Can you Trust YouTube on Gun Topics
It comes up all the time in gun training. Can you trust YouTube or Google on gun topics? The answer is a surprising yes and no!
The University of Google and Youtube have a great reputation for keeping you entertained. The real issue is can you trust what you are being told.
List of Great Sources
For a long time, I have been asked who can I trust on the internet when it comes to guns and gun topics, including concealed carry and the use of deadly force. Who is giving out good information when it comes to training issues? I have told people I would put a list together of people I generally trust and listen to. That list obviously would be biased by my training and attitudes toward the topics.
Can you Trust YouTube on Gun Topics?
There is no way around it. Generally, I like to watch people on videos that I believe are honest and knowledgeable. I read articles and books from people who are considered to be in the top echelon of our business and industry. Most beginners in the gun world have no way to tell the good from the not-so-good. I have acquired this information through hard work and a dedication to putting out good information.
Sell Products
Much of what is fun to watch and read is product reviews. Remember most of this is to sell a product. Many of them receive incentives of some kind to show you the product. That does not necessarily mean they will tell you a product is good when it isn’t. If I see a gun that interests me and my friends I usually try to find one and put it in my hand. You can tell a lot about a firearm by the feel. I have made a few mistakes over time, but not many. Take everything you see and hear with a grain of salt. Much is good some is not. Just because someone made a video and told you it’s so don’t make it true. A gun that’s good for you may not be good for me.
The List of People I Trust
The list I am going to provide will be private. I’m not going to publish it for the world to see. It will be available to my students in a password-protected area of my website. There will obviously be some industry people not on the list. I will be updating it throughout my career. The list at this time will be people that have written books or done DVD’s that I respect. Also people I have trained with and people they have recommended. Some of the industry influencers recommend from time to time authors and people that they think are worthy. Some of those will be on the list.
It’s Not The Final Word
The information I will be providing is not the final word. It’s just honest good information that you can use to learn some things that will be valuable to you. Let’s look at two people I follow all the time. Massad Ayoob and Andrew Branca are two that come to mind. When these industry greats speak you should pay attention. These two individuals have a lot of great things to say and I try to pay attention to all of them. I have spent time in class with both. I have read most of what they have written and yes it has molded the way I think and the way I teach. There are many others in the industry I respect and they will be on the list also.
One Idea or One Concept
There is no one way to do anything that we teach. What most of us teach is A WAY…..NOT THE WAY. Keep that in mind when watching the videos and reading articles on the web. Enjoy what you see and read. Never stop learning!