u/SnooMarzipans1593

I’m seeing people like Max and chasers being called out more and more when they criticize the NWS. Is this just veterans who are jealous because the young(er) guys have come on the scene and become successful? To me it seems like more than just Max (or whoever) could have worded something better. Calling Max’s post stupid doesn’t really add to the discussion either.

I don’t think the NWS is above criticism and the suggestion that Max (or Ryan or chasers) are doing it to drive traffic to their YouTube accounts is ridiculous. I remember back in March when the SPC issued a moderate risk for the Mid-Atlantic that (thankfully) ended up being mostly a bust. The NWS can get things wrong. I don’t think it’s some god-like institution that can’t be criticized.

I’m seeing a lot of discussion about clickbait — especially YouTube thumbnails — within the weather space. This screenshotted post is obviously referring to Max Velocity though I think Ryan Hall and others use similar thumbnails. I hate that clickbait is the name of the game on YouTube, but accusations of lying is pretty strong. Are Max, Ryan and others lying to people or is it a gray area where the degree of hype might be considered lying by some?

I don’t typically watch Max or Ryan’s forecast videos but I presume they’re typical forecasts and don’t really match the hyperbole of the thumbnail? When I watch their live streams it feels like they’re being straight shooters. Both Ryan and Max have very similar thumbnails graphics. I wonder how much A/B testing they’ve done to see what people will click on. I think the graphics are annoying but presumably they keep using them because they get the clicks?