Monday, April 27, 2020

Commenting on small Youtube channels vs large channels – Why it is important to support smaller channels.

I have been a fan of Youtube since the early days and while it has gone through many changes over the years, one of the main components other than the videos themselves has been the comments. The comments section allows the viewers to interact with the Youtuber who made the video and lets them give feedback and support immediately after watching the video.

Some channels with millions of subscribers will have thousands of comments on every video. They will post a video and within an hour there may be well over a thousand comments. When you watch a video like this, you might want to leave a comment, but when you see there are already thousands there already, it kind of seems pointless.

In a sea of so many comments, there is a good chance your comment will not even be seen by the creator since they already have way too many to read. It might not even be seen by other people since it can easily get buried by other comments.

Smaller Youtube channels on the other hand tend to not get as many comments since they do not have that many viewers or subscribers yet. For channels like these, posting a comment can be a lot more meaningful since the video creator is sure to see it. It will also be seen by more people viewing the video since there are fewer comments altogether.

I take these two situations into consideration every time I watch a video on Youtube. If it is a popular channel with a video that has tons of comments, I will be less likely to post a comment because they already got plenty of feedback and support. If I really have something unique or important to say, I might still post it even if there is little chance it will be read.

On the other hand with smaller channels that have fewer subscribers, I really try to make the effort to leave a comment on the videos. Even if I'm not inspired to comment about something right away, I will take a little time to think about it and try to come up with something to say even if it is just something like “Great job on the video! Keep up the good work!”

Even posting a small comment can be very meaningful to someone who may not have many followers or supporters. Sure they can see the views, and the "likes" are nice to see also, but the comments really give it a personal touch and it shows that a real person is watching your video and taking the time to respond to it. This can be very rewarding for someone who is putting themselves out there for the world to see.

Keep this in mind next time you are on Youtube and you are watching a video on a lesser know channel or one that does not have a lot of views or comments. Just taking a minute to leave a nice comment can really make someone's day.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Why are crepes not as popular as pancakes and waffles?

When you think of breakfast foods, some of the first things you might think of are pancakes and waffles. They are some of the staples at least when it comes to American breakfast foods. But what about crepes? They are also available but seem to be lesser known and just not nearly as common.

For a long time I never really gave them a chance, but recently I tried them out at one of my favorite breakfast places, and they are really good! I would say I like them a lot more than pancakes and waffles now. The taste and texture is just better compared to the other common alternatives. This got me thinking, why are crepes not more popular?

I went looking for some frozen crepes in store and they are very hard to find. There are are dozens of options when it comes to pancakes and waffles, but where are the crepes? I did manage to find 1 brand called Belgian Boys with one offering of frozen plain crepes. They were a little pricey, but they were on sale so I decided to try them out.

I did not expect much but surprisingly they were very good! You just have to microwave them for about a minute and they are ready to ego. They are certainly better than any frozen waffle or pancake I have tried. I would buy them again if I see them on sale.

If you are not familiar with crepes, I recommend trying them out next time you go out for breakfast. If you are able to find the frozen crepes in store, I also recommend them as well.

As for the answer to the original question, I'm not sure exactly why crepes are not as popular as pancakes and waffles, because I think they should be just as popular if not more! Maybe they are just not as well known since pancakes and waffles tend to dominate the menus and the store shelves. I think if more people give them a chance, they could catch on in a big way!

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Checking In. Some thoughts on the current state of the world.

It's been several months since I wrote my last blog entry so I figured I should check in with a little update in case anyone was wondering. I'm doing fine and not much has changed for me considering the state of the world with the Corona virus. I have still been working since I do food and grocery delivery.

I try to stay up to date on the situation and according to the numbers, a lot of people have been affected by in terms of real life, I have not really noticed it. Yes many places are closed and there are a lot more people wearing masks and gloves, but other than that, it has not been much different. I would say the thing that has affected me most is seeing my family less since we would usually go out to eat, but since the restaurants are closed, we have been skipping that.

As someone who has been out working during this time, I actually like it better now than before because there are a lot less people out there. This mean no traffic on the roads which is wonderful. There are however a lot more people out walking so you have to be mindful of that.

The virus has certainly given people something to talk about since everyone can weigh in with an opinion about it. There is a lot that is bad about the virus but I think some positives have come from it as well. It definitely boosted people's awareness of germs and how to help prevent spreading sickness around. I think these habits will stick with us for a while and help limit the amount of people getting sick.

It has also given most people a break from their everyday routine so they can take some time to reflect. Many people have been too busy with work to do the things they want to do, but now that they have the time, they can actually accomplish some of these things.

There is a lot of debate on what the solution should be and how it should be handled especially when it comes to when things should start opening back up and when people should be able to go back to their normal routines. I think the quarantining has helped limit the spread but even with people staying in, the virus has spread to an enormous amount of people.

It has caused quite a detrimental effect on the economy with so many things shut down and people not working. I think because of this, we need to slowly start opening things back up while keeping safety precautions in place. The health and well being is the number 1 priority, but the economy of the country and the world is also incredibly important so I think there has to be a balance of the two. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out.