Adam's Blog

August 22, 2022

Why I Dislike The Current YouTube

and what can you do to fix it.

YouTube has changed a lot over the years. It started as a simple platform where people could talk about things they liked and interests. Nowadays, it is more like TV because it has a lot of content that is not related to what YouTube was originally created for.

YouTubers are now trying to emulate the same style of TV hosts with high production but zero interesting things to say. YouTube has changed from being a site where you can find videos about anything, to being a site where you can find videos about anything that will make the creators money and get them more followers.

Some YouTubers have taken this idea too far by manipulating their audience into donating money to them. They will do things like make videos about how they are homeless or going through a rough time and then ask for donations at the end of the video. This is a form of emotional manipulation and it is not okay.

Not to mention the hoarders of algorithms. They swarm the recommendations section for mostly gaming and technology-related topics. There have been many changes in YouTube over the years that have caused this shift in content quality and type of videos being created on the site.

In the past, YouTube was a platform that showed people and their talents. Now, it is a platform for people to ask for money or make click bait. Basically YouTube is becoming cable TV which is ironic considering what made YouTube populare in the first place is people escaping cable TV.

So what can you do about it?

There is a lot of criticism in the YouTube world about how the platform has an effect on mental health. One mistake and their entire career could be over. I’m not going to get into that, but what I will talk about is why I like watching people who are just in it for the love of entertaining and making great content.

The platform has billions of hours of content uploaded every day and it’s impossible to watch everything. But there are people who are dedicated to the content they share on YouTube. They care about the message they want to share and not the subs or cash that comes with it.

As a small YouTuber myself, I understand the struggle. Starting out on YouTube is definitely not easy. But that does not mean it’s impossible. You just need to find a niche and build your way up. The best way to do this is by staying true to yourself, creating content that you are passionate about, and investing in your channel as much as possible. My problem is that I frequently cover a wide range of subjects rather than focusing on one.

Watch little YouTubers, is what I’m trying to convey. Support creators who are honest, whether they are new or established. Encourage those who choose craft over clickbait. Instead of automatically scanning popular YouTubers, spend some time manually searching for the subject of interest. Watch videos with few views. Unsubscribe from YouTubers who are fake.

To be clear, I’m not only criticizing popular YouTubers. There are incredibly talented people of various channel sizes. I’m only urging you to give the little folks a chance. In the future, I’ll start promoting channels, but for now, I want to say thanks for reading.

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January 31, 2022

If you buy the first Harry Potter book and don’t like it, why would you read the other six?

It’s not uncommon to see people buying a series of books, but never finishing them. I mean, we’ve all done it. You buy the first book and it’s not so bad. You start to read the second one and all of a sudden, it’s all downhill from there. Before you know it, you’ve spent your hard-earned money on all the books in the series, and you’re never going to finish them. So, why is this happening?

I personally never liked the Harry Potter series and thought of it as nothing more than an over publicized story. That is until I picked the first (UK version) book. Why did I do it? Simply the cover art. Yes, I am the type of person that judges a book by its cover. The cover made me want to read the story and enjoy it more than the ugly American version. Not to mention the word selection differences between the two versions.
I finished the book and wanted more. The story was all right, as we are introduced to the settings and characters. The second one did not push the story further by a lot in my opinion. Yes, we got to meet the families and some character developments but I did not enjoy it as the first book.

Starting with book three, the story gets pushed forward more excitingly. Events become serious with twists and jump scares if you can call it that. The point I am trying to make; not every series is perfect. There will be bad books or movies. What you should be following is the story. The second book did not accomplish that much but the story kept moving forward and I wanted to know what comes next. In addition, a lot came after that. Had I simply given up I would have missed the other five books and the great story they contained?

I’m not saying you should power through every story or movie just for the sake of finishing the tale. More like, give it a decent chance and try to see the overall story. I even liked the Cursed Child, a book a lot of people hated.

Don’t think about if you should buy the book or not. Just buy it. If a book is worth reading, it’s worth finishing. If it’s not, you’ve wasted your time and money. You should always finish books because they will provide knowledge that could be useful to you later in life – whatever you’re passionate about. You will have read a good book if, at the end of the day, when you look back and remember your reading session with that book, you will remember the good times and things that happened during that era.

January 26, 2022

Activision Blizzard Merger with Microsoft Points to New Opportunities?

Microsoft just bought out Activision, combining the company’s resources. This will be the world’s largest publisher. What does this mean for the gaming industry in general? It means that we’re going to see an increase in graphics and game content, giving you the players a better experience.

Is this good or bad for the industry?

Since the announcement of the Activision Blizzard merger with Microsoft, gamers and gaming industry pundits have been up in arms debating whether this is a good or bad thing for the industry. The answer, as with most things, is it depends.

On the one hand, the merger could lead to new opportunities for gamers, as the two companies pool their resources to create innovative gaming experiences. On the other hand, it could lead to a monopolization of the industry. But if you think about it, Sony has been doing this for years since the PS2 era. Even in this generation, Sony got Streetfighter 5 and Shenmue to be PS4 exclusives with hardly any outrage from the community. Not to mention the countless other deals possibly made under the table.

I hate monopolies, this is hardly one. Microsoft bought a game studio to strengthen its IPS and exclusives just like Sony and Nintendo. Gamefreak made a deal with Nintendo, where is Pokemon on PlayStation, PC and Xbox? Sony fanboys need to calm down and realize that sooner or later other companies will start doing what Sony has been doing for years.

Will gamers benefit at the end? Could Microsoft breathe new life into Call of duty the way it did to Gears of War? Or will it be more of the same as Minecraft? Only time will tell.

January 24, 2022January 24, 2022

The Best Reasons to Skip a PS5 or the Xbox Series X if You Already Own a Gaming PC

Everyone is going crazy over the PS5 and they’re saying it’s the best gaming console ever. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been a PS fan since the first system launched. But here’s the thing: I don’t need the latest and greatest system to have fun. It’s all about the games, and that’s what gaming PCs are all about!

Having lots of stellar games on my PC totally outweighs any desire to have the PS5 or Xbox 2.
Wanting the best version of a game was one of the main reasons I got into PC gaming. As an avid fan of video games and a self-proclaimed game addict, getting a gaming PC has unleashed a whole new era of video games for me. Tons of good free games are available. Cheaper prices and most importantly, best version a money can buy. Not to mention the amazing backlogs of retro games and emulation that breath new life into old games.

I still collect physical media and retro games. But when it comes to choosing which game to get, I always go for the PC version. Even old school titles that no one know were on the PC like my recent purchased Toy Story 2. and then there is another thing; Sony started releasing PlayStation games on the PC. I preferred the consoles back in the GameCube and Dreamcast era but now days. everything ends up on the PC.

It’s not just about the games though. Console gaming just feels slower and more clunky to me now. There’s something about the freedom of being able to customize every single aspect of your gaming PC that just makes the experience a lot better. With a gaming PC, you’re not limited to what the console manufacturer allows. You can add more storage, upgrade your graphics card, change your keyboard, mouse and controller to whatever you want. You can even use a bigger monitor if you want.

Sure , some people might not like the idea of building their own PC, but there are plenty of gaming PCs out there that come pre-built and are ready to go right out of the box. If you already have a gaming PC, there’s really no need to buy a console. You can get all the same games, plus a whole lot more. The only new console I bought is the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo is still keeping it old school. They still release amazing games wit the 2000s feeling. But other than Nintendo, the rest just seem inferior versions of PC ports.

If you still prefer consoles and their simplicity (which is fading away), more power to you. I on the other hand, will stick to PC Gaming and Nintendo games.

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021

Mortal Engines [Blu-ray] Thoughts

It’s been a while I last was hyped for a movie. I love post-apocalypse media. Was excited to watch this and glad that I did. I bought the Blu-ray version off Amazon which came with a free DVD as well.

You get introduced to the world in the opening dialogue, although I wish actual footage was showing. The action took over and we start from there. The movie balances action with the story without going over with the former or too deep with the latter. Anyone can pick this up and enjoy it. There are no deep philosophical ideas here which is a good thing.

The settings and colour are balanced as well. You have this overall filter to set the mood for the world which change a bit as the story moves forward. The characters are balanced although some basically disappear later to never be heard from again. The sound effects and music are OK. Nothing ground-breaking although it has its moments.

All in all, a great movie. It goes for $7 for Blu-Ray and $12 for 4K. I highly recommend picking the physical disk and watch it with all the details as opposed to streaming it (If it’s on Netflix/Prime). There is something about owning physical media that makes the movie more enjoyable plus you focus more.

As a side note, I just realised that this was based on a novel. I will pick it up on Audible for sure.

May 6, 2021May 7, 2021

Bam Margera will not be in Jackass 4!

I was surprised to hear the accidental news that Bam Margera will not be in Jackass 4! What surprised me, even more, is that there will be Jackass 4. I grew up with Jackass, Skating and Video Games. I was a big fan of Bam and Jackass in general. But at this point, considering that all of the stars aged a lot, I don’t think the movie has the same vibe as before. Bam not being in it is another huge nail in the coffin.

I’m not fully blaming this on the producers as Bam had his problems but I do think that there is more story than we know. One can hope that things will get sorted out and the movie will capture at least some of the formal spirit.

August 2, 2020

Grandia 2 Removed from GOG.com!

I recently learned that one of my favourite Dreamcast-PC ports was removed from the only legal DRM Free store. The game is still available on Steam along with the first part for $19 a game. Despite the game still being available legally online, this is another example of a Digital only grim future.

People who want an offline, DRM Free game has two choices; buy an old PS1 version of eBay or pirate the offline version. The first choice involves looking for an old, expensive copy, having a functional system and hoping that your modern TV won’t distort the image too much. The other route while illegal will provide you with a fully functional copy that can be played offline without any DRM. Of course, the days of boxed PC games are sadly long gone. There is the switch version, but we are talking about the PC port and not every digital game gets released physically on consoles. Not to mention that you still need to install day one patches on newer console games. rendering the whole DRM free feeling obsolete.

I personally buy two versions of most of the games I really enjoy. A console physical version and a Steam release. But with newer games needing to be activated via patches, I think I will just stick to Steam and GOG.com. Overall, another sad day to game collectors and DRM Free fans. Hope the games make it back to GOG sooner than later despite me owning Grandia 2 Anniversary Edition when GOG still offered it.

May 22, 2020June 30, 2021

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is Coming!

Its been a while since I was excited about a game. Tony Hawks got me into extreme sports in the first place. I started aggressive Rollerblading because I fell in love with the whole culture, thanks to this game. I own almost every game in the series on multi consoles. I even own the tony hawk shred which I just got. The 5th game was horrible; hence why I didn’t bother to get it just yet.

Out of nowhere, my brother messages me the picture of a new Tony Hawk remastered game! I could not believe it! Yes, we had a remaster of the first two games before. Tony Hawk’s 2 X and Tony Hawk’s HD were great, but this should be on another level!

The game is only $39.99 for the regular edition and $170 for the collector’s pack. The later comes with the limited edition Deck, which is a great item to own for skaters. I will go for the regular Xbox one as I don’t feel like dropping a lot of cash on something I will not necessarily use, especially in these times. Maybe I will find it used on eBay down the line.

The game will be dropping on September 4. I already preordered two copies. Great times ahead. I may even replay and 100% Underground 2 while waiting.

May 16, 2020

Please Stop using Google Chrome on Mac

You read, right, I’m telling you to stop using the most popular web browser of 2020. But why? To save your system and privacy.

Chrome evolved from the simple, straightforward web browser to this colossal resource hug that is almost unusable on older systems for no reason. Open Chrome on Mac and start listening for the fans to go off almost immediately. If you are worried about privacy, Google is not your friend. Your web activity is sent to the Goggle mothership in the name of providing better services. You are training Sky Net.

Both Safari and Firefox are lightweight and are better options for macOS. Not only do they use fewer system resources, but they are also light years ahead of Chrome in the privacy department. Safari comes preloaded by default and integrated into the OS itself. Firefox has more features and strikes a nice balance between usability and system resource need. Not to mention the cool addons that enhance further the experience.

If you still need Chromium (the Google Chrome engine) for any reason, you can use Brave Browser, Vivaldi or even Opera although the later was bought by China. Microsoft Edge also switched to the Chromium engine and have some privacy controls as well.

In conclusion, avoid using Chrome unless necessary until Google addresses at least some of the issues. Your system and privacy will thank you.