YouTube Nanotech show?

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  • YouTube Nanotech show?

    I think a lot of traffic can be driven here if a YouTube show were made that covers nanotech news.  Something like SciShow (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZYTClx2T1of7BRZ86-8fow).  Then at the end of each episode, viewers could be encouraged to click a link in the video and/or in its description to come to this forum to continue the discussion, suggest topics, etc..

    And such a show does NOT have to have the same "high" production values as SciShow ... or at least initially.  Simply having Jim speak to a webcam on his computer would be a good place to start.  Start a Patreon account with the goal to afford better production values (better camera, microphone, editing software, etc.) and possibly even enabling Jim to do the show full-time ... and then start hiring staff.  Here's a very recent video about SciShow leaving Subbables to go to Patreon where we see how many people that show has behind the scenes on SciShow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyBBn0VNpBc

    If Jim (sorry, Jim, but you're it) were a bit more ambitious, it could be a twice-weekly show.  Say a Monday episode talking about the latest developments, news, papers, etc. in nanotechnology and Thursday episode explaining nanotech stuff to the public.  The first episode of the latter should very naturally explain what the word nanotechnology actually means.  And if the donations flood on, Jim could FLY around and interview nanotechnology researchers.  Get that, Jim?  The show could eventually end up PAYING you to fly your plane!   ;)

  • But - but - I already have a job that keeps me busy. Thanks to it I'll be one of the people at the DARPA Robotics Challenge in Pomona, CA in June to help mess with the communications between the robots and their human masters (we're not involved in developing any of the robots - we're just there to corrupt communications.)

    Also, it seems to me that a Youtube channel simply moves the problem of generating traffic to a different site - I don't see how it solves the problem. Unless it involves a [molecular] wardrobe malfunction, I'm not sure what would compel anyone to view such videos.

    And I wouldn't know what subjects I could address with any authority - and are both relevant and compelling. Got any nanotech topics you think would make for interesting videos? I think we'd have all of 5 minutes or less to cover a topic, if what I've read about audience retention for online videos is accurate. All I can think of is "Ecophagy - complete wardrobe consumption of Earth's biosphere in less than 2 years."

     

  • I'm just tossing ideas out here, Jim.

    But I see no problem of generating content for such a YouTube show.  I belong to a few tech news aggregators.  Simply report ONE news item they report that has something to do with nanotechnology.  The topic doesn't need to be long.  Just telling what new has happened and then explaining it to layfolk as to what it means, could mean, should mean, etc.

    As for doing it to draw people here, it is called "doing social media".  Not everyone likes their info in the same format.  Some people's first expose to these topics could be in another format.  Look at the social media buttons you already have at the top of the message makers already.  I'd add Twitter to those buttons so people can tweet out interesting topics.

    Now if you have a job you love, that's fine.  This can just be a hobby.  The YouTube show can just be a hobby to help this hobby.  Something simple and quick.  And as head moderator of this forum, that's all the credentials you need for YouTube.  Hell, that's more than most have on YouTube.

  • Snowman (JACK DECKER) wrote:

    By the way, we need to fix this forum a bit.  I don't see my original post above your reply.

    The software doesn't show posts that it thinks you read the last time it showed those posts to you. To see all the posts, over on the left (assuming you are using the desktop view) you should see a drop-down control labeled "Unread Discussions" with a "Go!" button to its right. Click on "Unread Discussions" and a scrollable menu of choices should appear. Select "All Discussions" from the choices and then click on "Go!". All the mesaages in the threads should now become visible when you click on the thread names.
     

  • I do need to create some decent documentation on how members can best use the forum software - the creators of the the software I chose seem to have skimped on that aspect. Appears to be a case of getting what I pay for, I guess. I would have used commercial software if I could find any I like - but I've never been a fan of navigating vBulletin forums, which seems the most popular commercial offering.

    By the way, I do find the idea of creating Youtube videos intriguing but the reality is that I always seem a bit pressed for time. After all, it was over two years ago that I first exchanged some emails with a fellow in St. Petersburg Russia who was interested in helping start a web forum substitute for sci.nanotech. It took me that long to finally find the several days I needed to devote to comparing forum software and possible hosting sites, then going through the steps needed to get things running.

    My preference and desire is quality content - not so much lots of traffic. Monetizing this forum is not one of my goals or desires, but I do appreciate the ideas you've put forth in that direction. I suspect it will always be cheaper for me to pay for this site out of my pocket than, for example, fund a flying habit since renting a plane costs $100+/hr.