Hey guys, I'm writing this regarding youtube and how you deal with it. I recently discovered that one of the effects I perform was totally exposed on youtube. I'm sure there are countless great effects exposed on that site but this one really upset me.

It's upsetting to me that after a stellar performance some skeptics may be able to find it.

I just want your guys opinions on youtube, and how you deal with it if you know there is a trick you perform exposed on it, I'm sure some of you will just say ignore it but is that the best option? and is that the only option?
any responses would be much appreciative!

Thanks in advance
Connor

Too bad a legal battle couldn't get those kinda videos removed. They are trade secrets. Really though, how many people have come up to you and said that they saw how to do that effect on youtube? I'm of the mind that the number of people really looking to expose magic's secrets is actually low. How long ago was linking rings exposed on Magic's Greatest Secrets Revealed, and how many people still perform it?

There is some positive things in the youtube exposure videos. Particularily the videos showing sleights. I may be able to read a sleight out of a book and get a good idea, but after watching a video on top of what I already know gives me a greater understanding of what I am learning.

In short, I think it may seem like it is a really big deal, but the damage being done is thus far minor. (Perhaps there will be a bigger issue later on down the road)

-ArchAngel_G

If more than 3 people look it up and actually tell me how it works, I ditch the trick.

If more than 3 people browse their phone while a trick is running, I ditch the trick.

If more than 3 people walk away out of boredom while a trick is running, I ditch the trick.

Other than that, earn your money and leave.

Yes it is sad that effects can be seen how there done on youtube. But I think most of who looks how its done or the ones into magic them selfs. I have done the string in the neck so meny times and still no one knows how it was done. But I do have to say it does sux that someone can find out on youtube.

At least in my performances, I perform magic to entertain, rather than fool. So I am not affected by it too much. But you can use people's knowledge of the way tricks may be achieved against them. For tricks which are often exposed, you should create alternate methods to achieve the same effect, but letting it disprove their prior knowledge of the method. So for thread, before you perform it, you prove that there is no other thread anywhere (even if there is), then you perform it. People won't know how it's done as the only knowledge of the method that they know had been disproved.
Hope that helps, Drew

Thanks for all the answers and opinions guys! they are all very helpful

Connor, please edit your original post. Now everyone here can type the exact verbiage onto Youtube (thanks to your post) and learn the effect. It's posts like this that give extra mileage to exposure. Please, refrain from adding fuel to the fire. Concentrate on your performance and present this effect in a different way. This may save it from being something people want to find the secret for.

It's been my experience that even though some jerks post videos exposing magic secrets, that the majority of people that watch these videos are kids that are only interested in learning secrets and nothing more (sad). Since I don't perform for these types of people. These video post no immediate threat to me.

Though I would love to see these videos deleted from the peering eyes and ears of the masses, my experience has been that people who have really been entertained by my presentation of an effect don't care about the secret. The fact that lay people CAN learn the secret on the internet, only challenges me to strive to be a better entertainer.

Thanks everyone all the answers are very helpful and much appreciative!

I use YouTube as training videos. I subscribe to a couple channels of people teaching card tricks. But they are doing it more as tutorials than just a reveal video. The ones I don't like are the 10 years who got mom to pay $50 for a trick. Then they just show the gimmick and perform the trick poorly. But those kids will probably never become magicians anyway. And hopefully not too many people watch them much, other than other kids like them.

That's how you can start learning things wrong from people who don't know what they're talking about.

You know aaron fisher teaches stuff on his youtube channel