it that way.

Wild and Wonderful Off Grid is an example. He's is /was an electrician I learned a good bit about the subject in general just watching his build and technique and wiring his house . He also chose Schneider XW gear. I have SW gear and have wondered, if I could do it again on the XW level would I today choose a cheaper all-in-one? I have concluded "No". An XW would beat the pants off of anything near its size + or - and do it better, safer, with very low idle current draw and be able to stand up to the scrutiny of the AHJ. Will said in his video that the hi idle draw of the Mpp was normal for low frequency inverters? This is not the case with the XW.

Also, Ian - Watts247 - yesterday posted video yesterday of what he considered a very dangerous practice of another seller and separate popular YouTuber (mentioned here) of taking a Growatt 5000 es 230v output inverter and adding an auto transformer. If he is correct, (and I believe he is) the practice is dangerous and really shouldn't be being sold as a package from that seller.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Or perhaps does the youtube machine simply delete comments with links

Yes. Every time I post a link.
Also comments that reference other sites get removed. For example, any comments on e.g. Andys' videos I make referencing "DIY Solar Forum", "Alibaba/Aliexpress", "Search on ..." etc. get removed automatically. Andy conformed this.