Minority Report

[Jim Watson]

I am pretty regular on the gun boards, moreso lately whilst convalescing from back surgery.

I think that an Internet Report on a new gun or product by a paying customer is valuable to the potential customer, farcebook infoolencers less so but at least more than a company press release.

But I noticed that there were getting to be a lot of "out of the box" and "table top" reports, no shots fired. Frequent remarks like "I will get to shoot it a month from next Michaelmas." Not much help to me in making buying decisions.

It has gotten worse. I have now seen glowing reports on guns ordered but not yet delivered. Of course you like it, or you would not have paid a deposit, but c'mon man, wait until you have it in your hands on a range before you tell us how fine it is.

 

[LiveLife]

For me, "Holes on target speak volumes" < See my signature lines >

Doesn't matter what brand or how much it costs ... If it doesn't shoot small groups on target, it's not for me.

American Rifleman does 25 yard group testing and this thread has listing of various pistols tested at 25/50 yards with smaller than 3" groups (You will be surprised how many pistols don't end up producing sub 3" groups at 25 yards, regardless of price ) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...s-and-discussions.778197/page-9#post-10940688

Reading/watching gun reviews without range test results is like reading/watching sports car reviews without road test results of 0-60 mph or 1/4 mile times. Who cares how nice the rims/wheels look if it doesn't go fast. As to suspension/brakes, for me it's Nürburgring lap times that matter - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nürburgring_Nordschleife_lap_times

 

[rust collector]

Our society has spawned a new life form known as the unboxer. They order the latest/greatest, or it is shipped to them gratis as they are an "influencer", and after a "Hey, Youtube, S'up? greeting they proceed to open the box and trot out all the tchotchkes ensconced therein. Glorious! If it's a new knife, they proceed to open it in various ways and grasp the handle as if to cut something, then compare to a half dozen other familiar patterns. They might slash some paper or rope for our edification.

If it's a gun, we must be shown that the mag is out and the chamber empty, but no modification may be done or advertised, nor may evil attachments appear. If the presenter draws an undue amount of attention, de-monetization happens (OK for us to make money off this silly video, but no soup for you).

I am certain I should be grateful that our intrepid unboxers attract the attention of the inevitable fanbois, cynics and stalkers so we are consequently spared. Still, some of us have figured out that stream-of-consciousness "reality" isn't all that attractive, and are driven to open a book instead.

 

[LiveLife]

Our society has spawned a new life form known as the unboxer. They order the latest/greatest ... and ... they proceed to open the box and trot out all the tchotchkes ensconced therein. Glorious!

I am certain I should be grateful that our intrepid unboxers attract the attention of the inevitable fanbois, cynics and stalkers so we are consequently spared.

Yup, Dillon fanboy unboxing Lee's latest and greatest.

In the H&R subforum, we do "unboxing" with bit more detail to full disassembly and push things to the point of failure - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...oxing-and-testing-for-oal-consistency.911743/

And we actually "field test" our equipment to the .001" verified with pin gauges and micrometer - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...r-oal-consistency.911743/page-3#post-12446468

Even for the most humble of presses - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/new-2023-gen3-lee-pro-1000-unboxing.916672/

 

[Walkalong]

“The unboxer”

Oh yea, I hate those, I can look at it without help.

 

[DustyGmt]

Our society has spawned a new life form known as the unboxer. They order the latest/greatest, or it is shipped to them gratis as they are an "influencer", and after a "Hey, Youtube, S'up? greeting they proceed to open the box and trot out all the tchotchkes ensconced therein. Glorious! If it's a new knife, they proceed to open it in various ways and grasp the handle as if to cut something, then compare to a half dozen other familiar patterns. They might slash some paper or rope for our edification.

If it's a gun, we must be shown that the mag is out and the chamber empty, but no modification may be done or advertised, nor may evil attachments appear. If the presenter draws an undue amount of attention, de-monetization happens (OK for us to make money off this silly video, but no soup for you).

I am certain I should be grateful that our intrepid unboxers attract the attention of the inevitable fanbois, cynics and stalkers so we are consequently spared. Still, some of us have figured out that stream-of-consciousness "reality" isn't all that attractive, and are driven to open a book instead.

I used to yearn for certain production knives and mid techs, some of them were really hard to come by yet there were those on YT who seemed to have endless funds and would have 100+ really high end knives and they were only ever opened for showing off on video. Idk why but that used to drive me crazy. I finally got some of the elusive mid techs I was after and use the heck out of em, but some of these guys would go on and on about how good the quality and performance was and I always thought sure you have 100 of em but there ain't a user in the bunch, somebody must've told you about their performance.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

It drives me nuts when i want a review on a product. When it's just an unboxing. And they tell you all about the product. But no testing done. Anymore when i look up a review. I'll go to the 3/4 mark on the video. And see if it's being tested.

 

[herrwalther]

I don't mind unboxer videos. A good one will show you the fit and finish of a firearm better than any pictures on the company website. But I don't get the videos of "I bought this, here is what it looks like, I'll never shoot it/will shoot it in another video (and never make the video)"

 

[Varminterror]

Is it really better if you see a live fire demo by someone who still doesn’t know their ass from their trigger?

Poor quality content by under-qualified persons is what makes most of social media go ‘round. Folks that can well-monetize their knowledge and skills do so, folks that can’t try to monetize it by giving it away for free - in high volume.

The global attention is garnered by frequency and sensationalism, and has nothing to do with quality of content.

 

[LiveLife]

Is it really better if you see a live fire demo by someone who still doesn’t know their ass from their trigger?

Good point, especially when they produce shotgun pattern at 10 yards.

That's why I reference American Rifleman 25 yard groups to compare "relative" accuracy - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/minority-report.921087/#post-12673701

 

[ms6852]

About the only use I have for You Tube is if there is a firearm that I may not know how to disassemble and normally that firearm belongs to a friend and I don't own it .
Otherwise when it comes to opinions and reviews it is a comedy of horrors trying to decrypt the idiots from the morons. As far as 1 star or 5 star ratings they are useless because a torn box that arrives to the consumer in that condition automatically negates the reliability of said item...idiots, just idiots, and they don't bother to test the item in the box.

 

[lysanderxiii]

I am pretty regular on the gun boards, moreso lately whilst convalescing from back surgery.

I think that an Internet Report on a new gun or product by a paying customer is valuable to the potential customer, farcebook infoolencers less so but at least more than a company press release.

But I noticed that there were getting to be a lot of "out of the box" and "table top" reports, no shots fired. Frequent remarks like "I will get to shoot it a month from next Michaelmas." Not much help to me in making buying decisions.

It has gotten worse. I have now seen glowing reports on guns ordered but not yet delivered. Of course you like it, or you would not have paid a deposit, but c'mon man, wait until you have it in your hands on a range before you tell us how fine it is.

YouTube demands a higher video output per month than most people can get to the range.

Most of the best video "auteurs" own enough land to have their own range in their backyard.

 

[citizenconn]

Looking for an honest, unbiased firearm review on Youtube has become as hard as finding an honest, hardworking Washington politician. I guess I should not begrudge Guntubers trying to make a buck but at the same time it irks me that the same people who should be our allies are not necessarily being exactly forthright in their representations of the firearms they are "reviewing." Especially annoying are the ones who drag out a review into 8-10 videos from unboxing to first 5 rounds, first 50 rounds, first 100 rounds, etc, etc...But the thing I detest the most are the Guntubers who start every video with a super loud 2-3 minute montage of their shooting greatest hits. like they think they are music video producers. Yes, I am a grumpy old man. Just get on with the video.

 

[DMW1116]

Good point, especially when they produce shotgun pattern at 10 yards.

That's why I reference American Rifleman 25 yard groups to compare "relative" accuracy - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/minority-report.921087/#post-12673701

Hey, I resemble that remark.

 

[CapnMac]

"Unboxing" annoys me no end.
I really don't care "what's in the box" if there's no assessment of how it goes together.
I find it doubly annoying when the "unboxer" has no inclination nor clue of what they are unboxing. When it's clear they did not even wiki the gizmowicket before opining on the framinator or the modulcator or the arristolator.

Now, being middling-well familiar with Phillip K Dick's works, I was, sort of, expecting this to wander off into "pre-crime" based on the title

The "similar threads" feed ought to be fascinating

 

[Jim Watson]

Now, being middling-well familiar with Phillip K Dick's works, I was, sort of, expecting this to wander off into "pre-crime" based on the title

Book and movie, the reference intentional. People with psychic powers liking guns they don't have yet.

 

[sparkyv]

I've recently started Niven and Pournelle's Lucifer's Hammer for the third time.

Still, some of us have figured out that stream-of-consciousness "reality" isn't all that attractive, and are driven to open a book instead.

 

[CapnMac]

Book and movie, the reference intentional. People with psychic powers liking guns they don't have yet.

Was presuming that, but did not want to merely guess.

 

[LiveLife]

"Unboxing" annoys me no end.
I really don't care "what's in the box" if there's no assessment of how it goes together.

Agree. While initial product appearance, touch, feel impression may be beneficial, if it's anything mechanical, viewers WANT TO KNOW how product works. If it's cutting tool, how well it cuts. If it's driving vehicle, how well it drives/how fast it is. If it's shooting tool, how well it shoots. It's like opening a gift box to find it empty ...

I find it doubly annoying when the "unboxer" has no inclination nor clue of what they are unboxing.

Especially when the "reviewer" uses/operates the product improperly ... And comments go, "Noooooo, you are using/doing it wrong"