12 Gauge Garage Video + the current state of YouTube

There seems to be a new trend on Youtube of people ripping off every image from a build thread (many of which are plucked from this site along with my post introductions) and uploading them as a slide-show in their entirety. They are generating thousands of views and reaping advertising dollars from other people’s hard work without so much as listing their source (unless they are forced to). I find this very opportunistic, dishonest, and downright rude.
I never once pretended to be an original content creator, but what I have never done is rip people off. Since 2009 this site has always been about being a ‘preview’ to a build thread, giving you – the reader – an introduction to the build and 10-20 summarised photos, before linking you to the original source if you are interested in reading more. The only exception to this rule was the F40LM restoration, of which I personally contacted the owner and asked his permission before re-posting his build here.
At the end of the day the decision is yours, but I hope you understand the difference between what I do, compared to what these (yes, there’s more than one) channels are doing. I hope you join me in celebrating the creators, the hard workers, and the people who care enough about what we love to stop mid-way through working on their car, bike or garage to take photos or video. One man who’s praises I’ll never stop singing in this regard is Jack Olsen, and he’s just released a new video about his ever-popular 12 Gauge Garage. So please, don’t take the lazy way out, find the real-deal guys and girls out there like Jack and make them the ones you give your attention, respect, and your views to.