Innocence
Veteran
Maybe, but you assume the target audience is geriatric or infant. The majority of Dan's audience would have no trouble understanding him, as most of his other videos are a LOT harder to follow than this.
Dan Brown's New Video
- Thread starter talonryanicecreambar
- Start date
Rook
Regular
I have mixed feelings about him re-making these vids.
The good thing is that he's introducing more people the cubing. The bad thing is that he's teaching (well, reteaching) a slow/inefficient method. He's also going way too quickly, which in turn is going to frustrate viewers/make them give up with the cube. Then again, the method is just for someone who wants a simple and easy way to solve it.
I have a feeling that he really just wants more views. These new vids are using the same method, only making things more clear. Putting them in several parts (what, 8?) = about 8 times as many views.
~Rook
The good thing is that he's introducing more people the cubing. The bad thing is that he's teaching (well, reteaching) a slow/inefficient method. He's also going way too quickly, which in turn is going to frustrate viewers/make them give up with the cube. Then again, the method is just for someone who wants a simple and easy way to solve it.
I have a feeling that he really just wants more views. These new vids are using the same method, only making things more clear. Putting them in several parts (what, 8?) = about 8 times as many views.
~Rook
Hiero
Regular
The reason Dan Brown's video is so popular is because he doesn't use too much technical language and his method is very easy. Most people new to the cube are just impressed if they can do it at all, whether it's in 5 or 10 minutes. A lot of people don't know that it can be solved or that there is a method at all. When people say that it goes too fast sometimes they mean that all their questions were not answered. Also sometimes people say "just do this" and then kind of whip through it without the viewer understanding what the cubies are doing.
Badmephisto's videos are very good because you understand what he is talking about and he never seems to go his full speed. You can clearly see what is going on. His beginner method has a good transition to speedcubing, but most people just want to solve the thing and aren't really worried about their average of 5, pll time attacks, finger tricks...
Every year I teach about 25-30 students to solve the cube but I don't really recommend any beginner tutorials. If students do watch any they usually tell me they didn't understand what the heck any of them were talking about. I really think you guys would be suprised at the failure rate of youtube videos to teach the average person to solve the cube. Most people figure it's not worth the trouble. Using the numbers I have now, about 10% of students can learn from an online video and about 60% learn from coming to my cubing classes. Most don't succeed because they didn't realize you actually have to learn something and they think it's too hard so they just don't come anymore.
I think getting more people to solve it in general will be good for cubing, they don't need to learn a method that transitions them into competitive speedcubing if it causes 90% of people to not even follow through with learning how to solve the cube.
When students get kind of fast (1:00-1:30) and they ask me what shortcuts can I show them then I tell them about badmephisto. I haven't had much trouble transitioning those who want to be faster from Dan Brown method to a faster method.
Anyway, that's my 3 cents. Sorry if it's kind of long, but I try to get as many people as I can to be able solve the Rubik's Cube and I worry about their speed when they are ready to move on. Many are happy just to be able to solve one and will not go to speedcubing, but they do appreciate cubing more in general. I think any videos about cubing are great, but none of the beginner method videos have everything that I look for to teach students.
Badmephisto's videos are very good because you understand what he is talking about and he never seems to go his full speed. You can clearly see what is going on. His beginner method has a good transition to speedcubing, but most people just want to solve the thing and aren't really worried about their average of 5, pll time attacks, finger tricks...
Every year I teach about 25-30 students to solve the cube but I don't really recommend any beginner tutorials. If students do watch any they usually tell me they didn't understand what the heck any of them were talking about. I really think you guys would be suprised at the failure rate of youtube videos to teach the average person to solve the cube. Most people figure it's not worth the trouble. Using the numbers I have now, about 10% of students can learn from an online video and about 60% learn from coming to my cubing classes. Most don't succeed because they didn't realize you actually have to learn something and they think it's too hard so they just don't come anymore.
I think getting more people to solve it in general will be good for cubing, they don't need to learn a method that transitions them into competitive speedcubing if it causes 90% of people to not even follow through with learning how to solve the cube.
When students get kind of fast (1:00-1:30) and they ask me what shortcuts can I show them then I tell them about badmephisto. I haven't had much trouble transitioning those who want to be faster from Dan Brown method to a faster method.
Anyway, that's my 3 cents. Sorry if it's kind of long, but I try to get as many people as I can to be able solve the Rubik's Cube and I worry about their speed when they are ready to move on. Many are happy just to be able to solve one and will not go to speedcubing, but they do appreciate cubing more in general. I think any videos about cubing are great, but none of the beginner method videos have everything that I look for to teach students.
Last edited:
Dene
Premium Member
Dan Brown ftl.
Innocence
Veteran
I really can't see much difference in speed between his tutorial and badmephistos. I think there may just be some prejudice going on, his tutorial is completely valid, except for the horrible method.
PatrickJameson
Premium Member
What else would people be not liking?
Muesli
Premium Member
I don't even think he's going to look twice at that message amongst the thousands of thankyou letters from his fans. Maybe you should send him a letter? Also, you should address him calling cubies "cubelets". That made me cringe.
Hakan
Regular
Remember, you are always unique. Just like everyone else.
Innocence
Veteran
He goes too fast, he's not qualified to teach, the notation is wrong, he told people to lube with vaseline(more of a reason why it's obvious not to watch his videos), Dan Brown hate.
richardzhang
Veteran
Its pissing me off every time he says cubelet. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
ChrisBird
Premium Member
This post is made of pure truth.
lilkdub503
Veteran
A thorn in our sides has to be coming up from me right now:
That's from the official Wikipedia page. Look it up yourself. I got the idea to look again about a week back when I thought to myself, "Hey, some noob called it a cubelet." Turns out he was correct.
LNZ
Premium Member
I viewed all the parts of the videos.
There is quite a few ways to cube notation. He for example, would use 2F, while the rest us use F2. Also I've seen F(power of -1 thing) for F' and Fi.
And he does not show the notation for the back side either.
I did not use his method to solve a 3x3x3, so I can't vouch for the method. But I use his method exactly for the top layer to solve the top layer of a megaminx though.
There is quite a few ways to cube notation. He for example, would use 2F, while the rest us use F2. Also I've seen F(power of -1 thing) for F' and Fi.
And he does not show the notation for the back side either.
I did not use his method to solve a 3x3x3, so I can't vouch for the method. But I use his method exactly for the top layer to solve the top layer of a megaminx though.
CubeDust
Regular
is it cubesmith stickers?
Neroflux
Veteran
Me
Veteran
Well I suppose everyone makes mistakes. Some more incorrect than others. 
Rikane
Regular
I learned from his old vid 2-3 years ago and I don't see why everyone is STILL bashing on him.
Yes, "cubelets" may annoy you, but I personally find that it sounds less juvenile than "cubies".
Okay, the 2F thing DID annoy me, but it doesn't take that much time to learn to switch from reading 2F to the more commonly used F2.
Okay, I do agree that the LL system he teaches isn't the best, but I think in terms of number of algs, it's not too bad. Also, if the person really wants to get faster, then they'll go through with learning more algorithms.
If they aren't going to learn new things to solve the cube faster, then how do they really expect to get faster? It's the same with school, you get as much out of it as you put in. "No pain, no gain"
I'd just rather people have a REAL reason to hate on him, not what I'm feeling like I'm seeing is a bunch of people thinking "Oh everyone hates him, let's do that too"
I'll break the trend and say what I need to because it's not really fair.
Yes, "cubelets" may annoy you, but I personally find that it sounds less juvenile than "cubies".
Okay, the 2F thing DID annoy me, but it doesn't take that much time to learn to switch from reading 2F to the more commonly used F2.
Okay, I do agree that the LL system he teaches isn't the best, but I think in terms of number of algs, it's not too bad. Also, if the person really wants to get faster, then they'll go through with learning more algorithms.
If they aren't going to learn new things to solve the cube faster, then how do they really expect to get faster? It's the same with school, you get as much out of it as you put in. "No pain, no gain"
I'd just rather people have a REAL reason to hate on him, not what I'm feeling like I'm seeing is a bunch of people thinking "Oh everyone hates him, let's do that too"
I'll break the trend and say what I need to because it's not really fair.
Neroflux
Veteran
But Rikane, his vids give misleading info, which is bad for us actually.
V-te
Veteran
But the person who is learning doesn't know that. They just want to learn. Like he said, if they really wanna get faster, they would go through the effort like a number of us have. We shouldn't blame him. He is just a person on youtube trying to teach. That's it.
