Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
That's a good question. I don't watch either of them. But I'm thinking that they probably do more good than harm. I mean, Norm Abram still has a large fan base and many people have attributed their interest in woodworking to him. IIRC, he had a fair number of (sponsored) tools too.
And Norm also used some techniques that make experienced folks blink, too. That could be perceived as not good for woodworking, too. Then again, it made the work more approachable by folks new to woodworking and I'm one of those that was encouraged via watching NYW to take up the "sport" back in 1996 or so. Same for home improvement via TOH.

Honestly, the content providers on YouTube are filling the same entertainment space that folks like Norm filled "over the air" before something like YouTube was possible. Some of it is pure entertainment; some is very educational and clearly, there are the same kind of financial considerations now that there were "back in the day" of broadcast television as the primary source of video presentation. There are just more content providers now. I actually find myself watching more and more things these days. I learn a little. Scoff a bit. And sometimes find a gem.