Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A year without TV

jgc.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 68 posts

Re: A year without TV

#21

Post by Goladus »

axod wrote: post #13
jgrahamc wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's odd that it reminds you of that. Is me mentioning this once on my blog your measure of 'constantly'?

People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity. But they likely watch youtube vids, interviews, webcasts etc. So it's like someone constantly going on about how they haven't even owned a car for 5 years! And forgetting to mention they have a 4x4 pickup truck now.

People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity.

Most of those opportunities are probably situations when the topic of conversation has already turned to television and they are politely excusing their lack of participation.

In my experience, the topic rarely comes up. My guess is most people who would care are off watching TV rather than socializing.

Re: A year without TV

#22

Post by axod »

Goladus wrote: post #21
axod wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity. But they likely watch youtube vids, interviews, webcasts etc. So it's like someone constantly going on about how they haven't even owned a car for 5 years! And forgetting to mention they have a 4x4 pickup truck now.

People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity. Most of those opportunities are probably situations when the topic of conversation has already turned to television and they are politely excusing their lack of participation. In my experience, the topic rarely comes up. My guess is most people who would care are off watching TV rather than socializing.

I think knowing about popular culture is actually quite valuable. Especially if you're trying to sell to end users as many of us here are.

>> "In my experience most people who don't watch much TV are too busy doing other things to bother bragging about it."

Like checking reddit, watching youtube vids, laughing at lolcats? ;)

Re: A year without TV

#23

Post by lolcraft »

_pius wrote: post #15
lionhearted wrote: post #12

It's been years for me. Occasionally I find myself watching TV in a hotel or at a friend's house or bar or some such. What amazes me is not how bad TV is, but how good it is. It's enjoyable, stimulating, highly pleasant distraction. There's some really, really good shows. It's easier to zone out with than reading a book or playing a difficult game. Really, TV is pretty good stuff at what it does. Just - my long term…

What amazes me is not how bad TV is, but how good it is. I'm glad to hear this perspective here. Let me pose a question: What exactly makes watching a thoughtful, well-crafted drama (for instance, The Wire ) on television any less worthy than reading a good back or going to watch a play? I think there's a lot of unfortunate knee-jerk bias against TV.

I think you are posing the wrong question.

TV is not a particular series; it doesn't follow that people who hate TV must hate The Wire. TV as a whole, as a linear, inconvenient way of displaying content which doesn't allow an easy way to filter out the crap, is what it's being biased against.

Re: A year without TV

#24

Post by jgrahamc »

axod wrote: post #14

Nothing worse than hollier than thou high and mighty "TV is dumb and for the idiot masses". If you actually learnt how to use a TV guide, and decided to watch only programs that interest you, you might have a different view point. And how can you not even mention "micro men" from the BBC which was a fantastic look at the 80s home computer revolution. How can you not rate Newsnight? Question time? Will the next meme b…

Yes, I did watch Micro Men. That was great. Downloaded it on the iPlayer Desktop and watched it on a long flight to the US.

I've watched Newsnight twice in the last year. I've never watched Question Time. Is it good?

Mostly, I feel I don't need to learn to use a TV guide because the people around me are constantly saying 'Did you see X?'. They are doing the filtering for me.

Re: A year without TV

#26

Post by ugh »

I would guess that the bigger trend is a switch from broadcasting to on demand usage of video content. Broadcasting is really only better than on demand video in very specific and rare circumstances. But until a few years ago cheap (free) and convenient on demand video was not available. The only (cheap) way to get video was broadcasting. My guess would be that in the next ten to twenty years broadcasting video will shrink while on demand video will grow.

Re: A year without TV

#27

Post by jgrahamc »

axod wrote: post #13
jgrahamc wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's odd that it reminds you of that. Is me mentioning this once on my blog your measure of 'constantly'?

People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity. But they likely watch youtube vids, interviews, webcasts etc. So it's like someone constantly going on about how they haven't even owned a car for 5 years! And forgetting to mention they have a 4x4 pickup truck now.

I don't own a car :-)

But I do drive one. I use http://streetcar.co.uk/

Re: A year without TV

#28

Post by diN0bot »

i watch a handful of tv shows a week through hulu. it's enormously better than when i watched shows on tv. i watch exactly what i want to see when i want to see it. i feel like my brain is destroyed less by not succumbing to additional crap.

also, i read books on my computer. i'm far more likely to read at night (or whenever i want to procrastinate) than watch shows (i don't play an appreciable amount of computer games). the nice thing about reading, other than the story arcs, creativity and writing being far superior to tv, is that it's easier to stop when my eyes and brain get tired and fall asleep.

Re: A year without TV

#29

Post by LucaDuval »

There is a point that I don't see mentioned in any other comments, maybe because it applies only in my country (Italy). The main benefit of not watching TV here is that you avoid the relentless, hidden or explicit, endorsement of our right-wing party and the consequent manipulation of reality.
Post reply on HN