Has your view of LTT or Linus changed?

[votemarvel]

The only thing that's changed for me is that I now wonder just why the LMG is spending so much money on the Lab.

 

All the channels under the LMG banner seem more focused on the general entertainment side of things than the factual tech side of things. So spending so much money on lab equipment and personnel for information that really isn't used in the videos seems a very odd choice.

[Kizuna A.J]

Personally, my view on LTT after the Gamers nexus stuff was mixed. But I do believe they'll change for the better. As for the madison stuff, Would rather wait until the results from that are released.

[Aasimar]

3 minutes ago, Kizuna A.J said:

Personally, my view on LTT after the Gamers nexus stuff was mixed. But I do believe they'll change for the better. As for the madison stuff, Would rather wait until the results from that are released.

 

Yeah I don't know what to even think about the Madison stuff. her original complaint that she made on glassdoor is contridicted by other statements made by employees over the last couple of years there. In general they have a very low turnover  rate; that generally says something about a business. There is that *one* claim though that kind of sits above all others; but sexual harassment covers an extremely wide gamut of things in various levels of suck; if i'm saying what my internal voice is saying though; I remember her being kind of raunchy and making comments that made linus uncomfortable (like calling him daddy).

I really really really need to see the results of this investigation before even touching that with a 10 foot pole.

[wanderingfool2]

It didn't change my opinion, but his post in response to GN essentially solidified that I won't be actively supporting them anymore; I refuse to buy any new merch, click on any sponsored links etc.

 

Nobody's perfect, everyone makes mistakes.  What's important is that when mistakes are pointed out how you react; Linus essentially waiving his hands around pretending to be a victim and gaslighting people just shows how bad of an employer he is.  I get the opinion that he still feels like he didn't do anything wrong and is just justifying  his excuses away.

 

My opinion before was negative anyways though, as I never did like the concept of make a major mistake that should have been caught and just making it a small editorial note or pinned comment.  Some mistakes overall are not acceptable to be made ever though; like the whole bit of sub $1000 product from what to me amounts as an advertisement (but not a sponsor, according to Linus) that in reality is over $5000.  I've  brought it up multiple times in multiple topics and Linus and his team never corrected the issue.  To me, they are attributing to a blatantly false advertisement.  The fact that many of their videos are advertisements without clear indication that the primary product that was advertised was given to them free; was what turned me against them.  Linus feels he doesn't have to disclose that, which is ridiculous.  As Linus pointed out in a thread a long time ago, even a negative review by them drives sales to the product; as such they should be disclosing when the highlighted product was given to them.

 

Then there was the general lack of thought on other people; like in the whole  Jellyfish stuff...where it seemed like he was hurt they didn't come back to him.  His solution is almost the whole I'm better than you mentality; while completely missing the scope.  No one wants a NAS that requires maintenance and knowledge when they are a Mac person....and that's essentially what Linus gave to them.  Even when it's someone like the SlowMo Guys who seemed to have a better technical savvy, it seemed like LMG just made assumptions without asking the basic questions...where the big question being, how much data do you have/produce.

 

That's why my opinion hasn't changed, because LMG is a large company that seems to operate as an amateur level while still trying to claim that their numbers are accurate or that they are to be trusted.

 

  

On 8/27/2023 at 3:21 AM, Phil57 said:

That "reshoot costs $500" decision? The wrong decision, obviously, but was it just an incorrect snap judgment while trying to juggle 50 other important isses? I have no idea, because I wasn't there but NOBODY gets every singledecision right 100% of the time, even if they're not up to their ass in alligators at the time.

I don't think anyone, not even GN, was talking about getting everything right.  What is the issue is how mistakes are dealt with.

 

Like the whole mouse with the plastic film, and they essentially double down by saying no initially to the glide then realizing they were wrong saying they should have made it more obvious (what's the bets that it was in the instructions which LMG doesn't ever seem to read).  Yet Linus also have the gull to say that anyone with a functioning brainstem should know they didn't buy a Toyota (in response to me saying they should add a disclosure saying Toyota provided the vehicle for the shoot).  Instead he rants about how it is a "burden" getting the vehicle.  That's the issue; they make a mistake and they look for someone to blame or try gaslighting

[divito]

On 8/27/2023 at 3:04 AM, dizmo said:

Has all of this changed your view on LTT at all?

No. Humans, as with the businesses they run, go through ebbs and flows. Some of the audience members don't have a reflective capacity to understand that things won't always be perfect, and become rigid in their thinking.

LTT has always occupied a certain approach; an essentially, everyman tech and PC enthusiast that would find a visually digestible and entertaining way to show products, news, etc... This type of content and delivery was never focused on rigid and dry technical specifications, and being to-the-second accurate, especially in light of things like a manufacturer updating their website or documentation, or clarifying something in communications after shooting had already completed.

The speed of video shooting and releases obviously compounded issues and has been discussed ad nauseum, but from a practical perspective, were understandable. Holding LTT to a standard they have never maintained before seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy of naivety and ignorance. I'm not sure how someone of that mindset would ever consume any content; news organizations issue correction notices all the time. Are the New York Times, Reuters, or any news organization, somehow untrustworthy and unethical because they correct their content? 

The absence of corrections would be a far more worrisome red flag. While Linus can be very opinionated and candid, he's always been fairly personable in reflection and has addressed errors and mistakes with apologizes, and also with defensive actions or justifications.

 

He's a regular guy, passionate about technology, and that's what a lot of his audience enjoys and why LTT has grown to the level that they have. He and his staff are relatable and approachable. There is personality and genuine interest behind what they do. They aren't some stuffy outfit, pompously droning on about minutia if it doesn't help the story, content, or decisions for the audience. Their content doesn't feel censored by a PR team, churning out boilerplate responses to questions or controversies, or saying the most PC things to maintain some perception of superiority.

The other concerning thing people have been doing, outside of the unrealistic standards mentioned above, is attributing the video shortcomings and mistakes as somehow malicious. LTT isn't Trump trying to sow discontent, or push out alternative narratives and deny reality. They work and grew a bit too fast, a bit too loose, and are forced to correct in post, annotations, descriptions and comments.

 

They obviously have organizational issues to fix, workflow things to go through, and all of this was already in the background, with the hiring of Terren, and other things they've slowly been getting into place. Unfortunately, with all the channels, and video schedule, progress has been slower than people ideally want. 

[Issac Zachary]

No, my view is the same, from my living room to my TV connected to my desktop. That has always been my view of Linus Tech Tips and Linus. I can't really see them from any other room in the house or out in the yard without some sort of mobile device. But since I prefer to watch videos in my living room on the TV and not on a mobile screen that is where I view them.

[tech.guru]

On 8/27/2023 at 3:04 AM, dizmo said:

So with all the drama lately, I just have one question: Has all of this changed your view on LTT at all?

I'll even break it down further to Linus vs LTT as a whole, since they're really two separate things.

 

Personally, I was initially extremely annoyed with what happened. Both with Linus's reaction, and the fact it happened at all (LTT failing). Now I'm not as annoyed as much, however when you really look into all the things that go wrong, or they try to get a pass on...they really do need a lot of work. Something not brought up that I always thought was pretty weak was their support taking forever on the LTT Store. They said they had high volumes for months...sorry fam, after a few months if it's ongoing, it's just you not having enough people in place.

 

It's all part of the growing pains of a business I'm sure, but there's a lot to fix. Good will and good intentions only go so far. I'm excited to see where LTT goes in the next few years, but honestly I doubt I'll see them as a GN, HardwareUnboxed, or similar channel; they'll always be the gamer bro, sexual innuendo, over the top almost pointless project entertainment channel they've grown into. Luckily tech moves fast and there's a whole new generation of people for them to try and pivot to.

 

Mods, yes I read the little notice before posting this, however I can't put a poll in the middle of an existing thread (to my knowledge).

Yes its changed. 

[wasab]

I have mostly moved to hardware unbox and gamer nexus for hardware reviews years ago. Ltt simply do not have the rigor and details these channels do. Until recently however, I generally trusted ltt numbers and accuracy, even if details/charts/datas are a bit lacking but that now is in doubt considering all the fiasco. 

[Basti0815]

What has definitely changed for me is the opinion I had about the LTT community. I didn't realize before how toxic and humorless many are.

[CrabbyDadTech]

Personally I've known they were just a money making marketing arm for big tech for years. Nothing is going to change. 

[Mark Kaine]

No, it just became more clearer.

 

 

[Riccardo Cagnasso]

I don't care.

If i read a good book, I don't care if the writer is the nicest person in the world or a thief and a murderer.
If it's a good book, it's a good book.
Actually I don't really care who the writer is, nor I do want to know.

 

I don't really care about the ethicality of the book writing process.
Even if the writer forces his wife to type the book for him and then beat her every time she makes a mistake, I still don't care.
I'm just reading a book, I'm not a policeman or a judge working in the area where the writer lives.

"Ah, yes, this book is really good. BUT WAS THE WRITER A GOOD PERSON?"
Doesn't make any sense. It's some kind of perverted moralistic voyeurism that seems to be oddly common in anglo-saxon society.
Since I'm Italian, I don't care.

[mMontana]

5 minutes ago, Riccardo Cagnasso said:

Since I'm Italian, I don't care.

You're lying. Italians can be hypocrite as much, even more, than any other nationality  

 

You don't care. And this is fine. I think a lot of readers can see the vibe.

[Riccardo Cagnasso]

17 minutes ago, mMontana said:

You're lying. Italians can be hypocrite as much, even more, than any other nationality  

 

You don't care. And this is fine. I think a lot of readers can see the vibe.

This is not about hypocrisy.
Maybe I'm saint. It's still not my place to judge - or care - about people living thousands of kilometers from me who my only association is to consume something they produced.

 

[mMontana]

I think you're of the many BOFH of this world

[Riccardo Cagnasso]

9 minutes ago, mMontana said:

I think you're of the many BOFH of this world

Why? You take the fact that I don't obsess over the morality of someone that I don't know and is much a fictional character as a real human being to me, and from that deduce that I'm not a nice person.
 

It's not healthy to get as mentally involved as to something that regards a friend or a family member or a neighbor to something that you see on a screen. It's not productive either, because you can't do anything and you don't really have a picture of it.

[Rkiver]

I'd say in general I am disappointed in what occurred, both in what lead to what we heard, and the reaction.

 

I hope it leads to positive changes to stop it happening again.

[MartyS]

I was only watching the "fun" videos on the various channels so all of the drama had no impact on my view of anything.  LTT was not my "go to" source for reviews.

 

I wasn't taking labs data seriously before and without this break they took I may never have, but if they become serious about quality control maybe I will use labs data someday when making purchases.

 

 

[saintlouisbagels]

I haven't been watching any of their videos since they resumed production.

During that production pause I realized that their videos have literally zero impact in my life - they don't showcase any products that improve my life, and they don't make any off-hand comments in the videos that improve any practical tech knowledge.

 

I still like to listen to the WAN Show in small chunks and honestly the 2hr-4hr duration is as long as weeks of videos anyways.

[SupaKomputa]

19 hours ago, Riccardo Cagnasso said:

I don't care.

If i read a good book, I don't care if the writer is the nicest person in the world or a thief and a murderer.
If it's a good book, it's a good book.
Actually I don't really care who the writer is, nor I do want to know.

 

I don't really care about the ethicality of the book writing process.
Even if the writer forces his wife to type the book for him and then beat her every time she makes a mistake, I still don't care.
I'm just reading a book, I'm not a policeman or a judge working in the area where the writer lives.

"Ah, yes, this book is really good. BUT WAS THE WRITER A GOOD PERSON?"
Doesn't make any sense. It's some kind of perverted moralistic voyeurism that seems to be oddly common in anglo-saxon society.
Since I'm Italian, I don't care.

I like the way you think.

 

People are so in a hurry to crucify anything on the internet nowadays.

[Glew]

Can't watch Linus anymore, at all. I still enjoy LTT and the entire crew, but that boys face on a thumbnail is a 100% guarantee I don't watch that video. Very sad considering I've been recommending LTT to everyone for over a decade. Now I feel like a douche for having ever helped Linus. His treatment of Billet Labs was the nail in the coffin. Then the non-apology finger pointing video made sure I don't even hope for a resurrection. I feel like I know too well now, WHO Linus is and what kind of person he is, and there's nothing he can do to repair that (self inflicted) damage. The best thing Linus could do for his team, in my ignorant and emotional opinion, is resign entirely. Take his earnings and retire. Why should his entire staff/team have to suffer the consequences of his poor choices and personality?

[dimforest]

I didn't pick an option in the poll because there wasn't one to adequately express my view.

 

I love the brand. I've always been neutral on Linus himself.

 

I've never disliked him, including now. I have a ton of respect for him and what he's personally done for the community and industry. I have that same level of respect for folks like Bill Gates, Kevin Mitnick, Steve Jobs, and so on... They're all pioneers in their own right and have contributed a lot to the tech industry but at the end of the day, they have a product to push. Linus is a salesman, so when he speaks, you have to keep in mind he's talking through a very curated vernacular to ensure interests in his brand and products are on the forefront, rather than some magical objectiveness in regards to tech reviews. That said, LTT is an overall net positive for the community and what Linus has built is truly something special and -best of all- entertaining. 

[Aluminumhaste]

At first I was disappointed, but after a lot more was discussed about the timeline of events etc, I actually feel bad for LMG.

The whole, "keep it we don't need it back, oh wait we changed our minds, send it back."

Then after watching GN's video, seeing that smirk on his face, it was clear this was personal and not unbiased journalism. After that video I had to unsub from GN.

After all the back and forth, the evidence etc, it all points to employee's at LMG being very very busy (especially the lead up to WAN show), and things not getting taken care of in a timely manner. Yet tons of people on the internet, including on these forums, claiming Linus personally selling another companies proprietary prototype.

Also, the amount of articles that I've seen in my feed with headlines like "Ex employee alleges sexual assault" with a picture of Linus on the cover......I have no words for bullshit like that. Literally every articles thumbnail had a picture of Linus on it.

 

So at this point I've swung back around, I've yet to see anything from Linus to make me question his review or unboxing of a laptop. The things he says are factual or his personal preference, and he states them as such.

[Craigy]

As long as I get an entertaining video I don't care. For me personally I don't watch LTT for the product reviews, my job gives me the knowledge I need anyway. I only watch for the entertainment value.

But for those who use them as a source of recommendation I see the frustration. To a certain extent the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion, but LTT did need a swift kick to get it under control. If you don't know its going wrong you won't fix it.

 

[Basti0815]

On 9/4/2023 at 9:39 AM, Riccardo Cagnasso said:

"Ah, yes, this book is really good. BUT WAS THE WRITER A GOOD PERSON?"
Doesn't make any sense. It's some kind of perverted moralistic voyeurism that seems to be oddly common in anglo-saxon society.
Since I'm Italian, I don't care.

I'm German - and I don't care, either.