[REQUEST] FreeBSD Channel on YouTube

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Greetings all,


I will begin by saying first and foremost that I am a UNIX and FreeBSD n00b. While that is not news per se, it is through those trials and tribulations as such a n00b that the aforementioned topic occurred to me.

People on the whole are visual. In like manner, although a plethora of information regarding FreeBSD is available, I tried looking up tutorial videos on FreeBSD and other BSD derivatives and was dismayed by the lack thereof on popular Video Sharing sites such as YouTube. I thought that the idea of this not being the case was downright depressing as FreeBSD is IMO, is the best OS I've ever encountered - people should be made more aware of it.

Now, don't get me wrong, FreeBSD is well documented textually and the information you want is relatively easy to obtain. But, sometimes, especially for a n00b, it means a lot especially if you there are videos out there that you can not only see what to do, but sometimes hear an extra tit-bit of information regarding the same. I searched the Forums for some idea of this and could not discover anything of the sort. But, I did sense a need for something like this out there on the web.

So, in summary, my question is quite simple: "Given the wealth of information that exists among the FreeBSD community, have you ever considered creating a YouTube Page?"

In addition to the reasons that such a channel can address as detailed above, I also strongly think it will do immense wonders for your marketing image to spread the wonder and joy that is FreeBSD and *BSD on the whole.

What do you think?
 
This is a user forum, not a video production company. Resources are scarce enough as it is now, and almost all of FreeBSD is volunteer-driven by people who have day jobs.
 
I find it hard to imagine the content of such a video. Something like this?

"Yeah, so you just type make install clean into the shell and press enter. You see it started doing its job. It's going to take a while, though, so let me explain some of the details of Ports management in the meantime. *quotes half of the Handbook related to Ports* So, yeah, that's it."

I don't see that being useful much.

FreeBSD is primarily text-driven O/S. Graphical user interfaces are not a part of FreeBSD itself. Perhaps it would make sense to make a video tutorial about how to set up KDE to your liking, but that's not very FreeBSD related, and chances are there already are videos about KDE on YouTube.
 
First, thank you all for taking the time from your busy schedules to read and comment on my request.

With regard to the following:

killasmurf86 said:
I couldn't care less.

However advanced topics and/or conference presentations could be available (and in fact they are: http://www.youtube.com/user/bsdconferences).

I represent my own opinion, not communities opinion.

I agree wholeheartedly. That channel was one I had uncovered in trying to find FreeBSD and *BSD related content. I am not bashing anyone, and the last thing I would want to do is offend the community - but, I think that while *BSD content exists there and elsewhere, its nature is either very introductory or very specific - very little exists "in-between".

I remember distinctly in many of those talks and in a few of the Handbooks (the exact places I cannot recall, so as to properly quote them). We all have something that we can each bring to the table, i.e. FreeBSD.

My appeal is not only to the FreeBSD admins, but also to its users and gurus. There lies a wealth of information that is available. However, sometimes unearthing the answer to a question is arduous. It does wonders if you have something that you can follow along, as well as compare your results against.

Honestly, if I had the technical acumen whereby which I could make such technically minded videos, I would. Given that I am learning, I cannot. But, I can make videos.

My point is there are other people out there who are also fellow FreeBSDers who could do the same. FreeBSD was born and maintained in the spirit of community. To that same purpose, I think the users of *BSD can do the same. As the DutchDaemon quite rightly pointed out:

This is a user forum, not a video production company. Resources are scarce enough as it is now, and almost all of FreeBSD is volunteer-driven by people who have day jobs.

It is my humble opinion, that while the above is true, the gurus who support and develop *BSD can and should continue doing so. Let them do what they are good at doing. On the other hand, people who can assist in such an undertaking, i.e. who are good at making technical videos, can do just that.

FreeBSD is derived from the community. We are what we make of it.
 
Good evening,

Maybe a better approach could be to give 1 to 3 exhaustive video content samples to answer the question "what you want in those videos"?

I share the Oxyd feeling video isn't the best support for text-driven management, so you should provide relevant information to answer the question "why produce a video should be a good idea?".
 
I'm still quite unsure what exactly "in-between" there is that is missing. Can you give some examples?

I still don't think that video tutorials -- while they are indeed very visual, and I am a very visual person myself -- are the way to go with FreeBSD learning resources. However, if you can point out something that is genuinely missing "in-between", then I suppose there's a fair chance someone will do something about it -- perhaps a howto in the Howto Section of the forums.
 
The mailing lists are a better place to ask this question.
E.g., I use google projects/code to store packages. One could setup a site there and link videos from the download section to a blog main page.
The next step would be to create a video tutorial thread both here and at daemonforums.

I am aware that the general consensus of the BSD community is to make people work and search for documentation. Unfortunately, more people than not have trouble starting off. Video tutorials would be a very good way for others to see where they went wrong.

If anyone asks, "Well, why don't you do it?"
My answer: I'm poor, struggling, and having trouble with my depression right now. I can only work on a limited amount of items.
 
I think video howto's are a bit too noobish. But there is nothing wrong with some technical entertainment. FreeBSD is the best documented OS, so if you want to learn how to get things under control then you have to follow the golden rule: RTFM!.

The FreeBSD DOC project has an extensive collection of howto's covering all aspects of the OS. If you read them and try them all then you wouldn't be noobish anymore. And if you don't know howto to pull it, ask your questions here or on the mailing list.

The only condition is that you search the net before you do, to see if someone else encountered the same problem.
 
Videos probably don't exist because textual documentation is of such high quality and is more appropriate for a system like FreeBSD...
 
Video tutorials were always oriented towards less-technical user. UNIX systems were always oriented towards technical users. Video tutorials are better and faster if you want to explain how to do something, but textbook documentation is better if you want to explain how something works. Since the UNIX philosophy really expects the latter, eg. that user knows what's going on behind every command he entered, i really think there's little space, time, and interests regarding video tutorials.

Apart from conferences and presentations, of course. What's interesting though, is the video code analysis, where you have only code on the screen and programmer explains the mechanisms in code, switching from files, compiling, etc, while talking about the subject.
 
Can we get this person to make them : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_R_JSiupzo

We can market with nifty overdone design products like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H868NSM2yAg

Or just automate with our fancy text filtering tools through one of the open source voice synthesizer programs to some fancy 3D talking daemons and penguins. Maybe have it render in real time so when I user searches apropos or man so no work is really being done. We could help the lazy with conquering one of the most advanced operating systems man has ever known.

Think about it folks. A world without windowsâ„¢ doesn't have to be a dark place!

</sarcasm>
 
UNIXgod said:
Think about it folks. A world without windowsâ„¢ doesn't have to be a dark place!

</sarcasm>

If you close all the Windowsâ„¢ (of vulnerabilities lol), Doorsâ„¢, BackDoorsâ„¢ and heck even Chimneyâ„¢ remains.... lot's of "light"
 
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