The Instructable/Slideshow/Video Tabs....

After reading many comments about how slideshows and videos don't count as Instructables, I figured it might be time to enlighten the masses. I'm sure that the Instructables employees/interns don't wish to keep having to repeat themselves time after time. So I'll be quoting the Instructables' descriptions and showing how you can avoid these new additions altogether if you so choose to.

First off, these new additions are in their own tabs located at the top of the website when exploring:

http://www.instructables.com/tag/type:id/

The Instructable default is the "all" tab which includes Instructables, Slideshows, and Videos. The default setting is "popular" which, of course, orders everything by how popular they are.

Authors feel free to link your Slideshows/Videos here and advise people to read it before commenting on your posts :)

Step 1 The Descriptions

Now the descriptions of each category.
Quoted from Overview:

Instructables:

"What is an Instructable?
An Instructable is a step-by-step guide showing how you made or did something.

What makes a great Instructable?
Start by sharing what you're passionate about. Well taken photos for each step will make it easier to follow. Make sure it's complete and not missing any steps. Use the spell checker.

What's acceptable to post?
Just about anything that's complete, well documented and you are the author of. If you haven't documented your project, share it as a slideshow or video. Please refrain from posting illegal or illicit content."

Slideshows:

"What can I use slideshows for?
Slideshows are for showing off photos of what you made or did, but don't have full instructions to create an Instructable with."

Videos:

"What kind of videos can I post?
Submit your how-to videos, show off what you have made or are currently making. Just make sure the videos are your own."

Detailed information can be found at the Instructables Blog...

Comments

[bedbugg2]

arrrghhhh they shouldnt have intoroduced videos onto instructables because now its gonna be filled up with spam :(

[FrenchCrawler]

How so?

[Arbitror]

People will post every video on youtube, even if it isn't theirs...

[SeamusDubh]

I agree with 'Rectifier'.

In recent weeks since the introduction of the video and slide features there have been quite a few poorly done instructables.
Mainly due to the fact of the lack of any really clear info as described in steps 1, 4, 6, and 17 from How to make a great Instructable which is from the 'Help' section of this site.

The other problem is with the spam videos from Metacafe , as described in #7 of their TOS users get paid for lager numbers of viewings.

Yes, the Video and Slides are are a good thing, just too many aren't thinking their submissions through enough to be usable.

[FrenchCrawler]

All I can really say for you (and anyone else) to do when they come across a questionable "spam" Video/slideshow is post a comment for it on why you don't think it should be allowed on Instructables (even in the new categories) and make sure that they already know that you're aware of the "rules" by posting a link to here (or to one of the main links found inside of this Instructable). Then you could more or less say as Rectifier said, They're "jumping the shark". Or just that they're taking advantage of Instructables by using the generalized rules that were created for those categories (maybe later on the Instructables staff will create stricter rules for them, just as they did for the main Instructables as time went by). Then if enough people agree with you, maybe even flag it for the staff to decide what to do with it.

[Rectifier]

I think he's using a wide definition of "spam"... See, there's enough places on the internet to post a video, say, of you going kiteboarding. Hell, you can post it on Youtube! If I come to Instructables, I want to see pics of you BUILDING the kite, or the board, or at least something! Anything else - might as well be spam. It's off-topic. That's not what instructables was created for IMO. I personally wouldn't call it spam, but I would be inclined to call it "jumping the shark"...

[MrBungle]

Lame!~

[=SMART=]

Why is this lame??

its helpfull !!

[FrenchCrawler]

Why is it lame?

[Arbitror]

I really don't see how this is lame..

[Patrik]

Given that there is some animosity regarding the recent spate of videos flooding the site, would it make sense to allow people to set the default behavior for the Explore menu to "Instructables only"? Just add another check box below "Make ALLSTEPS the default". If you keep the default default set to "All", only the people who are already irritated by the videos and slideshows will turn them off.

You could also use that as the default for the Search function, which right now is set to "Instructables". Presumably, if people want to see videos and slideshows, they would also want to search through them by default. (Actually, I'd like to have the Search default be "absolutely everything, including forum comments", but that's less friendly to the occasional visitor...)

[FrenchCrawler]

I suggest PMing Eric and/or staff with your idea(s) and seeing what they can do about it/them :)

[Spl1nt3rC3ll]

This slideshow has instructions, but if I made it an Instructable it would be a one step one. Should I make it an iBle for the christmas compititon?

[FrenchCrawler]

You mean a one step Instructable like this [http://www.instructables.com/id/Spooky-Glowing-Water..../ one] I made a long while back :)

I don't see any reason you shouldn't...

[lebowski]

Perfect, thanks for the info!

[FrenchCrawler]

Thanks for the edits and links :)

[GorillazMiko]

super awesome!

[zachninme]

*claps*

Brilliant!