Go Pro, Bro!

JustinAnimal

So this is about GoPros, those little cameras that I now see everyone wearing while doing such extreme activities as walking to the store, checking out their 123rd library book and biking calmly through neighborhoods.

WTF?!?! I thought this was for extreme kayakers and mountain climbers and people who are actually DOING SOMETHING... or at least something you may care to watch in the future.

Yesterday, while trail running through the Boise hills, I saw no fewer than 15 different people wearing a go pro as they calmly rode their bikes through the trails. Is there any chance they want to relive that? Really? I mean, you can calmly ride your bike just about anywhere. I understand if they want on the mountain biking trails, but even those aren't really very intense or scary or noteworthy. I literally watched a group of five older guys biking calmly, in a caravan, and every one of them had a Go Pro.

So what's the point? And why does everyone have one? Is it just too close to Christmas and people are playing with gifts that other people got for them? Last ridiculous question: isn't this *kitten* what your eyes and memory are for? I mean, I'm all for pictures... a fun night out, your wedding, the birth of your child... but we need to remember every little bike ride?

Just curious to hear what others have to say. Help me understand the importance / necessity of a Go Pro in a non-extreme, non-Gatorade-commercial-esque context.

Sinistrous

If it makes them enjoy their lives and get a chance to watch those little moments again, more power to them.

Worry about you and not them :)

Markdjones83

Sinistrous wrote: »

If it makes them enjoy their lives and get a chance to watch those little moments again, more power to them.

Worry about you and not them :)

cbarn025

Just cause they want to I guess. I have one mounted on my motorcycle and some times I turn it on when I'm just causually riding. Just something to do I guess.

LoneWolfRunner

I am with you on this... I don't get it. In my opinion the GoPro is for those occasions when you are doing things that give you a legitimate opportunity to record your own death or serious maiming.

trailrunner81

Sinistrous wrote: »

If it makes them enjoy their lives and get a chance to watch those little moments again, more power to them.

Worry about you and not them :)

If thats "extreme" for them, that's not your call to make. They want to record that experience then that is their deal. Why let something so trivial set you off on a rant?

Escloflowne

That's just society now, it's like losers on Youtube or people on MFP or FB that think their opinions should matter....

JustinAnimal

I love how asking a question, albeit a spirited one, means that I'm set off and worrying about other people. It's a cultural phenomenon that I don't understand and I was hoping my fellow MFPers would shed some light. Not angry or trying 2B a h8erz.

Ftw37

I lost a lot of weight. So for me, normal biking *is* an extreme sport. So is running. I use my GoPro to record my activities frequently. Maybe I'm not jumping off a cliff, but for a guy who used to be 419 pounds, biking for 40km or running for 10km is something I'd like to keep for posterity.

ew_david

I bought one for my SO for his bday (today). I'm sorry I didn't consult you first to see if he was hard core enough to have one.

But to answer your reposted question: we're doing several Spartans and Tough Mudders this summer. He's also in the military. He wanted one to wear to those events and his military excursions.

tycho_mx

Nope. You buy the camera, you use it for whatever I want.

My latest "hobby" is recording people that are trying to kill me - i.e. as a dash-cam for my bike during my commute.

pecanbeth1

It may not be just another little bike ride. You never know what anyone is doing at any given point. It could be their last ride before a major surgery or medical intervention. Or it may be in a place they've always wanted to visit. Or their memory isn't very good and they don't want to miss something. Or they just want to capture it. So what?

The better question is why their choices matter to you.

Hadabetter

I use it to video my sports practice sessions, to try to improve my technique.

hill8570

Don't own a GoPro, but it's not like most of my moments of extreme terror on the trail or slopes have been planned...*kitten* just happens. It'd be interesting to replay some of them. Maybe.

JustinAnimal

_dracarys_ wrote: »

I bought one for my SO for his bday (today). I'm sorry I didn't consult you first to see if he was hard core enough to have one.

But to answer your reposted question: we're doing several Spartans and Tough Mudders this summer. He's also in the military. He wanted one to wear to those events and his military excursions.

I thought this was a funny response. Didn't check with me to see if it was hardcore enough... but is doing Spartans and Tough Mudders. yeah, I'd say that counts as more extreme than a leisurely bike ride.

Thanks for the serious answers. I never considered a more leisurely ride being something worth recording b/c it could still be tough for people at lower fitness levels. This helped me to get a better understanding of why people might do this.

For the mind your own business type answers, sorry for asking a question and trying to illustrate why it was confusing for me. I don't think you took geniune offense, I just think you like berating strangers on the internet... but just my interpretation. I hope I haven't offended your delicate sensibilities.

PerfectMisfit

Just in case something awesome happens they're prepared, you never know where and when big foot or unicorns will appear.

free1220

Not to mention UFOs.

agratzy

I really want one but I've felt I haven't done anything extreme enough to get one personally... the really cool thing I saw is some people attaching them to their dogs and watching the world from their perspective! Bahaha it's incredibly funny.

djasper73

I agree with the OP about not being sure why people would record day to day stuff. I have a GoPro, but it gets used when travelling to record the moments that I want to remember; my first bungee jump, ziplining through Laos, scuba diving in new places, stuff like that. As for using it when I'm biking through the park at home, not so much. I guess that people like to just have a replayable memory of the things that matter to them. To me it's not such a big thing, but I guess everyone has their own idea of what is significant.

I also agree that some people just like to attack people for their opinions for no other reason than just the hell of it. Calm down; everyone's entitled to their opinion!

Sinistrous

agratzy wrote: »

I really want one but I've felt I haven't done anything extreme enough to get one personally... the really cool thing I saw is some people attaching them to their dogs and watching the world from their perspective! Bahaha it's incredibly funny.

Awww, that's cute!!

sullus

Wow dude. Maybe I was one of those people on a leisurely bike ride with one bcause my dying grandfather wanted to see the bike path he loved so much one last time before he died, alone and cold in an institution.

There's other freaks out there who might take their gopro out on something casual to actually learn how to use it and what to expect from it before they go try to film something extreme for THEIR dying grandpas.

chivalryder

Serious response:

a) They might be vlogging. To some people, it's a hobby. Why do people collect stamps? It's a hobby. If you don't do it, you'll never understand. Some people actually make a living by vlogging.

b) Insurance. Why do so many cars in Russia have dashcams? Insurance fraud is a huge thing there. You never know. Some guy might come careening down the trail, hitting them, and turning the into a quadriplegic. A video will serve many wonders in court, and makes it more difficult for insurance providers to deny claim.

c) Along the same lines as the previous post: What if something truly amazing happened right in front of them. How many times have you witnessed something you wish you caught on camera? By simply having a camera there, recording everything, you might randomly end up with a video that will go viral (which, if you post on YouTube, can make you quite a bit of cash for some time).

d) Some people have mental handicap that makes them unable to remember things.

e) 20 years ago, why did people used to always go around with a camera, taking pictures of things? Why did people fill photo albums with piles of images that everyone else would consider boring and mundane? This is simply a change in technology, helped along with the massive convenience and ease of strapping a camera onto your head.

f) Why does your sister update her twitter account every 5 seconds, letting people know exactly what she's doing? "Hanging up the laundry now." "Oops, dropped a clothes pin!" Seriously, it's like they believe people want to see this *kitten* all the time. No one cares but themselves, but that's enough reason for themselves to try to shove it down your throat.

And g) Why the heck do you even care? Seriously.

ETA: Just because it's called an "action camera" doesn't mean you have to use it exclusively to record "action". That's like saying duct tape should only ever be used on ducting. Really.

Also, it can be used for personal reasons as well. You don't have to place everything you record on the internet.

allie_00p

You saw me?! Don't judge, I'm documenting relaxing adventures for the youtubez!

530roman

JustinAnimal wrote: »

_dracarys_ wrote: »

I bought one for my SO for his bday (today). I'm sorry I didn't consult you first to see if he was hard core enough to have one.

But to answer your reposted question: we're doing several Spartans and Tough Mudders this summer. He's also in the military. He wanted one to wear to those events and his military excursions.

I thought this was a funny response. Didn't check with me to see if it was hardcore enough... but is doing Spartans and Tough Mudders. yeah, I'd say that counts as more extreme than a leisurely bike ride.

Thanks for the serious answers. I never considered a more leisurely ride being something worth recording b/c it could still be tough for people at lower fitness levels. This helped me to get a better understanding of why people might do this.

For the mind your own business type answers, sorry for asking a question and trying to illustrate why it was confusing for me. I don't think you took geniune offense, I just think you like berating strangers on the internet... but just my interpretation. I hope I haven't offended your delicate sensibilities.

OP seems a little delicate about responses being given? Don't apologize

Cindy4FunFit

We have one. It takes great wide angle photos as well. It's amazing small sized technology, looks beautiful on a big screen smart TV, so I could imagine some folks may just want to enjoy non extreme events in this way. You should just ask these people, nicely, directly.

Oh yeah- and hands free pics & recordings when mounted! Bonus.

NikkiSixGuns

As for the calm bike rides, I'd say they do it for the same reasons people take pictures of sunsets and beach days. Adrenaline rush adventures aren't the only experiences worth documenting. Some people like to look back and relive the relaxing walk on the beach or that pleasurable bike ride they took with some pals.

As for those experiences AND others, maybe they're vloggers. Maybe they're experimenting with a new toy before taking it on vacation. Who knows?

I can think of many occasions where something awesome happened to me while doing something "mundane" and I wished I'd had a camera going to capture it. Go Pro cameras are lightweight and small so they're easy to have going for every darn thing. So maybe that's the reason?

Lastly, memories fade. I think it would suck if, when I'm an old lady, the only things I will be able to remember are the major life events that were "worthy" of filming. I want to remember the sound of my husband's voice, the little silly conversations we have, the way our favorite biking trail looks on a foggy morning. If recording some of those adreline-free occasions allows me to preserve those memories and share them with future family, I'm 100% for it. I sure wish there were videos of my parents and grandparents just living life. Sure, I can see their wedding photos, but it would be fun to see how everyone interacted on a plane Jane Tuesday night. But that's just me.

Joannah700

I can imagine using the video as a screensaver for my FireTV or chromecast. I live in pretty enough places when I'm hiking that it would be nice to see the gorgeous views in my living room when I'm listening to music.

Just a thought.