Read or watch the video?

[imoldernu]

With some sites beginning to force the video, by not offering the X option, it's becoming irritating, as I prefer to read the article.

I wondered how others may feel about this. So, I'm sure most of us do both, depending on the amount of interest. How do you feel about this?

My solution thus far, is to use Mercury Reader, to bypass the videos and the ads, but some of the sites are so aggressive this doesn't always work anymore.

Thoughts?

 

[njhowie]

I hate sites that do this. I immediately try to hit pause, the X, or hope that it stops if I scroll it off the page. Some show the advertisement even if I hit the pause. Some reposition themselves if I try to scroll it off the screen. I want to read the article, which I can skim through in 30 seconds. I don't want to be watching/listening to 2+ minutes of video.

 

[Walt34]

With some sites beginning to force the video, by not offering the X option, it's becoming irritating, as I prefer to read the article.

Yes, I hate this too. My default is to leave the speakers turned off, I don't want to hear it. If there is no text version, I leave the site. I'm not going to waste my time on their stupid video.

 

[kaneohe]

a challenge.......I too don't like to watch videos and think it is more time-efficient to read the transcript (if there is one). Sometimes it doesn't exist.
This afternoon I got this brainstorm.........I would let the video play but then would go surfing on ER. That way while I was surfing ER, I could hear the audio. Multitasking , as they say. Even more time-efficient.

The results........I did multi-task but I guess I probably missed some fraction of what was presented on the audio. Some of you may be better at multi-tasking this way.

 

[MarieIG]

Usually, I'd rather read and don't have patience for the videos.

 

[Sunset]

Yes, I hate this too. My default is to leave the speakers turned off, I don't want to hear it. If there is no text version, I leave the site. I'm not going to waste my time on their stupid video.

+1
Mute is my friend.
I can read faster than the commercial can play before the video.

 

[Just_Steve]

I just hit the icon in my search bar and it switches to a text only site. No videos or other graphics.

 

[W2R]

I just hit the icon in my search bar and it switches to a text only site. No videos or other graphics.

Even though your post was almost two weeks ago, I had to come back to this thread and express my appreciation for the above post.

Thank you so much for this tip! Honestly it has made a huge difference for me. I love being able to read a text only website. Frequent interruptions of popups, videos, and ads that cover over the text or scroll the page up and down, drove me nuts and interrupted my thoughts to the point that I could barely understand the articles I was reading.

However it is so easy to avoid them this way, at least in the browser that I use (Edge). At last, I can read and focus on what I am reading without these interruptions. So, thanks again.

 

[folivier]

Much prefer to read something, I can skim through and pick out the pertinent info much quicker. Especially on how-to videos, some are done terribly. Out of focus, camera shaking, low light, low volume, wasted time, etc. Please give me the transcript with a few decent pictures and I can figure it out.
But there are a few websites I won't go to because of the videos that start automatically. Facebook is famous for doing this. But they have it down to a science. When scrolling through the video will start/stop automatically.
Guess us old guys are a dying species.

 

[sanfanciscotreat]

I just hit the icon in my search bar and it switches to a text only site. No videos or other graphics.

which icon on the search bar are you referring to?

 

[ocdokie]

Sanfranciscotreat, I'm using Firefox as my browser. In the space where the URL appears for whatever website I'm viewing, there's an icon of a printed page. If I hover over that icon, it says, "Toggle reader view (F9)". When I click on the icon, the video clips disappear, replaced by a line of text noting that they are hidden. The browser you're using probably has a similar feature.

 

[happy2bretired]

I just hit the icon in my search bar and it switches to a text only site. No videos or other graphics.

Please do tell. Where and what icon.

 

[happy2bretired]

Oh I see the reader thingy works on video too. I didn’t realize that. Thank you.

 

[CaptTom]

Sanfranciscotreat, I'm using Firefox as my browser. In the space where the URL appears for whatever website I'm viewing, there's an icon of a printed page. If I hover over that icon, it says, "Toggle reader view (F9)". When I click on the icon, the video clips disappear, replaced by a line of text noting that they are hidden.

Wow, I didn't know that about FireFox. I may actually start using it more now. Thanks!!

I've got an array of ad and video blockers running (in Chrome) and most of the videos are blocked, but the browser vendors keep putting in new ways to overcome the blocking. Not really sure why, just about everyone I know hates auto-play video.

It's not just the annoyance factor, on a slow connection or cell phone with a limited data plan, you can waste a lot of bandwidth with that crap.

 

[JoeWras]

I learn something here every day. I used to use similar features like this (and even full text browsers, like the old lynx), but forgot recently. Thanks for the tip! Here's the magic button on firefox circled in red.

 

[W2R]

Please do tell. Where and what icon.

Here it is. I am attaching what the URL section of my browser (Edge) looks like right now. You'll need to click on it to make it big enough to see. If you look just to the right of the URL, there's a thing/icon that looks like an open book. That's what you click in Edge.

It is also available in Chrome and Firefox, apparently. I have been trying to find it in MSIE, since that is what Frank uses and I know he would love this. So far, haven't found it.

So anyway, it might be worth Googling "reading view" or some such thing to find where you click in your browser.

 

[W2R]

I learn something here every day.

I know!! It's just AMAZING what great information I have learned on this website. For example, I saved $56,094 due to finding out about the (now closed?) divorced spousal SS loophole that gave me an income I wasn't counting on between ages 66 and 70 without impacting how much I could get from my own SS at age 70. I had no idea it even existed until reading about it here, and it wasn't in my retirement planning at all. Also, a good withdrawal method for me, a better phone plan, the InstantPot, and so much other helpful information!

And now this "reading view" thingie, which has enhanced my browsing experience tremendously over the past couple of weeks or so since it was posted.

Honestly I think the ER Forum has some of the brightest members I have encountered on the internet in decades. ER Forum members ROCK!! Yes every one of you.

 

[Just_Steve]

Sanfranciscotreat, I'm using Firefox as my browser. In the space where the URL appears for whatever website I'm viewing, there's an icon of a printed page. If I hover over that icon, it says, "Toggle reader view (F9)". When I click on the icon, the video clips disappear, replaced by a line of text noting that they are hidden. The browser you're using probably has a similar feature.

Yes, thats it, in my op I said search bar when I should have said the url address bar.

 

[imoldernu]

Just curious.. I don't seem to have the "page icon" on my url bar.

I wondered if anyone is using the free Mercury Reader mentioned in the OP?