Tubetorial
December 20, 2006 in 4 out of 5 stars, A website, Free, ScreencastingTubetorial: A site featuring polished, well-done video/screencast tutorials. Brian Clark and Chris Pearson Free videos with excellent instruction focused mostly on online ventures including online marketing, Adsense, blogging and various other money-making stuffs. They even have some beginner HTML tutorial bits.
Check out killer stuff like:
They also offer a handy RSS feed so you can keep up to date on the latest additions. Plus they're looking for suggestions and additional videocasting talent. Browsing the content felt a little clunky. Free like fruitcake from Aunt Betty (only much tastier) Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
Who makes it?
Why is it the killerest?
What could be improved?
How much does it cost?
Rating?
Whilst this site looks great at the outset, after reading a number of the posts I noticed that many of them include affiliate links (clickbank etc) in the 'Episode Links' section for the post.
It just leaves me feeling that a lot of the tutorials - whilst they may impart useful information - are no more that a rather slick way of getting people to click their affiliate link and make the poster some money. A bit sad, really.
Posted by: AndyToo | Dec 21, 2006 2:39:57 AM
Hello AndyToo.
Just wanted to ask you to give the site a bit more of a look through before you come to a final conclusion. Sure there are affiliate links there, but heck, running a site isn't free, buying the software to make the videos is expensive, and the content is still free and nobody is forced to wait through or click on ads before they view the content. These videos can take up to 10 hours to storyboard, plan, and implement. Speaking for myself, I do these videos as a labor of love, because I love to teach. Keep that in mind, please.
I know online marketing site can jade people, but this site is run by some stand up guys and I think they deserve your credibility - which they've already clearly demonstrated and gained from thousands of loyal readers. Just my two cents.
Regards
Shane
Posted by: Shane | Dec 21, 2006 4:24:33 AM
Hello Shane,
Fair enough - maybe I was somewhat hasty to jump to my conclusions. I was under the impression that anyone could submit tutorials (don't know if this is true) and that these particular tutorials were done simply by a person to make money. You're right - I am jaded by the affiliate link scene as I see it so much on the net.
I certainly appreciate that it takes time and money to run a site like this, and appreciate the effort that has gone into making the site and tutorials.
Maybe it could be made a little more clear that they are affiliate links and that the proceeds go to the running of the site? Certainly, no-one could object to that.
Posted by: AndyToo | Dec 21, 2006 6:12:23 AM
Let me second Shane's comments. This site provides valuable *free* content in a well-polished way. (i.e. they aren't going for the quick buck.) The fact that there are ads and affiliate links is encouraging. As long as they aren't shilling for affiliate money, I'm glad they might be making enough money to keep at it. There's nothing wrong with making money -- as entrepreneurs, isn't that (partially) the goal? I also think it's implicit that monies earned on a site go toward the running of that site.
Posted by: Carson McComas | Dec 21, 2006 7:32:26 AM
Andy, you bring up some good points. I think because a lot of the Tubetorial audience comes via our other sites, we forget that not everyone already knows that we try to put visitor value well ahead of revenue concerns. Frankly, in the long run, that approach pays off better.
But when people like Carson are nice enough to higlight us to his own audience, you don't come with the history. So I can understand your perspective.
We never recommend anything we don't personally use and believe in. And we wouldn't let an independent contributer pitch anything that we don't also believe in, or we would simply refuse to participate financially in that product.
I appreciate the fact that you've brought this to our attention. I'm going to see what can be done to better communicate our affiliate link philosophy. But as Carson and Shane said, it's pretty hard to produce a site like this without money. ;)
Posted by: Brian Clark | Dec 21, 2006 8:27:06 AM