5 How-To Videos Sites That Don’t Suck

 

 

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5 How-To Videos Sites That Don’t Suck

via MakeUseOf.com by Varun Kashyap on 27/01/09

Let's face it - not all of us are born geniuses.  Not everyone can know how to do everything in this world (although I think maybe Chuck Norris can!) and we have to learn how to do something before we can be confident enough to do it flawlessly.

We have been learning since childhood and life will keep teaching us something for as long as we live. Ahem - but there is a problem - life doesn't always teach things when we require them the most. The solution? Hail the mighty Internet and power of the crowds!

Want to learn to how to tie a tie? You will not only find 'how to' do it but which style do you require. Want to learn to use a multimeter? Sure why not? You name the task, most probably you will find a 'how to' for it on the Internet. There are some very good sites dedicated to such how to's and present the information in text as well as in the form of how to videos.

Here we will have a look at some of the best "how to" videos sites (in random order):

Howcast

Howcast offers how to videos as well as how to wiki guides. Howcast combines user ideas with the expertise of professional studio video to give you what is nothing short of amazing how to videos. You don't have to bother about blurry lenses or wrong camera angles. With howcast one thing is for sure - the quality of the videos will not disappoint you. Whether you learn something or not is a different issue (some of them are plain obvious), although the ideas are not bad either.

Video Jug

They call it the definitive online "Encyclopedia of Life" because that is pretty much what it is. VideoJug offers videos that are professionally made and thoroughly researched. There are "how to" videos and then there are "Ask the Expert" videos. The experts are carefully chosen and are no less than savants in their particular fields to address common questions and issues that people might have. You can also get involved and upload your own videos, take part in discussions and use your webcam to help other users out.

eHow

eHow is another website that teaches you "how to do just about everything". From losing weight to negotiating a salary to kissing on a date, there is plenty of content to help you figure out just how to do something. The site offers how to's in the form of professionally written articles and videos covering a wide range of topics. eHow also has a resources page for all your how to needs. As with other sites that are mentioned, you can also become a member of eHow and share your knowledge with the world.

WonderHowTo

If the video has the intent to instruct, you will most likely find it on Wonderhowto. The site asks users to submit how to videos. These could be from other video sites and then users will be able to see and rate them on Wonderhowto. So it is more of an aggregator than a creator (if I may say so). However, the concept is great and it turns out to be an excellent place to discover how to content from other sites all in one place.

SuTree

Formed by a combination of the Sanskrit word Sutra - symbolizing the collection of knowledge and Tree - symbolizing the growth and spread of knowledge, SuTree is another aggregator of how to videos from all around the web. Although not overflowing with content, the site is steadily gaining some rapport in the how to videos category. What remains to be seen is how it will distinguish itself from all other similar sites.

Instructables and other Mentions

While not specifically known for their how to videos, it is hard to imagine a video site without how to videos. Youtube, Metacafe and Instructables top the list. Why did I put Instructables with the "other mentions" ? Well because there are far too many instances when the screenshots won't be perfect, the instructions would be missing a step or two or the video quality would be crappy. Leave that aside and consider the user base and the amount of content and it would give any site a run for their money. Definitely one to keep in your bookmarks and check out when you need a tip or too.

There is plenty of content out there if you need to whet your appetite and pick up on a skill. You just have to go and look for it. I find Howcast, eHow and VideoJug really good for such kinds of videos. A site like WonderHowTo is great for discovering content and sharing it with the world. All in all these are all great sites to discover some tutorials and there is so much content that watching videos seems a little too much work these days! If only we could learn things Matrix style!

Remember learning Kung Fu? Oh and BTW here is a How To for Kung Fu!

What do you think of these sites? Do you visit some other site for your 'how to' needs? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Categorized under: education, How-To, learning, step-by-step instructions, tutorial, video

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