Alternate title, “Don’t gimme no SAAS”
The content of this video aside, the problems with this video were… ugh.
Until recently the audio in my videos was recorded on a blue snowball mic plugged into my USB port, recorded with OBS so I can get the audio and video in one shot, while changing cameras and inserting the intro whenever I wanted. Then I could have a video ready to go in one shot. Theoretically. In reality I still had to do a minimum of editing, but it was better than this:
However, lately, there’s been complaints that my audio is degrading in quality. Now, I can’t hear it, so I have to trust you all, but after some conversation in the comments, and a little scientific trial and error, I think the problem is that after more than a use, my snowball mic is failing. I don’t know what inside of it is failing, but that the only thing I can deduce.
See that Lav mic on my shirt in the video? I got that recently, plugged it in, and I was convinced it was working yesterday when I recorded this video. It was only after I was trying to reproduce the sound of the first recording, and I listened to the audio through headphones, that I picked up on that particular tinny sound common to the recording sound on the laptops built-in mic. I tried and tried to get that lav mic to work, only to discover that my new laptop’s mic jack is completely non-functional. I’ve tried 3 different mics in that jack since I got this computer, but having the USB alternative I never really dug deep enough to discover this for sure before now. You had better believe that I’m gonna be on the phone with tech support about that today.
Why was I trying to reproduce the sound of the first recording? Well, I this video originally went with a much more provocative title and thumbnail and somewhat demonized those who write software and completely ignored the users roll in what’s happening. After uploading I decided that I didn’t want to do that, so I decided, click-bait be damned, I would soften the title and thumbnail and add a few sections to point out the users responsibility. These sections are pretty easy to spot in the new video, however, because it was impossible for me to match the audio.
So what can I do next? As far as getting good audio, I mean. The USB mic is out. I think my only option is to record the audio on my phone, the sync it with the video in post. The problem with this is I’m back to a complex editing job, which will make it harder for me to get videos out. But I’m doing this for you, so I will not give up until it’s worked out. For now, though, I’m sorry this video sounds like I’m recording it through a tin can on a string.
As for the content of this video, here’s the outline of my notes:
- Formide project
- Found octoprint
- SAAS definition
- Pros
- Rapid development
- Support –
- Everyone on latest version
- Accessibility –
- Compatibility is not an issue
- Available everywhere
- Great for schools
- Levels the playing field
- Student data follows them
- Responsibility for high cost computers to the schools
- Resilience –
- Auto backups and redundant recovery means your data is actually safer in the cloud than on most people’s computers
- Built in DRM
- Cons
- Performance – Not everyone lives where the internet is most reliable
- Users no longer feel in control
- No free lunch – Someone needs to pay the cost
- One time download less costly in the long term than constant downloads every time someone runs the program
- Servers, traffic, storage, all cost money
- If they go down, you’re out of luck
- What’s to do?
- Can’t stop using web apps
- It would be nice if developers offered download version
- Native cross compiling is not simple
- Open source your failed projects
- Takes time to prepare
- Support the apps that do what you want
