Monday, September 27, 2021
6:30 a.m. Green Guest House
Mae Sot, Thailand
I continued to learn about my new camera, the DJI Pocket 2. While I was doing that, I came up with an idea or concept for my YouTube technology channel, assuming I find or create the time to make it. I thought I could call it “The Learning Curve” or “Planet Doug’s Learning Curve.” And the tagline would be something like, “When I learn, YOU learn.”
The idea is that I’m often learning about new technologies and new cameras and new gadgets. I’m basically on my own steep learning curve all the time, and I thought I could give my technology channel its own twist by incorporating that idea into the videos. Basically, I’d film myself as I’m learning about a new camera, and I’d make that learning process the video. This is as opposed to a standard YouTube tutorial or review video. And I like the tagline: When I learn, YOU learn.
I like YouTube channels that have an opening line like that. There’s a YouTube camera reviewer who calls himself and his channel “The Everyday Dad.” And his tagline is “If I can figure it out, YOU can figure it out.” I always liked that. This approach allows him to be casual. He doesn’t present himself as a camera expert. He’s just an everyday dad, a normal guy. And he says that if HE can figure out how to use this new fancy camera, then YOU can figure it out. It’s disarming and self-deprecating. I often do similar self-deprecating things in my videos by, for example, calling myself a dummy. And the whole premise behind Planet Doug is this idea that I live in my own special world where strange things can happen.
My “Learning Curve” approach would be the same in that it would fit in well with my casual tone. Rather than pretending to be an expert in photography, I’d just be this dummy who got a new camera and I’m fumbling around with it and trying to get to know it and learn how to use it. And I could make videos throughout the process as I climb up my own learning curve. And as I learn about this new camera, the people watching my videos could learn about it.
I also like the name “The Learning Curve” or “Planet Doug’s Learning Curve” because it is all-encompassing. A name like “Planet Doug’s Gear & Technology” restricts the channel to just gear and technology topics. But if you use the expression “learning curve”, that opens the door to making videos about anything. The YouTube channel could evolve into something completely different. I could be learning about science or learning the Thai language or learning how to cook. And I could make videos about that if I wanted to, and it would still fit under the name. “Learning Curve” can apply to anything in the same way that “Planet Doug” can.
I like the simplicity of just “The Learning Curve” as a name. But I also like “Planet Doug’s Learning Curve” because it connects the channel to the rest of my social media world. I’d have my original and main “Planet Doug” channel. And this would be the “Learning Curve” branch of that.
My idea is that the name of the channel could be the full “Planet Doug’s Learning Curve.” But when talking about it, I’d just refer to it as “The Learning Curve.”
I was thinking that I could open each video this way:
“Welcome to the Learning Curve. I’m Doug, this is my planet, and when I learn, YOU learn.”
All accompanied by the appropriate hand gestures. LOL
I spent some time yesterday with my eyes closed and mentally collecting words that can be used in combination with a learning curve. Everyone says “steep learning curve” of course. But I wanted to create a list of all the possible words that can be used to talk about a learning curve. To be honest, the expression learning curve isn’t the best when it comes to word association. But I was able to come up with a satisfying list to start with.
But I’m starting to see that if I really want to continue my little YouTube existence, I have to be more efficient with my time. I don’t have nearly enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do. It might be impossible to make travel-style videos AND technology videos. There just isn’t enough time in my life.