FROM ROB'S BENCH
Educate or entertain?
Rob Brown
Blog for July 17, 2025
When I was learning about woodworking, I used to read woodworking magazines, watch woodworking videos and read lots of woodworking books.
The main purpose – the only purpose, really – was for me to educate myself on all things woodworking. I didn’t need any details that were superfluous to cold, hard furniture-making facts.
Social media
Maybe social media has made me soft, but I’m now much more open to being entertained by woodworking. Don’t get me wrong, I still search for cold, hard facts when learning about a new technique or product, but I’m very often happy to have a laugh or simply be entertained while I’m also learning about woodworking.
On one hand, maybe I had so much woodworking facts to learn when I was young that I knew I had to be focused and stay on task. On maybe there really wasn’t much in the way of woodworking entertainment back then. When I was 20 years old, and immersed in learning about furniture making, I almost never went on the internet and social media wasn’t even a thing. I read back issues of Fine Woodworking Magazine from the college library, scanned through all sorts of very factual woodworking books and paid attention when my instructors taught. There was very little song and dance to be had.
The main purpose of social media today is to entertain. Or at least that’s how I see it. Sure, there are a lot of things you can learn, too, but without some form of catchy or witty entertainment, the creator will likely not grow their following as quickly as they’d like. And social media without growth isn’t good for the folks posting reels and stories on Instagram, Facebook and any other platform you pay attention to. It’s often a big business, so whatever draws people in is the approach that’s taken.
Our publication
The other day we at Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement had a Zoom meeting about our long-term goals and strategy. One of the many things we discussed was how to increase not only our paid membership, but also our social media presence. In today’s world, both are important for a business. A small part of this discussion revolved around the balance of education and entertainment, and what approach we should be taking.
We’re well aware of how we need to be a trusted source of quality woodworking information, and we take that role seriously. But we also know there’s nothing wrong with making readers and viewers laugh and be entertained. In fact, it might even be that both things – educating and entertaining – are equally important. While I’m glad we’re not considering assembling the world’s first woodworking-based sketch comedy troupe, we’re open to entertaining as well.
More than just laughs
And entertaining isn’t just about being funny. I’ve had many folks mention they just like watching someone take care of the basic steps involved with working wood. They find watching someone make a joint, assemble a carcass or apply a finish very satisfying. It can even be true for looking at photos of a project being worked on or a technique being described. It’s as if just watching the steps of building a project is almost as important to our minds as accomplishing those same steps in our own workshops. Or at least that’s how it is for some folks.
What are your thoughts?
Have you learned all the woodworking you want to and just want to be entertained? Maybe your day job is as an entertainer and you want nothing but breakout and joinery from us. Comment below, as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
In this fast changing world you cannot get enough with education as technology eats into the craftsman side of woodworking making what may have taken a few days to build be finished in a few hrs not including the final coats.
Entertainment vs. education? I’m leaning way over to the “education” side.
I don’t “do” social media. I’ve no interest in blogs or subscriptions to YouTube channels. But I do search for tips/lessons on how to solve particular challenges in the shop – how to make a particular joint or build a custom jig for a current project. AI apps like ChatGPT and Claude are very, very helpful.
Those are the reasons I still subscribe to CW&HI.
(70+ years, building mostly small projects for family, spending more time thinking about woodworking than actually doing it.)
I suppose that ‘entertainment’ is a sufficiently broad concept to apply to woodworking media, but engagement is key to determining which articles and videos keep my attention to the end. Those describing and/or demonstrating useful techniques, even ones I might never use, keeps my 79-year-old brain engaged, especially when the human aspects of the work are included. Your blog posts exemplify this, revealing the thought process involved in design, chosen techniques, and addressing problems and mistakes.
I don’t use the ‘legacy’ social media (except for YouTube, which seems to be included now). I do find Substack to be an interesting platform, with a wide range of topics. Some are very political, but the ones I follow are mostly personal observations and analysis. Your blog posts remind me of the latter, done with a woodworking (and other tool-based skills) orientation. I doubt that I’m the only person who would subscribe to the Rob’s Workshop (or Bench) newsletter. One of the strengths of online platforms is the ease of including links which can enrich the content and/or promote your other output (the magazine).
I do want to be entertained but I also want to learn. I find the majority of social media sites really just scim the surface of what is really required to build something. I’m looking more for a indepth instructional sites. I have been woodworking and building furniture for years and am self taught but you cannot stop learning. We just need more real teaching sites!
Hi Rob,
Great question! Often, while scanning through your magazine, I enjoy looking at the captioned photos of the various steps/stages of a project, even when I have no interest in actually making said project. There is a sense of satisfaction at seeing a successful build or procedure in action.
I would suggest the ideal balance would be the visual journey through a project, with links to the “hard, cold facts” of dimensioned drawings and material lists.
Cheers,
Gary
It would be good if you could break out some of the basic steps into one part of the magazine and email content. Then have an intermediate step once the basic stuff has been learned and then an advanced type of structure to help refine the skills learned. Some what like the old apprentice type set up. I mostly use hand tools in my woodworking. Some things I have learned because I have watched YouTube to learn. I don’t want to lose half or a whole day trying to find the information. I know it’s bad form, but short,concise and to the point really helps. I don’t want a long meandering talk about the subject.
In essence I prefer “breakout and joinery” from you and team. It is entertaining to learn and build. When I look for fluff or just nothing requiring brain activity, I turn on Netflix or similar entertainment.
I have been a regular reader of your magazine and I have learned and enjoyed the experience. I think that learning is an enjoyable experience.
You provide the necessary text and illustrations to make it possible for me to have the confidence to attempt and possibly successfully complete the project, and that makes me feel good.
You are currently helping me learn and as a result I feel entertained. Please continue in a similar manner.
Lew
I definitely think there is a balance to be struck between learning and entertainment. Personally I think Andy Rawls, Eoin Reardon, John McGrath, Dusty Lumber Company and Matt Estlea do this quite well on Youtube. Maybe you guys should post your staff members woodworking Instagram content on Youtube as well?
Hi Rob. I allow myself to watch you Tube woodworking videos as a way to unwind before I go to bed. I spend an hour or so watching videos of woodworkers from all over the world, and some videos that the algorithm thinks I would be interested in lol. I learn lots from the internet, & Google whatever subject I am interested in before inevitably ending up at You Tube. It is an amazing stage in our society where a few questions posted on Google can bring up specific information relevant to my inquiry. I am self taught in wood working……well I should say no formal training but I feel I am progressing in experience & skills. So yes, the internet is a very important partner in my woodworking journey & I hope your magazine will continue to both inform & entertain us readers! Thanks for all you & the staff at Canadian Woodworking do to publish a great magazine.
I have come to the point that I pretty well only watch to learn how to do it, what ever it is, or how to improve on how I am doing it. I’m am very disappointing when I come across false or poorly researched information.
The one that really gets my goat is the need to ground a dust collection system. There have been no reports anywhere about a fire or explosion caused by static discharge. The only reason you might want to ground it out is so you or any other person don’t get zapped. Ask your fire department or AI to do a search for an actual report that supports a fire or an explosion caused by static electric discharge. You will not find one anywhere.
I for one don’t think anyone every learns all they can learn, there is always more to learn, IMHO. I find learning to be fun within itself whether it is through straight forward educational avenues or through some humor. I do like when there is some humor thrown into the mix of “formal” education.
I am going on 90 and don’t build anything big anymore. I build toys to give away or donate. Yes, I still build things for my shop, I guess to see how or why it works. I do like to set in the afternoon and just read woodworking articles.
Excellent topic! I have also noticed the trend towards entertainment or personality-based popularity in the woodworking realm of social media. Some of us are just not wired that way and as content providers like to provide more educational content without the silliness. So I battle this dilemma and decided to stick to what I am comfortable with, that of simply providing woodworking knowledge & techniques. The cold, hard facts as they say. It is either this or abandon my social media channels. I am convinced there is a large audience out there that much prefer technique-driven videos and not so much entertainment. Let’s hope! Norman, WoodSkills