Rant... I hate the direction the hobby has gone

[Blitheran]

I think YouTube University is great!

 

[Subsea]

I think it really just depends on the individual and the hobby. Do I think books are the #1 resource? No, not anymore. Some people prefer going online and seeing blog posts about their hobby, a step-by-step guide on wikiHow, or watching a video on how to do something.

I'll bring up Rock climbing as that is the hobby I know a lot about. We still produce books in that hobby. Technique books, guide books on what routes to do at a mountain or boulder spot, and general climbing books (history, biography etc..) However, we also have lots of online resources. Online guidebooks, apps that show you exactly where routes are located on mountains, apps that give you workout routines and ways to condition, YouTube videos on how to improve technique, and preventing injury. You get the point. Do I own any climbing books, even though I have invested loads of time into the hobby? No. Do I feel like I am pretty knowledgeable about the hobby and know what they are doing? I would think so.

I say all of this to say that I don't think books are irrelevant. I just think culture has shifted towards online resources over books. If you prefer books? Good for you. If you prefer online resources? Good for you. In the grand scheme of things It doesn't matter what medium we choose to learn about our hobbies.

For certain, culture has shifted is an understatement. At 77 years old, it is easy to see. I consider it a loss of individual critical thinking. But that’s just me, old school looking at things from a differrent perspective.

 

[tripdad]

The problem with social media taking the place of print media is that is makes the consumer the editor. Meaning with print there is an editing/fact checking mechanism in place. Not perfect but it's there. With self made social media there is no editors or fact checkers in place. People say/promote whatever they want accuracy be darn. So critical thinking skills become super necessary by the consumer at a time when they are not being taught. I know there is good content available online, it's just very hard to eliminate the garbage when your new and don't have anyone telling you what is good or garbage except the pile of dead animals that result from listening to garbage.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

For certain, culture has shifted is an understatement. At 77 years old, it is easy to see. I consider it a loss of individual critical thinking. But that’s just me, old school looking at things from a differrent perspective.

I do find it sad that you don't see the prevalence of books or physical media as a whole anymore. As a man who also collects old video games, nothing beats opening an old game, flipping through the manual, and popping the disc into the console of your choice (or cartridge). Not to mention, book stores don't seem as popular, and physical media is slowly being phased out at many popular retailers which is sad to see

 

[BeanAnimal]

All that’s out there now are self-published, poorly edited “vanity books”.

Whoa....

"Mother says I'm handsome, and I make bacon!"

Is not a vanity book.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The problem with social media taking the place of print media is that is makes the consumer the editor. Meaning with print there is an editing/fact checking mechanism in place. Not perfect but it's there.

That is a wonderful observation.

Side note: Remind me to tell the story of "not perfect" with regard to "Aquatic Systems Engineering and how they work" -- when the editor can't check the work of the author and mistakes get published!

 

[Subsea]

The problem with social media taking the place of print media is that is makes the consumer the editor. Meaning with print there is an editing/fact checking mechanism in place. Not perfect but it's there. With self made social media there is no editors or fact checkers in place. People say/promote whatever they want accuracy be darn. So critical thinking skills become super necessary by the consumer at a time when they are not being taught. I know there is good content available online, it's just very hard to eliminate the garbage when your new and don't have anyone telling you what is good or garbage except the pile of dead animals that result from listening to garbage.

No fact checking in place, busy lives with poor time management and too many are intellectually lazy is central to the issue.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Whoa....

"Mother says I'm handsome, and I make bacon!"

Is not a vanity book.

My Snoop Dogg from Crook to Cook is not a vanity book

 

[Reefer Matt]

My question is whether books or videos, who do we give credence to? What qualifies someone to give advice?

 

[Subsea]

My question is whether books or videos, who do we give credence to? What qualifies someone to give advice?

What qualifies someone to give advice?

That is the wrong question. The right question is who do I listen to:

What experience do they bring to the table, besides AI?

 

[JumboShrimp]

I'm fixin' to learn ya'.

 

[Reefer Matt]

What qualifies someone to give advice?

That is the wrong question. The right question is who do I listen to:

What experience do they bring to the table, besides AI?

So experience qualifies them to you. Yet many experienced Reefers give advice that is readily ignored and discounted, only for a popular voice or method to take over. At the end of the day, trial and error is the best teacher a Reefer can have. Unfortunately many quit before they actually start to learn about their tank.

 

[skyrne_isk]

I do find it sad that you don't see the prevalence of books or physical media as a whole anymore.

Which is really sad. I would put the over / under at easily 100 for how many times I have read these. They won’t talk LEDs or carbon dosing, but all the relevant concepts and fundamentals to be successful are here.

 

[BobTheBlenney]

The societal shift away from books is without question a bad thing. Lack of reading comprehension is a real problem in schools and that translates to a lack of critical thinking skills. Also, we can never underestimate the value of having a hard copy of information. Everything that is online can be taken away with literally the flip of a switch.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Maybe R2R could publish it? Avenue for growth....?

We've looked into that, but digital copies are an issue - send one out and there's a chance it will just get copied all around (sigh).

I have been publishing sections from it as files here.....if I keep that up long enough, the whole book will be online (grin).

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Whoa....

"Mother says I'm handsome, and I make bacon!"

Is not a vanity book.

More like, "I owned a hippo tang named Dory, here is how you care for them......"

 

[Reefer Matt]

I have books (even signed by the author Julian), and they help reinforce what I’ve learned, and fill in the blanks on a lot more. However people learn from different media, and just because your favorite option isn’t popular anymore, doesn’t make others less helpful. Sometimes it takes a liaison to bridge the gap from one generation to another. That is what’s needed, imo.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The societal shift away from books is without question a bad thing. Lack of reading comprehension is a real problem in schools and that translates to a lack of critical thinking skills. Also, we can never underestimate the value of having a hard copy of information. Everything that is online can be taken away with literally the flip of a switch.

Another major distinction between all online resources and actual printed books is the lack of editing for the former. Somebody posted a picture of Joyce Wilkerson's Clownfish book above; Not only was that book edited by the publisher, I spent 20+ hours editing the content for her. She would rough out a chapter and mail it to me. I don't believe she took all of my suggestions, but I do think the process helped.

 

[tripdad]

My question is whether books or videos, who do we give credence to? What qualifies someone to give advice?

Greg Carroll has a policy.....if the person giving the advice won't show you their tank then don't listen to them. Not sure I agree 100% as sometimes people are between tanks but still know their stuff but the concept is sound I think.

 

[areefer01]

Greg Carroll has a policy.....if the person giving the advice won't show you their tank then don't listen to them. Not sure I agree 100% as sometimes people are between tanks but still know their stuff but the concept is sound I think.

That is a nice challenge card to play but not sure I would say that is required. There are hobbyist here who had long dry spells and still give advise. Maybe what is more important is staying in ones lane and giving advise on that. If and when it is challenged just have the data to back it up.

There is a lot of anecdotal / personal accounts in answers on social media which is probably why they have that policy.