The bottom line is this. One needs to look at the bigger picture. I always said: “You can do anything you want, but be aware of how you are affecting others with your actions.” You can’t live in a vacuum unaware and unconcerned that people from all stations of life are going to watch your video and come away with different reactions. That doesn’t really mean you have to accompany that video with explanatory comments, but it does mean you leave yourself open if others want to critique and use you an an example.

People like Tommy post these videos because it’s either promotional advertising for them or they are on an ego trip out to impress. I think Tommy falls into the latter. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you’re on an ego trip and out to improve your self-worth and amaze your friends at the same time with your talent, then you also have a moral obligation to recognize and consider how many beginner musicians are going to watch this video and be affected by it. How many are going to think they’ll never get to that level when, in reality, that level was never really that high? Professional musicians who can see through these illusionary videos do a great service by pointing out the reality of those performances. As for hurting Tommy’s feeling…..it’s called collateral damage!

I get your point that he never “asked” for criticism, but....do you care more about poor Tommy’s emotional injuries, that he might be insulted (or dejected) over these remarks, or do you care more about the huge amount of people around the world that may be (musically) negatively affected and discouraged from pursuing their dreams when they see a video like this. In a way, it is nothing more than a con worked on people who don‘t know any better, particularly the great majority of new musicians working their way into the ranks.

To be fair to Tommy, I see him as a very nice person who just plain enjoys his music and, innocently, wanted to share it with others. Unfortunately, he became, in this thread, the poster child for the many videos we watch that are, shall I say, deceptive?

Further, there is someone in this group, who gets many compliments when he periodically posts a song. The playing is good, but I always wonder...is it typical of his playing OR did he simply work on this one song for weeks until he ironed out all the wrinkles? Is he another Tommy Johnson doing what he does well, but....that’s ALL he does...one song at a time until it's perfected? (no...it’s not Don M...he’s just plain good...no magic show there...he's the real thing!)

Mark