Threads that consist of little or nothing but an embedded YouTube video or a link to some other site will be removed if nothing more has been added to them after a few days. Without posts, they're not threads, and they just get in the way of finding actual content. Please consider what you're going to post here. If all you have is a YouTube video that you want to share, consider one of the threads that we already have for videos, such as Political Videos, Funny Videos, Cute Pet and Animal Videos, and so on. Or you can post your video in a discussion forum where it would be relevant. However, if all there is going to be is a video, then it doesn't need to be a thread of its own. It's okay to post a video in response to a topic under discussion, as long as it's on-topic, although words would be better, in most cases. If you believe that the video you want to post is interesting enough to have a thread of its own, then take charge of it, and take it upon yourself to encourage discussion of the subject. Otherwise, they will be subject to deletion. This is particularly significant when it comes to YouTube videos because YouTube removes videos far too often these days. I have deleted several of my own YouTube embeds, except where the fact that YouTube has removed the video has itself led to discussion. Otherwise, orphan videos will be subject to removal. The same is true of links to news sites, blogs, and so on. Don't expect your link to bring about discussion from other people if you don't have anything to say about it yourself. People can view a video without leaving the site, but links take us to another site, and I suspect that most people will never even click on your link.
It always amazed me when videos were answered with videos. I thought maybe some new forum fad called video banter. I thought I was the only one that was missing the point of the thread. I seldom click on links. I wonder how many posters have even read the entire link they posted?
I seldom click on links either., especially when the person who posted the link has not at least tried to explain what they want to say first, and then added the link for further information. Just posting a video or a link does not explain what the writer thinks abut that topic, it usually only asks what OTHER people think about it. The whole idea of a forum is an exchange of thoughts and ideas, not just to ask people questions to be answered by everyone. It is usually pretty hard to explain a whole topic in just one sentence.
I was on some forgotten forum in 2008 and YT was just getting popular. And everybody was posting vids of everything, because they could. No other reason that I could see. They certainly have their place, but not for everything. If I'm looking up an answer to a technical question, I always avoid the hits on YT. I want to be able to scan through text and find my answer or not in a half a minute, rather than wade through all the garbage people put on vids. I probably click on one out of ten YT links that other people post, and rarely watch the whole thing.
This was the main reason I deleted a vestibular forum I hosted both financially and as an administer moderator for three years. Video and link after link with a few words such as, "Just listen to what Dr. Soso has to say about it." It was easy for anyone to search and find what doctors had to say about a subject. What I was hoping to achieve was a compiling of personal experiences and daily living with those suffering vestibular problems and therefore offering something unique and not found anywhere else on the internet. I think that is what Ken is trying to accomplish here. The big problem I have with videos is even if the poster makes a brilliant opening statement and then refers to the video for validity, when that video is pulled, the thread basically dies as far as its original intent. I tried hosting a forum with no videos or links allowed. One could post their own short videos just like photos, but no remote linking. That forum died out within months. . .
GUILTY, I'll work on it. Youtube and websites help me to say things I want to say without typing it all out sometimes. I won't be offended at all if yall taake down any of mine. Also I got a few good movies on YT that was recommended by others.About to watche one today.
Youtube has its place for things like gardening,all kinds of repairs for us .We learned how to grow food better ways for instance. Also how to clean out our AC ssystem,rebuild an engine in hubbys truck,etc.Things like that. And I find some of the kid and animal videos calming and makes me smile without agendas.Some good news in a world of bad news and anger.Yet I do understand too much is just too much.
I've posted several videos but I have rarely made them the OP of a thread. Sometimes, I come across a video that explains something that has already been under discussion better than I thought I had managed to do, or perhaps I have reason to believe that it may lend credibility to something under discussion, but there aren't any good reasons that I can think of to make a video the opening post to a thread. To clarify, I have no problem with embedding videos when they are on-topic in a thread, but you will generally have contributed much more if you used your own words, either in conjunction or in place of the video. In replies, such as in the thread about music you've been listening to, there may be no reason to add words but, in most cases, we'd like to have your words. We have threads that are made for videos, and you can feel free to post them there, with or without comment.
While I can't guarantee safety in such things, I do try to click on links - especially those posted by people who aren't so familiar to me - in order to see that they aren't doing that, even when I'm not particularly interested in the topic. But again, I can't get to everything.
I hover over links before clicking on them to make certain that the underlying URL is consistent with the text, and I click on links most of the time I encounter them. I have yet to come across anything malicious here.