The_Q42

In retro I think LMG never shifted gears. Linus mentioned several times the team while at the Langley house were never sleeping and constantly struggling to put out videos to avoid disaster. Linus referenced this in his retirement video. He explained that he always pushed off spending time with the children and his wife due to obligations from work. I think the volume of video material never changed; Linus's solution was just hire a bunch of people and hoped the work load would be lighter with more hands. However, instead the details of the videos became overlooked and the inherent quality of was diminished. More hands didn't help without re-calibrating the machine. I hope the team is able to realign appropriately. 

I'm in the "I'm just really curious" camp. It's a defining moment for the company I think, sink or swim, so whatever they do's gonna be important.

I understand people wanting to wait until more comes out and/or wait until LTT responds but too many in this thread alone are immediately jumping to play HR for LTT and deny, deny, deny. If you want to claim we should wait until we have all the facts until we start trashing Linus, fine, but that goes both ways. There's no legitimate reason we should dismiss any of this, let alone assume poor intentions on her part (because I'm sure she was really excited to paint a red target on her back and cop some of the most vile filth on the internet). There's a good chance we'd benefit from hearing other perspectives that I'm sure we will get in the next 24 hours but why anyone would dismiss everything in this so easily is beyond me. Linus doesn't know you exist and he never will, clearly none of us want any of this to be true but jumping to defend him with nothing more than "oh pfft why didn't she just sue" or "hmm i don't know why but she probably made this up" is next level fanboy behavior

It's called an Ambush Piece, though nearly all of GN's first video is actually observations and commentary on publicly posted material. You don't call a company for comment on their Financial Reports when you're just responding to them. The issue would be around Billet Labs. However, it took Billet getting a hold of GN to get anything done. Which really means it would have required GN Steve to contact Linus.  <--- This is the massive dysfunction.
 
While GN Steve has definitely had his own "bee in the bonnet" moments and gotten really worked up about minor things (because no one is perfect), resolving the Billet Labs situation changes very little about the video. While Linus may think that it's only happened once in 10 years, the reality is a malfunction that bad requires a massive analysis of their internal systems.  They should be pleased that Billet is just willing to take a check. LMG, the company, committed a crime (via negligence) under local law.
 
At the same time, Linus wants to bring in Labs to do far more testing of manufacturer claims. Which means significant errors in their work is a massive problem. It's pretty obvious GN Steve has been getting feed back from industry contacts about the issues around LMG.  This wasn't a hit piece. This was a combination of Intervention and Warning for future disasters if the ship isn't patched up.

Despite my critical commentary in this thread, I do agree with you. Having watched Linus for many years, it's clear that he is upset about this entire situation, and not just because he has vested interest in the LMG empire. This must be upsetting to him on a personal level. GNs video succinctly showed that the mad rush to churn out content has turned LTTs output into a clusterfu*k of unreliable information and egregious screwups. At times he has doubled down on these issues and I assume this is because he saw each minor issue in it's own bubble, but to see a video essay clearly showing that it is consistently happening has to be an absolute gut punch.
 
But...
 
The way he has handled the situation has been incredibly poor, and there are some big issues that he and LMG as a whole need to work out. Perhaps he just doesn't know what to say or do at the moment. His initial response was frankly crap, but as someone who loves his job, his staff, and what he does, I can only assume he said it to protect them. Doesn't make it right however.
 
Once the dust settles, a full video of how things can be improved needs to be put out to regain viewers trust. And there's no sugar coating it; he needs to own up to the fact that the entire Billet Labs thing was poorly handled and flat out apologise on that one. The entire thing is a debacle and he needs to face it head on otherwise why would other hardware vendors trust him to give an unbiased and accurate review.
 
It's just an outright mess, and it's going to take some time to get it all right. I hope he does.

Sorry, but it sounds like you're making an awfully convenient excuse there.  LMG is massive in this space, but this space is still fairly niche, and MOST people consume LMG content via YouTube.  There is a ton of crossover between LMG viewers and GN viewers, and GN raised some really good points.  People like me who HAVE posted here in the past (but only rarely) simply signed on to voice our concerns, which is valid and part of the reason this forum exists.
 
I think you think people have more time to do crap like this than they actually have.
 
There's also an interesting thing with this audience . . . I'd bet a lot of people are like me: extremely tech savvy, and not really in need of tech help.  I keep up with tech news, and have a group of nerds that I regularly talk about it with in my own social circles.  In other words, I don't feel the NEED to post here often, and I don't have the spare time to be an effective tech resource on this forum AND to my entire family AND in my professional life.
 
In short: I'm a long-time fan that doesn't post often here. I DO care about LMG and want it to succeed.  I'm disappointed in the response so far, and think it's fair to voice that.  Quit trying to shut people like me down just because we don't post a lot or are new.

What I'm saying is that you can't discount NEW accounts either because there aren't 1 - 10k comments per topic in the forums like there are for each video.  Simply put: a MASSIVE part of the genuine community (that might actively contribute via YouTube content/comments) is just not represented here typically.  Calling them out for signing into the ONLY place in which Linus responded is shitty.  It's the only avenue they've been given to weigh in on this topic.

Once more, this forum is a separate platform from YouTube, made by the company that hosts the YouTube channel. The whole issue is based on YouTube videos. Most of us are long time viewers, and not having an account on this completely separate forums has nothing to do with anything.

What I'm saying is that you can't discount NEW accounts either because there aren't 1 - 10k comments per topic in the forums like there are for each video.  Simply put: a MASSIVE part of the genuine community (that might actively contribute via YouTube content/comments) is just not represented here typically.  Calling them out for signing into the ONLY place in which Linus responded is shitty.  It's the only avenue they've been given to weigh in on this topic.

I'm a big fan of LTT, and have been watching for years.  I, however, have to side with GN on this one: the long response post from Linus does play victim more than it should, and it neatly dodges some of the direct challenges GN raised.
 
I've always been impressed with LMG's openness, which seems an ultra-rare thing in the tech industry, but I'm pretty disappointed in LMG's response.  The Billet Labs response/actions are just bad.  The room was not misread, but according to GN and Billet Labs, LMG did not follow the instructions given, and still, even in the apology are lambasting their product over it.  It's a niche, low volume market where reputation is king, and LMG owes it to Billet to make things right.
 
I fully believe that the intent of LMG and the Labs project is  to do exactly what's on the label: provide unbiased, scientifically confirmed data to the masses so we can make better purchasing decisions and hold manufacturer's accountable when they screw up.  I also work at a company that went from 30 employees to nearly 200 in the span of 1.5 years.  Growing pains are real.  Defining proper process and establishing lines of internal comms is hard.  I can absolutely forgive all of that, and chalk almost everything GN mentioned up to such pains.
 
What's harder for me to accept is the defensiveness and the tendency to play victim.  Linus's post could've been: "Yeah, we definitely screwed up.  We're carefully reviewing everything GN said, and we're working directly with them to address their concerns.  We're going to make things right the community and learn from these mistakes.  More to come soon."  Then all you'd have to do is follow it up with real action to fix the issues and tell us about it.  
 
Instead you're complaining about "proper journalistic process"?  Come on.  They don't need to reach out to you unless they want your statement.  In this case, I'm on board with GN's approach because they rightfully fear the influence LMG has in this space (you guys are freaking huge, and wield a metric ton of influence). 
 
I'm not posting this because I want to jam a pitchfork anywhere unpleasant.  I've been watching LTT from pretty early on, and continue to be a huge fan.  I put a lot of faith in your reviews, and regularly make product decisions based on your recommendations.  Hell, I even own an LTT Screwdriver (lttstore.com), as well as some other merch.
 
I'm posting because it seems clear that Linus and the real people at LMG (who I truly believe care about their community and their ability to produce good content) should hear feedback from the community.

Sorry, but it sounds like you're making an awfully convenient excuse there.  LMG is massive in this space, but this space is still fairly niche, and MOST people consume LMG content via YouTube.  There is a ton of crossover between LMG viewers and GN viewers, and GN raised some really good points.  People like me who HAVE posted here in the past (but only rarely) simply signed on to voice our concerns, which is valid and part of the reason this forum exists.
 
I think you think people have more time to do crap like this than they actually have.
 
There's also an interesting thing with this audience . . . I'd bet a lot of people are like me: extremely tech savvy, and not really in need of tech help.  I keep up with tech news, and have a group of nerds that I regularly talk about it with in my own social circles.  In other words, I don't feel the NEED to post here often, and I don't have the spare time to be an effective tech resource on this forum AND to my entire family AND in my professional life.
 
In short: I'm a long-time fan that doesn't post often here. I DO care about LMG and want it to succeed.  I'm disappointed in the response so far, and think it's fair to voice that.  Quit trying to shut people like me down just because we don't post a lot or are new.

I really hate how people are attacking others for simply having less posts or joined to give feedback, that elitist nonsense definitely reminds me of reddit.

This is gonna hit LMG on the manufacturer side pretty bad.  While they were polite and succinct, they didn't hold punches.
 
IMO, this post is as professional as it gets without hiding anything about the situation. Kudos to Billet.

I can't believe people are still defending Linus on this topic and attack GN.
 
 
This is not healthy. If you like Linus, you should not condone his insane respones. 
 
Instead, help him find his old self and motivate him to do the right thing!

Agreed. Honestly and transparency would go a long way now, and especially at the beginning of this.

Billet Labs just posted an update on Reddit. Seems like they want a pound of flesh more than a proper resolution.
 
"UPDATE
For full transparency, Linus contacted us this evening saying it's likely he can get the block back from the buyer.
We have declined this offer, and asked for the previously agreed monetary value instead for the following reasons:
we have already spent a significant percentage of the value of the block in the last few days on replacement parts to build a new block, assuming we'd never see the original one again.
we do not know if the original block is still in good working condition, and how much money will be needed to fix it if it's not.
we don't know if any of the bespoke fittings are missing, each of these costs money to replace if they are.
LTT have had our 3090ti without using it for 9 weeks, so we have lost confidence that they will return items quickly.
LTT isn't currently in possession of the block, they've only said that they can get it back. We therefore don't know when we'd get it back, and time is of the essence.
LTT has confirmed that the block is with a private individual rather than a rival company, so lost IP is much less of an issue.
We wanted to state this publicly just in case anyone has any issues with the fact that the block has potentially been found, and we chose to take the money instead. We hope you understand our reasoning here. We can have our new block that we're currently making ready in the next couple of weeks, and we are sceptical that we would have the original block back in fully working condition in that amount of time – it would be a gamble at the very least.
Much love
Dean & Felix"
   

Honestly this is why there needs to be a YouTube channel that mediates between channels when there is drama. Almost like an official debate where people can talk and work things out. You know that healthy thing adults do. I'm in the middle on this one. Both sides are correct and wrong. Some times it's not what you say but how you say it.

I'm a big fan of LTT, and have been watching for years.  I, however, have to side with GN on this one: the long response post from Linus does play victim more than it should, and it neatly dodges some of the direct challenges GN raised.
 
I've always been impressed with LMG's openness, which seems an ultra-rare thing in the tech industry, but I'm pretty disappointed in LMG's response.  The Billet Labs response/actions are just bad.  The room was not misread, but according to GN and Billet Labs, LMG did not follow the instructions given, and still, even in the apology are lambasting their product over it.  It's a niche, low volume market where reputation is king, and LMG owes it to Billet to make things right.
 
I fully believe that the intent of LMG and the Labs project is  to do exactly what's on the label: provide unbiased, scientifically confirmed data to the masses so we can make better purchasing decisions and hold manufacturer's accountable when they screw up.  I also work at a company that went from 30 employees to nearly 200 in the span of 1.5 years.  Growing pains are real.  Defining proper process and establishing lines of internal comms is hard.  I can absolutely forgive all of that, and chalk almost everything GN mentioned up to such pains.
 
What's harder for me to accept is the defensiveness and the tendency to play victim.  Linus's post could've been: "Yeah, we definitely screwed up.  We're carefully reviewing everything GN said, and we're working directly with them to address their concerns.  We're going to make things right the community and learn from these mistakes.  More to come soon."  Then all you'd have to do is follow it up with real action to fix the issues and tell us about it.  
 
Instead you're complaining about "proper journalistic process"?  Come on.  They don't need to reach out to you unless they want your statement.  In this case, I'm on board with GN's approach because they rightfully fear the influence LMG has in this space (you guys are freaking huge, and wield a metric ton of influence). 
 
I'm not posting this because I want to jam a pitchfork anywhere unpleasant.  I've been watching LTT from pretty early on, and continue to be a huge fan.  I put a lot of faith in your reviews, and regularly make product decisions based on your recommendations.  Hell, I even own an LTT Screwdriver (lttstore.com), as well as some other merch.
 
I'm posting because it seems clear that Linus and the real people at LMG (who I truly believe care about their community and their ability to produce good content) should hear feedback from the community.

You are correct that dozens of people have signed up in the last 24 hours. I am sure a relatively big minority did so to sling mud and start flamewars.
 
Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, there are genuine members of the audience who have been watching this content for years and did not have a reason to create an account or engage with the "community" until now?
 
From what I have seen, most of the new accounts in this thread are just like me, members of the audience who have been watching for years and wanted to share their concerns and feedback in a way that has the highest likelihood of actually reaching someone close to being in a position of power to do something about it. If you see mostly "mud slinging" from new accounts in this thread, I am afraid you are probably quite selective in what you read from them.

That's a nihilist and insubstantial approach. I've seen much bigger people and companies go down for far less than this. What they need to do is be humble, apologize and then fix things. SImple, baby steps.

Lmao pump the brakes, turbo. Linus isn’t going to invite you over for tea if you defend him hard enough here.

I just wonder how big of a deal and how many videos and rants in the Wan show wouldn’t linus have done if someone who he sent a screwdriver prototype in good faith before releasing it to the public: 
1. released a video saying never to buy this screwdriver even if its not the finished product after they “tested it” by hammering nails.
2. didn’t return a needed and one-of-a-kind prototype.
3.Ghosted and didn't respond to emails asking for the prototype back
4.“auctioned” without permission as if the loner prototype was their property no matter where the funds go to.

Eh, not if the facts presented are still facts.  You can call him out for presenting them in a way you don't like, but it doesn't change the accuracy of the statements.  Some of what GN said had some subjectivity, but he was careful to even back all of that up with actual statements from LMG made in video or otherwise.

Eh, not if the facts presented are still facts.  You can call him out for presenting them in a way you don't like, but it doesn't change the accuracy of the statements.  Some of what GN said had some subjectivity, but he was careful to even back all of that up with actual statements from LMG made in video or otherwise.

Well he didn't have to scrape to hard if that is the case.
Also, if the channel (with labs) is reporting itself to be a repository of knowledge on the topic and they do a bad job at it and can't get their data correct, that is a problem for the brand.
And it is journalistic to look at the data that is put out publicly and point out when it is wrong and uncorrected.
There is no reason they should get the cache numbers wrong on a CPU release video when all that information should have been reviewed and checked before being published.