[slackline]

How about using a form of aggregation to pull videos into the forum as is done with blogs?

The distinction between quality v's non-quality is pretty arbitrary in its original sense since some people like one thing, others another.  These days the distinction tends to be that quality are for "others" videos whilst "non-quality" are for UKB users.

For the former why not just have a "Video" thread in the blog-pile that sucks in videos posted to /r/climbingvids?

The URL for the whole subreddits RSS feed is just https://bl.reddit.com/r/climbingvids/.rss

If its desirable to continue the distinction between "chuffing" and "pebble wrestling" then it might be possible to utilise the filters the subreddit has in place (although I can't find any instructions on how to automatically generate RSS feeds for such filters and a quick play with the URLs didn't work).

Just a thought, one could argue that it would deter the "human filters" currently in place that ensure the "high standards" of submitted videos, but not everything is to everyones taste anyway and there is nothing stopping people from posting videos they come across into the existing threads anyway.

[GCW]

The distinction between quality v's non-quality is pretty arbitrary in its original sense since some people like one thing, others another.

If memory serves, this wasn't the original intention anyway.

[Johnny Brown]

No from me. If I wanted to see what videos were posted on r/climbingvids I'd look at r/climbingvids.

[slackline]

The distinction between quality v's non-quality is pretty arbitrary in its original sense since some people like one thing, others another.

If memory serves, this wasn't the original intention anyway.

Out of curiosity what was it?

No from me. If I wanted to see what videos were posted on r/climbingvids I'd look at r/climbingvids.

The exact same logic applies to whole of the syndicated Blog Pile...If you wanted to read blogs you could go and look at blogs.  There is never an obligation to read the RSS threads that are pulled in automatically, nor would there be for this, so I don't see that as a particularly valid reason not to do it I'm afraid since you can just ignore the thread because you don't want to look at /r/climbingvids.

This suggestion removes the need for humans to spend time doing tedious copying and pasting, yet maintains fresh content for the forum which seems to me to have been one of the motivations behind the Blog Pile.  I'm not at all suggesting that I'm the only person who ever posts videos here, far from it, but I see others posting videos from /r/climbingvids and saw a simple and easy way of automating a repetitive task (i.e. using computers/software to do what they are meant to and automate such tasks).

[GCW]

The distinction between quality v's non-quality is pretty arbitrary in its original sense since some people like one thing, others another.

If memory serves, this wasn't the original intention anyway.

Out of curiosity what was it?

Originally, videos made by UKB members were non-quality and those "pro" vids were quality.  It seems to have morphed with time.

[Johnny Brown]

The exact same logic applies to whole of the syndicated Blog Pile

No, the blog pile is a collection curated by the moderators.

[Mike Tyson]

My intention when I started the NQBV thread was only to show off my terrible video, of truly no quality. It certainly seems to have evolved a bit into something else. I like looking at both video threads to be honest.  Ain't broke, don't fix?

[slackline]

The exact same logic applies to whole of the syndicated Blog Pile

No, the blog pile is a collection curated by the moderators.

They might choose which blogs to suck in, but once a blog has been selected for inclusion in the blog pile  (and the authors consent obtained if my understanding is correct) there is no curation of which blog posts are reposted in the blog pile since its using RSS, so for me its a bit of a stretch of the term to suggest the blog pile is curated.

There is still nothing stopping you from not looking at a thread you have no interest in looking at so I don't think your objection is a valid reason not to use RSS feeds to pull videos in.

I like looking at both video threads to be honest.  Ain't broke, don't fix?

As do I, the system works and I've not suggested its broken, but it is reliant upon users taking the time to post links to videos and the intention of this suggestion is to automate some of that process.  I don't see it as a replacement rather a concurrent thread which could reside on its own in the (b)log pile (depending on your view it seems) and run concurrently to the existing threads because there will be plenty of videos people here and elsewhere on the net that don't get submitted to /r/climbingvids that will still be of interest and worth posting up in the existing threads.

Automating pulling in some videos as has been done with blogs seems pretty simple to achieve and wouldn't detract from the content or user experience of UKBouldering since as per above if an individual user doesn't want to look at a given thread they don't have to.

[Johnny Brown]

It is not a stretch of the term curated, blogs have to be added to the feed by the mods, and could be removed if irrelevant or requested. You are suggesting a feed entirely compiled by a third party website. As I said above, if I wanted that I'd go to the third party website.

[fried]

I know that Quality climbing vids means I'm going to get to watch some wad climbing some difficult stuff in beautiful settings, complete with  slo-mo, time-lapse of clouds and arty shots of leaves.

Non-Quality, means watching some crappy eliminate in the back of a cave, or someone half-obsured by a tuff of grass punting around in a dingy quarry. Usually by someone from the site, which is why it's the one I always click on.

I reckon the current system works fine.

[tomtom]

I think its a great idea. I like the compiler threads as I can't be bothered following all these blogs - and sometimes one gets some discussion thats often interesting/funny to tap into.

UKB is largely stagnant and in many ways diminishing... so why not have threads that scoop up content... I would, however, suggest having just one thread that gathers all..

Anyway, if you don't want to see any vids that are swept up by VidBot(tm) then ~ erm ~ just don't click on the 'Vidpile' thread or whatever its called?

[slackline]

It is not a stretch of the term curated, blogs have to be added to the feed by the mods, and could be removed if irrelevant or requested.

The video threads though are not "curated" in anyway other than someone, and that could be anyone registered on the site, not just a moderator, being bothered to post them.  You get some shit ones posted and some good ones (in both threads).

Anyway, I've no idea where this "curation" bee you have in your bonnet came from.  I only mentioned the Blogpile because it works using RSS which is how what I'm suggesting works and is therefore trivial to implement.  Its not like the site would be inundated in the syndicated thread being constantly updated since the RSS syndication only happens every six hours as far as I can tell.

You are suggesting a feed entirely compiled by a third party website. As I said above, if I wanted that I'd go to the third party website.

Each individual blog that is sucked in is compiled by a third party website...the author of the blog when they write and post it to their blog.   You even have one yourself that is sucked in here (I find its usually quite a good read), and if people wanted to read it they could go to your website, but the point of the blogpile and the reason why I've made this suggestion can be found in Toby's original post announcing the blogpile...

The Blog Pile is an experiment. We have installed a modification into the SMF software that can syndicate RSS feeds from blogs into forum threads and have got permission from a number of climbing blog writers to add their blogs. We will be rolling it out over the next 24 hours or so. For bloggers we reckon this will focus more attention on their writing. For forum users who already follow some of the blogs, we thought it might be more convenient than consulting them individually or through an RSS tool elsewhere. For forum users who don't read blogs, we thought it might be a fresh input to the forum. Anyway: an experiment. All feedback welcome.

Or as tomtom says/understands fresh input and you wouldn't have to visit the other site if it is of interest to you.  I'm sure there are many threads already in the forum that you do not read already (limestone sports crag conditions perhaps?), would it be a stretch of the imagination to think you might be able to not click on one more syndicated thread? 

I reckon the current system works fine.

It does, as I wrote in response to Mike, I'm not suggesting replacing them since there are many videos posted in both existing threads that are not on /r/climbingvids.  Its a supplement to them that takes virtually zero effort to implement since RSS syndication is already used in the blogpile and can be ignored by those who don't want to use it.

[fatneck]

Did someone mention a like button?

Seriously though, I like trawling other sites for vids and deciding whether they are quality or non quality and this would take a bit of the fun away. Having said that, most of the vids I post I source through my vimeo feed which is essentially doing what you are suggesting (I think) based on the films that I like and those the people I follow like.

Would an RSS feed work like this or would it pull "all" vids into one place thus negating the (kind of arbitrary) quality/non-quality human decision element? For example, if it drew videos from DPM Climbing, 90% of them would be shite...

[Johnny Brown]

Ok, Ive changed my mind this is a great idea. There's this site called UKC that has a lot of climbing discussion threads, could we RSS them all onto UKB too?

[dave]

Let's stick to what we do best: climbing bantz. I have no internet in turning the site into a content aggregator. It's bad enough having all the blogs pulled in.

[slackline]

Ok, Ive changed my mind this is a great idea. There's this site called UKC that has a lot of climbing discussion threads, could we RSS them all onto UKB too?

No since UKC don't offer an RSS feeds of their forums its not technically possible, regardless there is no need to be facetious.

Just because you wouldn't use something doesn't mean others wouldn't find it useful.

I like trawling other sites for vids and deciding whether they are quality or non quality and this would take a bit of the fun away.

And there is absolutely nothing stopping you from doing so, even if they happen to have been pulled in elsewhere.  This already happens when someones blog includes a video and it gets posted in one of the existing threads only to crop up when their blog post is sucked in at 00:00/06:00/12:00/18:00.

Would an RSS feed work like this or would it pull "all" vids into one place thus negating the (kind of arbitrary) quality/non-quality human decision element? For example, if it drew videos from DPM Climbing, 90% of them would be shite...

An RSS feed is simply that, a list of recent postings from the site/account producing it.  There is no filtering, so yes if you used https://vimeo.com/deadpointmag/videos/rss you would get all of the videos DPM post, regardless of what you think of them.

On /r/climbingvids the RSS is for newly submitted videos and doesn't take into account the voting system used there to up/down vote which is whats shown when you first go into the sub-reddit (it would be futile to try and use this anyway since things are constantly shifting due to votes accruing over time).

I should be clear that /r/climbingvids is only one suggestion, the Vimeo UKBouldering : Pink Anasazi RSS feed could also be included in this manner.  So if fatneck and others are adding content they find on Vimeo to the UKBouldering : Pink Anasazi group they could be saved time from having to copy the URL, switch to the UKB tab, find the relevant thread, hit the Reply button, paste the URL in to the text box and hit Post. 

Let's stick to what we do best: climbing bantz. I have no internet in turning the site into a content aggregator. It's bad enough having all the blogs pulled in.

A large portion of the content is already aggregated...by humans posting links/embedding videos/pictures etc.!

Question : What is difficult about ignoring/not clicking on threads, for example those in the blog pile, that are of no interest as this seems to be the main objection?

[Johnny Brown]

Why do you persist in repeatedly explaining what an RSS feed is? I understand that.

The difference between a blog and /r/climbingvids is that a blog is content created usually by one or a small group of people. UKB then choose which blogs to aggregate, none of which post even daily. You are suggesting aggregating content from a large community we have no control over.

As for not reading stuff I don't want to see - that's why I don't read /r/climbingvids. Why do we need it here?

Please reply in 100 words or less.

[dave]

Let's stick to what we do best: climbing bantz. I have no internet in turning the site into a content aggregator. It's bad enough having all the blogs pulled in.

A large portion of the content is already aggregated...by humans posting links/embedding videos/pictures etc.!

Crucially those humans are member of this forum community.

[cheque]

UKB then choose which blogs to aggregate, none of which post even daily. You are suggesting aggregating content from a large community we have no control over.

This is a crucial fact about the blogs- a post will appear automatically but there's time for either a discussion to form about it interrupted or it to sink back down the recent topics list before another one appears.

With a subreddit you're talking about something that would be updating multiple times a day so "syndicated climbing videos" or whatever would constantly be at the top of the Recent Unread Topics and any discussion about a post on it would be interrupted by another video. Reddit of course works on the concept of any old rammel being posted but user up and downvotes making sure the quality or noteworthy rises to the top- the sequential nature of an RSS feed to this forum would not allow for that.

The major point is what Dave and JB are saying though- the appeal of the video threads on here is not that they're all the climbing videos in the world divided into good and bad, it's that they're picked by UKB users. The near arbitrary quality and non-quality designations are to me an example of the sort of thing that makes me want to visit this forum more than others. If I want to see a different community's selection though, I'll go to that community- as much as I like it here I don't want UKB to replace my browser.

[erm, sam]

+1

[r-man]

The distinction between quality v's non-quality is pretty arbitrary in its original sense since some people like one thing, others another.

If memory serves, this wasn't the original intention anyway.

Out of curiosity what was it?

Originally, videos made by UKB members were non-quality and those "pro" vids were quality.  It seems to have morphed with time.

No. it morphed into that too. Back when it started there weren't so many vids on the web. They were all "quality". Then later the "non quality" thread was started for vids that were amusingly awful - shaky sideways shockers plucked from youtube. After a while, UKB's Britishness kicked in and users started pushing their vids into non quality. "Here's mine, it's nothing really, just something I knocked together..."

And then (perhaps) group attitudes changed again...

[tomtom]

If UKB had 30 new threads a day - several hundred new posts etc.. I'd understand the cluttering things up argument... But at the moment there are days when virtually nothing happens.. So what's the problem with a trawling vid thread?

No likey no clickey

The slow decline of UKB is perhaps something for another thread though if anyone wants to discuss it further...

Anyway, looks like people don't want something new/additional - so I'll buy slackers a virtual commiserations pint and sit and grumble with him about the state of the world at the end of the UKB bar...

[slackline]

Why do you persist in repeatedly explaining what an RSS feed is? I understand that.

It wasn't for your benefit.  I quoted fatneck (to make it clear who I was responding to) who had  asked if RSS feeds could be filtered and was explaining to him why you couldn't. (n = 34)

UKB moderators then choose which blogs to aggregate

The rest of UKB users can make suggestions for inclusion. (n = 10)

As for not reading stuff I don't want to see - that's why I don't read /r/climbingvids. Why do we I need it here?

"I" != "we" (n = 2)

With a subreddit you're talking about something that would be updating multiple times a day so "syndicated climbing videos" or whatever would constantly be at the top of the Recent Unread Topics and any discussion about a post on it would be interrupted by another video.

Incorrect.  As I've already written the way RSS feeds are sucked into the forums here is in such a way that its done four times a day rather than the instant a new blog post is made.  From what I can tell its every six hours at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 so any video thread doing the same would only update four times a day (unless configured otherwise).  Thus it would not constantly be at the top of the Recent Undread Topics unless people were posting to it.

[GCW]

No. it morphed into that too. Back when it started there weren't so many vids on the web. They were all "quality". Then later the "non quality" thread was started for vids that were amusingly awful - shaky sideways shockers plucked from youtube. After a while, UKB's Britishness kicked in and users started pushing their vids into non quality. "Here's mine, it's nothing really, just something I knocked together..."

Basically, it's all Golt's fault. 

[slackline]

Crucially those humans are member of this forum community.

The major point is what Dave and JB are saying though- the appeal of the video threads on here is not that they're all the climbing videos in the world divided into good and bad, it's that they're picked by UKB users. The near arbitrary quality and non-quality designations are to me an example of the sort of thing that makes me want to visit this forum more than others.

I think people have perhaps been misled by the illustrative example of /r/climbingvids I chose to use.  It was purely that, an example.

Yesterday I mentioned...

I should be clear that /r/climbingvids is only one suggestion, the Vimeo UKBouldering : Pink Anasazi RSS feed could also be included in this manner.

I'll stick my neck out and hazard a guess that the vast majority of people who submit videos to the Vimeo UKBouldering : Pink Anasazi group on Vimeo are registered users here.  If for example fatneck is doing his daily browse of new videos on Vimeo and comes across a bouldering/climbing one that he likes he could submit it to the group on Vimeo and the RSS feed used to pick it up here in UKBouldering four times a day.  This saves him the time taken to copy & paste the URL between Vimeo and the video thread.

Dave, Adam, cheque and everyone else has the desired level of "curation" performed for the most part, but contingent on the above assumption, by UKB users.  Sofware has been used to automate a repetitive task which was the main motiviation to my suggestion.