EEVblog #276 - Mailbag - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 07:49:17 am
content: Is it just me, or did he have 3 packages and only open 2?The elecktor one seems to have been forgotten.Probably an editing failEDIT: mystery solved, youtube detail says the video will be split into two.

author: Chet T16
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 08:41:10 am
content: The most important one was opened first

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 10:09:40 am
content: No one ever reads the video descriptions!Dave.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 10:18:48 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 10, 2012, 10:09:40 amBecause they're boring, make with the content!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 11:59:04 am
content: Am I the only one who is completely underwhelmed by the mailbag thing? I only watch it because it was posted by Dave.

author: Chet T16
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 12:28:39 pm
content: It's like the excitement of a package from a forgotten eBay purchase without the nagging wife saying I buy too much crap, it gets my vote

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 01:09:36 pm
content: Quote from: HAL-42b on May 10, 2012, 11:59:04 amApparently, yes.You are so far the only one who has said they do not like it.Usually if people don't like a segment, I get a lot of feedback saying so, and I expected that with the mailbag, but I got no negative responses at all until now.Dave.

author: Nermash
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 01:19:34 pm
content: Quote from: HAL-42b on May 10, 2012, 11:59:04 amNo, you are not

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 01:26:39 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 10, 2012, 01:09:36 pmC'mon Dave this is not a negative response. It is just that it does not make fireworks go off and champagne bottles pop for me. Maybe because it is notmymailbox.

author: Time
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2012, 03:11:58 pm
content: Mail bag isn't too exciting to me but why would I complain? Dave's a full time blogger now and producing content faster than I can watch it with my busy work/life schedule.

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 05:10:51 am
content: I like the mailbox thing. Keep doing it until you're bored of it, Dave.Upshot: You'll get heaps of freebies. I certainly wouldn't complain about that!!

author: LEECH666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 08:17:19 am
content: Yesterday when I got back from work part two was already linked on the "Episodes List" page, but after I finished watching the first part the second video was gone saying "Sorry user deleted this video". Wonder what happend to the video.Florian

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 08:20:33 am
content: Quote from: LEECH666 on May 11, 2012, 08:17:19 amSony Vegas screwed up and blanked out half of it.I have to re-render and re-upload.Dave.

author: LEECH666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 08:42:21 am
content: I see. Thanks for the update.Florian

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 09:17:24 am
content: I like the Mailbag. It's like getting post without the hassle of paying for itI wonder what's inside the Elektor package... I hope not some boring book...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 10:42:06 am
content: Quote from: HAL-42b on May 10, 2012, 01:26:39 pmIt's not positive, so effectively it might as well be negative, but that's agoodthing!I want feedback from people telling me what they like and don't like.I was actually expecting a fair bit of negative or simply "boring at batshit" response for the mailbag segment, like I do for many of my videos. But all I got was a very positive response and big viewer numbers. I was rather surprised.Dave.

author: tnt
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 02:59:10 pm
content: Well to be honest the mailbox segment highly depends on _what_ you receive ...In an absolute sense it's not my preferred segment (I mean, a tear down of a brand new tektronix mixed domain scope is much cooler, but It's still interesting if yoou receive cool projects and if you dig a little into them (like you did with the amp) rather than just unbox and move on right after.Just my 2 cents.

author: tnt
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2012, 09:39:20 pm
content: So where is the elektor package ?I know it must be re-rendered and re-uploaded but that sounds like something that shouldn't take much operator time. (i.e start render and let the PC do its things, then start the upload and let the pc do its thing).

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 12:26:47 am
content: Quote from: tnt on May 11, 2012, 09:39:20 pmI do take days offDave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 12:34:46 am
content: And here it is again:#276 Mailbag has 13,500 views and zero thumbs down.#275 PIR Sensor teardown and tutorial (which I thought included some nice little technical tidbits) only got 9,800 views and 4 thumbs down.And the PIR one has been up two days longer, and the mailbag hasn't even been posted on the blog site yet!Some some reason the mailbag is WAY more popular than many of my other videos!Dave.

author: vxp036000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 12:44:58 am
content: There you have it! People are more interested in the entertainment than educational value. The same reason why the mad man photon is so popular. I do have to give you credit for the tutorials and teardowns, even though they are less popular. I personally have learned a lot from the more technical episodes.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 01:22:35 am
content: Well I like it, it requires no thinking. I'd like it more if there was stuff you could tear down (5 minute teardown then stop), dev boards, anything electronic. I suppose if you trained a cat to dance while opening the mail it would do even better....mike

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 01:32:30 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on May 13, 2012, 01:22:35 amDamn, catmail.com is taken!Dave.

author: PeterG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 04:12:42 am
content: here is my order of preference for Daves videos.1. Engineering Design How-To videos.2. Product Reviews-Test Gear and stuff.3. MailbagWhat do other people think?Regards

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 05:33:08 am
content: The reason mailbag is so popular is the same as for so many 'unboxing' video's on the net ... apparently it releases endorfines in your brain. Call it the men's equivalent of shoe shopping for women.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 05:47:53 am
content: Unboxing, I dunno I hate those. With Dave sure he "takes it out" then he "takes it apart". After that comes the bits I like. He criticizes or praises aspects so we actually learn something. I hope he never uses the term "unboxing"....mike

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 06:00:12 am
content: Buy a workshop cat from the SPCA, and let it lie on the workbench while you are doing the videos. Either that or a puppy to chew on the discarded boxes, or to widdle on the rejected items........Mailbag is nice, in the "OOOH SHINY NEW STUFF" way, but you are much better at explaining the tearing down and design philosophy. Look at the commenting on YT, and you will see that the design and such have more positive comments.Best to place a blog link in the description to bring the viewers direct to the blog comment page for the episode, so as to consolidate the commentary. Add a little there to ask if the like or not the video and point them to YT to press the button, or embed it on the blog page directly.

author: tnt
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 07:49:40 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 13, 2012, 12:34:46 amDoes it take a complete "view" (ie start to finish) for it to be counted ?Because for most of the other videos you have a title that describes what you'll find in there and so you can skip it entirely if not interested. For the mailbag you have to actually watch it (and possibly seek into it) to know what's in there.Cheers,Sylvain

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 09:10:42 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on May 13, 2012, 05:47:53 amI have for my reviews of the consumer Kindle devices, because I'm smart enough to know that's a commonly used search term for consumer stuff.Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 09:15:10 am
content: Quote from: tnt on May 13, 2012, 07:49:40 amNo, if you hit play, it counts.But Youtube tracks when you stop watching, and gives an "Audience retention rate" graph, which does seem to be higher (better) than my technical videos.QuoteNot if you actually read the comments first, which it seems most people never read!

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 09:33:32 am
content: The problem with your comments on YT is that they do not appear in the blog. Perhaps disable commenting on YT and direct to the blog would be better, as I am not likely to go back to an old video of yours ( sorry) to see newer comments, but will do so on your blog.

author: Chet T16
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 09:52:01 am
content: If i see a video with comments disabled i automatically assume that its i load of crap

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 10:52:41 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on May 13, 2012, 09:33:32 amThat's a very bad idea for several reasons:1) It drastically reduces your individual and channel Youtube ranking for search.2) Redirecting "Youtubers" to a blog does not work, they live on Youtube and most don't want to visit a blog site.3) As Chet said, people will think you channel and videos are crap, and you don't like feedback.4) There is nothing at all to gain by disabling comments.Anyway, I'm not talking about the user comments here, I'm talking about the comment text I put below the video. The same text and links are on my blog site as are on the Youtube channel video.Dave.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2012, 11:29:02 am
content: The short "what have we got here?" mailbag segments are nice. The elaborate second part Elektor thing not so much.