Would you prefer reading or watching a video about any subject/topic?

Video is good for concepts that need visualizations, though a good blog post with animations or illustrations can work too. Video is required hands on demonstrations, like how to fix something on a car.

But videos showing somebody write code or commands is infuriating. There's no need for that. A blog post with code examples would be much better.

Reading, by far. I'm getting sick of every single thing being videofied. It seems like an "attention hack". Wife has been feeling the same too.

Probably a combination of all three. Maybe with a video guide and text guide on the same page, with the latter also using images and short video clips to illustrate points too.

Video on its own is too slow, and often annoying to wade through if I need to find a particular point. Text on its own can be too vague, and can make it difficult to understand lengthy series of instructions if pictures and videos aren't included (a common problem with text based video game walkthroughs).

For complex subjects I prefer reading.

I find that programming made me absorb and create content non-linearly. I write a bit of code here, and then there, and then change a little thing in the first bit...

I read like that. I read the book from start to end but I'm constantly going back to back material. (Or sometimes googling stuff.)

In a video, the "pause-rewind" loop is not so easy.

Also, I can't skim a video.

For most CS related content I prefer reading up, but there are particular domains which can't be captured by reading for example - fitness, analysis of movies, learning to play an instrument.

Reading, unless the video enhance the knowledge transfer.

Videos can help us understand about complex concept like quantum computing, 3D graphics, the social impacts of a tech talk.

Most of the time videos are only people typing on their screen. Reading is more effective in this case, since it is faster and less opiniated.

Reading, easily.

The way my mind works, when I'm learning something, nothing beats reading about it. Audio and video alone is almost totally worthless to me.

For tying knots, video. For everything else, reading.

My favourite is a combination. Text for most things and images, or short videos to demonstrate topics that are hard to describe.

Reading.

Nothing irritates me more than google pimping me spammy videos as an answers on simple questions.

Videos forces you to consume information slowly in a sync manner. Videos are good for sense-rich entertainment.

Information is perfectly and efficently can be (and always were) delivered at text.

Reading, any time. I 'll watch an interview. but i m struggling not to doze off watching a lecture on something.

I would never want to be exclusive to one or the other. It completely depends on the topic and my current understanding of it.

Videos are great for soft skills or crash courses, but reading is necessary for the fine details.

I prefer annotated diagrams ["cartoons"]

and blowup/cutaway illustrations

i like to include animated gifs where time permits.

Reading. No patience for videos, even at 2x speed.

Reading, please.

Reading is usually more attractive in my opinion.