The Push for a “PBS for the Internet” • Hacker News Board

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#91

Post by stronglikedan » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

jds_ wrote: post #6

I would like to note that PBS does actually publish Youtube videos via PBS Digital Studios[0][1]. They have great creators making PBS quality content but in "Youtube" style formats with a wide range of topics (science, popular culture, art, food, news, and music). [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS_Digital_Studios [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/pbsdigitalstudios/channels

PBS Space Time (from your list) is one of my favorite channels. Such great content of which I can't speak highly enough. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_gcs09iThXybpVgjHZ_7g

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#92

Post by gowld » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:16 PM UTC

jonas21 wrote: post #88

If you look at the history of the Public Broadcasting Act [1] that established the CPB and eventually PBS, it seems clear that it was passed in response to poorly-funded educational programming not being able to compete with high-budget commercial network TV. Its authors wanted to make it easier for smaller, non-commercial entities to produce and distribute high-quality educational content. In that regard, the Intern…

Yes. Supply of PBS quality content is a solved problem.

The unsolved problem is the demand side, people making better consumption choices. Legislation can't fix this, since the government doesn't have a unified view of what "good" content is, and is heavily interested in promoting various striped of partisan propaganda.

Mr Rogers got broad bipartisan support. Today he's considered "left wing".

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#93

Post by ardit33 » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:16 PM UTC

aty268 wrote: post #74

What's interesting is PBS is much less aligned with the federal government than most private media outlets, to put it nicely. Not sure how that's happened.

PBS is liberal aligned org. so it is perfectly aligned with the democratic party... which are in power now?

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#94

Post by fud7r7rgtf » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:17 PM UTC

jonas21 wrote: post #88

If you look at the history of the Public Broadcasting Act [1] that established the CPB and eventually PBS, it seems clear that it was passed in response to poorly-funded educational programming not being able to compete with high-budget commercial network TV. Its authors wanted to make it easier for smaller, non-commercial entities to produce and distribute high-quality educational content. In that regard, the Intern…

What actually qualifies as misinformation? I see lots of things these days that fall under that label that would simply have been called gossip in the past and covered from the perspective of exploring popular gossip.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#95

Post by dunk010 » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:18 PM UTC

Crash Course is pretty close to PBS.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#96

Post by happyopossum » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:19 PM UTC

gowld wrote: post #92

jonas21 wrote: post #88

If you look at the history of the Public Broadcasting Act [1] that established the CPB and eventually PBS, it seems clear that it was passed in response to poorly-funded educational programming not being able to compete with high-budget commercial network TV. Its authors wanted to make it easier for smaller, non-commercial entities to produce and distribute high-quality educational content. In that regard, the Intern…

Yes. Supply of PBS quality content is a solved problem. The unsolved problem is the demand side, people making better consumption choices. Legislation can't fix this, since the government doesn't have a unified view of what "good" content is, and is heavily interested in promoting various striped of partisan propaganda. Mr Rogers got broad bipartisan support. Today he's considered "left wing".

> Mr Rogers got broad bipartisan support. Today he's considered "left wing".

I’ve never heard any “right-wing” people, even crazy in-law types, call Mr Rogers “left-wing”.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#97

Post by asoneth » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:19 PM UTC

ldiracdelta wrote: post #21

devwastaken wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem is quality. "YouTube kids" is a big meme, because some of the most popular content creators were certainly not creating kid friendly content. Example being "spiderman and Elsa". In my opinion kids should not be on the internet. Not that we can reasonably stop them, but I don't at all believe YouTube is an equivalent to directed quality content like PBS.

I don't allow unrestricted access to the internet for my kids and they aren't allowed screens in any room except where others may see them and their screens all the time. Yes, it is friction and not perfection. The internet is a Victorian-era cesspool with raw sewage and dysentery everywhere. They'll have to learn how to not contract cholera as they grow up, but I also don't let them play with firearms or dabble with…

I agree, and that's one reason I like curated content such as PBS. We had some inappropriate/disturbing "next video" suggestions on YouTube that initially seemed OK at a distance or for the first few minutes that we didn't catch right away. So I wouldn't trust kids using YouTube except if an adult is setting the playlist and watching with them.

Whereas the PBS Kids apps (and Scratch Jr, Kahn Kids, etc) have curated content that I trust. We still limit their screen time and monitor their use by working in the same room, but it's not nearly as risky to let them use it on their own.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#98

Post by tootie » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:19 PM UTC

jonas21 wrote: post #88

If you look at the history of the Public Broadcasting Act [1] that established the CPB and eventually PBS, it seems clear that it was passed in response to poorly-funded educational programming not being able to compete with high-budget commercial network TV. Its authors wanted to make it easier for smaller, non-commercial entities to produce and distribute high-quality educational content. In that regard, the Intern…

I think that's debatable. As much as journalism has been democratized it's also nose-dived in quality. And I don't mean the MSM. The overwhelming majority of "citizen journalists" are producing very low quality or even downright detrimental work. At the same time, a lot of professional journalism has sacrificed quality for revenue. Public media like PBS and NPR affiliates are intended to promote professional journalism (or other edifying content) without the corruption of a profit motive.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#99

Post by gowld » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:20 PM UTC

ldiracdelta wrote: post #21

devwastaken wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem is quality. "YouTube kids" is a big meme, because some of the most popular content creators were certainly not creating kid friendly content. Example being "spiderman and Elsa". In my opinion kids should not be on the internet. Not that we can reasonably stop them, but I don't at all believe YouTube is an equivalent to directed quality content like PBS.

I don't allow unrestricted access to the internet for my kids and they aren't allowed screens in any room except where others may see them and their screens all the time. Yes, it is friction and not perfection. The internet is a Victorian-era cesspool with raw sewage and dysentery everywhere. They'll have to learn how to not contract cholera as they grow up, but I also don't let them play with firearms or dabble with…

The Internet is like a free cafeteria (yay!) where the heroin is right next to the broccoli, but also heavily advertised and dressed up.

Coercing people into making good choices in a non-starter. We need a huge broad based social effort to educate each other on how to be safe. The government can't be trusted to do it for us. We can't just say "coerce the bad guys into submission", because the bad guys will do the same and are better at it.

Re: The Push for a “PBS for the Internet”

#100

Post by mandmandam » Mon, Aug 02, 2021, 6:22 PM UTC

happyopossum wrote: post #96

gowld wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Supply of PBS quality content is a solved problem. The unsolved problem is the demand side, people making better consumption choices. Legislation can't fix this, since the government doesn't have a unified view of what "good" content is, and is heavily interested in promoting various striped of partisan propaganda. Mr Rogers got broad bipartisan support. Today he's considered "left wing".

> Mr Rogers got broad bipartisan support. Today he's considered "left wing". I’ve never heard any “right-wing” people, even crazy in-law types, call Mr Rogers “left-wing”.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iljhDaowoLc , in which Fox News calls him an "evil, evil man", for making children grow up with self esteem.