We're Gonna Try Something New! | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios

Idea Channel is going to experiment in the next few weeks with separate comment response videos. We hope it will be a great way for you to continue having awesome discussions with each other! Let us know what you think about all this in the comments!

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[BestgirlJordanfish]

I actually feel like this gives the comment responses more love. It wasn't uncommon previously to hear stuff like "check this out but we don't have time to discuss it" type things. This can really shed some light on really good ideas and thoughts that were glimpsed over or ignored

[DreamcastGuy]

I like the idea a LOT! The idea of the more formal presentations separate from the off the cuff reactionary portion makes it so we all get what we want.

[illdie]

You should post the comment responses prior to uploading new episodes.
That way in peoples feed it looks like this
[...Vid 1 CR, Vid 2, Vid 2 CR, Vid 3...]
rather than this:
[...Vid 2, Vid 1 CR, Vid 3, Vid 2 CR]
That keeps it more organized and helps people think about the relevant episode for each comment response.

[Feynthot]

I am so glad you're doing this. Often, I avoid the comment part of the video because I don't want to be distracted from the thoughts generated by the first section. Also, after I have absorbed some ideas about it, I always wanted to go straight to comments or comment video about it without a new idea in front of the one I am building on.

Good idea...channel

[michellekopp]

I think having more Idea Channel videos to watch will make the comments *more* of a focus because every time I click on "Comment Video A" I know exactly what I'm coming in for.  As it stands, when I watch an idea channel video I sometimes worry that the scripted portion will end soon because I don't know when the comments will start.  I would rather *know* there are 3 minutes of script left, because that's how much video is left.  And then I'll go click on some comments and love both parts.  

This is a great idea!

[Potataro]

I think people who normally would skip the comment responses generally won't change that.  On the other hand, people who do enjoy the comment responses will watch more Idea Channel because you'll be uploading longer responses.

[chickensangwich]

If there's one thing Youtube has taught me about changing established webshow conventions, it's that everyone will scream in agony and rage with a crusader's righteous glory against the change...for about two weeks. Then everyone will think it's fine. Or even better than it was before.

[enta_nae_mere]

Change, I won't accept change.. Back in my day we didn't have change!

[messianicrogue]

I think you're over thinking this. Once you have gained the trust of an audience, it isn't necessarily contingent on a strict format - I don't think any of us are here because comments and scripted are intertwined, there is no core audience that will leave because you're splitting them into separate segments.

[calvinball]

Thank you for caring so much about your audience! Thank you for caring so much about the integrity of discussion of important ideas!

[krmusick]

I think this is brilliant. Foremost, it will 'de-serialize' the show. Which will make repeat viewings more enjoyable while also allowing more time to "dig into" a subject, and allow for a more in depth review of the comments (they always felt a bit rushed).
Thumbs up.

[Voidward]

Link it at the end of the main video.

Could also have samples of the questions that would be addressed on the screen at the end of the main video to entice people to go take a look.

[MK.]

Is there gonna be a comment response video to this video about comment responses?

[DynamicSheep]

Staggered release! Monday new video, Wednesday or Thursday comment responses to last week's video. That way comment response videos are like a nice bonus video throughout the week. So glad you're separating them too! It really makes sense considering how thoughtful a lot of the comments are.

[emmey]

Honestly I like the change. Giving more time to both the scripted part and the non scripted "community discussion" seems like a great way to go.

[joegaylord]

For people who want to use your videos as standalone content on the subject rather than part of an excellent series, this is a good thing.

Not only does it mean that we don't have to cut the comment section, which is unrelated to the main video, out. If we wait a week, it means we can also play the video and comment section back to back, and create much more complete content without jumping through hoops. 

I love it. Thank you.

[Jamieserg]

That's a great idea. Often I send people idea channel videos to friends and their first reaction is "it's very long" and I have to constantly explain that the 2nd portion of the video is comment responses. I like comment responses and will definitely watch the separate video. But this will make it more accessible to a wider more casual audience who may stumble upon your videos.

[NamelessAcquaintance]

I only just found out about this now when I went to my subscriptions and I absolutely love the idea. There have been several instances in which I was watching one of your videos and then you went to the comment responses for the previous video, which sounded great and I was interested in watching that, too (before watching the comments), but I had a hard time finding that initial video, cause the playlists only go forward, not backward and oftentimes it was an older video to begin with, so I had to scroll through lots and lots of your uploaded content to find it. 

So yeah, I think putting comment responses in a separate video is a great idea. I also think it won't take away at all from their importance, since uploading them separately also means that people get notified about them separately and will think "huh, I actually cared about that topic a lot, let's see what others thought about it." Whereas before there might have been some topics in between that people weren't that interested in, so they didn't watch a video and therefore also missed the comment responses for the video before, which they may have watched and enjoyed. (Wow, this was a long sentence and I don't know if you get what I'm trying to say, but yeah. Basically I think separate comment response videos will probably even ADD to their importance and might even be watched more than the ones included in the videos)

[JewishMusicToronto]

I wouldn't have thought that the idea came from any production related suggestion or mandate. I actually expected that it was specifically community requested. My worry would be that fewer people end up watching the comment responses and not getting the complete picture on topics, as that seems integral to what Idea Channel has become (or always was).

Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

[Coz]

I think the fact that this channel gets good comment responses says volumes about it's viewers.