Over the last 2 years, I’ve noticed that I spend WAY more time carefully cataloguing my collections of digital media (games, anime) than actually experiencing those media.
I would spend months carefully renaming the files, grouping them into folders by franchise, creating watch order files, remuxing videos so they would only have one audio and one subtitle file, reencoding videos that I considered bloated, reencoding videos that had flac or 5.1 audio to opus stereo, putting all my files into a spreadsheet along with other information, etc. etc.
Today I realized that my obsession is pointless. I’m just wasting my life doing something that’s not enjoyable, instead of experiencing the media I’ve collected. Who am I making those neat-looking catalogues for? I will never pass on my collection to anyone. I am just lost in my unhealthy obsession instead of enjoying life.
So yeah. Today I’ve decided to stop wasting my time. I will keep archiving (because I believe that in the future, the governments will make it very difficult to share copyrighted media online), but I will stop trying to make my collection look nice and tidy.
I will also delete stuff that I’ve watched/played that I didn’t enjoy. I’ve come to a realization there’s no point archiving it if I’m never going to use it again.
Anyways, I hope this helps someone realize that obsessions with cataloguing your hoards are unhealthy and a waste of life.
I’ve been collecting genealogical data for the last 15 years. You better believe I keep that organized, otherwise I would be screwed.
I agree. As I get older I want more out of my hobbies than just fun and stress reduction. I want to grow, learn a useful skill, engage with media that resonates with me emotionally. Organizing files accomplishes none of those things. Low value way to spend my time.
I use a desktop app called Neofinder which scans any hard drive. As long as there’s at least a name (I add a date as well) that helps you find something, then it’s easy to search for it and find it using the app. It also shows me how many copies I have which lets me help decide if I can erase a drive if I need space.
I just use filebot
If you did it that long, you probably on some level enjoy the busy work. You might just be burnt out. I know when something needs fixing on a software level I can spend infinite time just trying to fix it. Way more than I’d ever use said software too.
Or maybe I’m just a rare case of a person who realizes that our time on this Earth is limited, and spending hundreds of hours doing OCD stuff is a complete waste of life.
“I’m just a rare case o-” 8 billion people on this planet youre not a rare fucking anything, blow me. This is the quickest turnover of a post going from “Oh this has a sweet sentiment if a bit pretentious” to “Oh ok the OP is so self obsessed he jacks off exclusively into a mirror”
How old are you? I’ve been having an existential crisis too.
Fun fact, this post comes off way more OCD than any amount of time cataloguing. Like not “OCD enough to be a one-post diagnosis,” but still more. Because actually, OCD isn’t about keeping things neat. It’s quite often the opposite, like for example intentionally alienating a social group ^_^
i don’t think either of you know much about OCD
Sooooo… What will you do next?
I do it to make other people happy. Seeing them happy brings me joy.
Like for real I never watch any of my content. I don’t watch media in general I just play video games and ride my motorcycle.
Is that what remuxing means? How do you do it?
Honestly this might be your opinion, but for me it actually is enjoyable. The whole putting everything in it’s place, documenting it all and all that stuff that’s where I get the actual enjoyment.
It also means that the people around us can more easily enjoy the media that we’ve collected, since they probably don’t enjoy the same collecting and organizing process that we do.
For example, I’m planning to re-organize my media for Jellyfin on TrueNAS, what with organizing the folders and file structures, and creating better ways to rip DVDs, Blu-Rays, and audio CDs. I enjoy that process, but it also makes it more convenient for my family members to access and watch that media when they would like to as well. So there’s more than just my personal enjoyment that’s increased from this.
I don’t think your efforts should be seen as “pointless” just because you’re the only person who would ever be able to appreciate the fruits of your efforts. Self-actualization is an important part of finding peace with your mortality. Whatever it is you gotta do to get there, you gotta look within yourself to find that. For some people, creating a personal art museum that nobody else but them will ever see is what helps them get there.
because I believe that in the future, the governments will make it very difficult to share copyrighted media online
How do you believe this will happen? I hear this sentiment a lot but never a well put together explanation of how one thinks this is possible…
renaming the files
Can be automated
grouping them into folders by franchise
Should be managed in database rather than filesystem, and automated
remuxing videos so they would only have one audio and one subtitle file, reencoding videos that I considered bloated, reencoding videos that had flac or 5.1 audio to opus stereo
Waste of electricity and requires you to backup the file itself rather than a torrent, as you no longer have exactly what others have. Also a minor point you will kick yourself if you ever buy a surround sound setup and/or discover the wonders of headphone virtual surround
putting all my files into a spreadsheet along with other information
For any media category there almost certainly exists a database system that can do this for you automatically. You mentioned anime, in which case an example is Shoko
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tl;dr you’re complaining about a problem you created, and solving the problem by scorched earth-ing the entire problem
nah i enjoy collecting music and sorting things 😤😤😤
The simple fact that redditors here feel the NEED to downvote anyone who agrees with me, shows that they’re emotionally conflicted with their unhealthy obsessions, and they’re looking for a way to COPE by downvoting people who have taken control over their lives. Because those redditors know deep inside that they have no control over their OCD habits, and seeing those who have claimed control makes them feel uneasy.
I just do the most basic lazy cataloging like music, shows, games etc. Some people like to do the extended cataloging, it’s a hobby for them, so I say if it’s fun for them then why not? It’s not a waste of time then. If not then yeah, you don’t have to force yourself just for sake of clarity/ocd.
/r/lostredditors ?