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LOL The Verge Bashing

Discussion in 'General' started by The_Crapman, 28 Sep 2018.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    There is a vast, vast difference between making a mistake and literally publishing a video proclaiming yourself to be an authority on doing something and doing almost every single step incorrectly, then doubling-down afterwards and claiming that everyone who criticises said video is just jealous of your kickass PC and/or An Horrific Racialist.

    One of these is worthy of scorn. No prizes for guessing which one.

    EDIT:
    To put it another way, if I - who does not drive - did a video showing people step-by-step how to become a champion Formula 1 driver, it'd probably be about as good as the Verge's how-to-build-a-PC video. And I would be entirely deserving of all the mickey-taking that would follow, especially if I just told anyone who criticised it - not mocked it, but literally pointed out all the incorrect and, in some cases, downright dangerous misinformation in the video - that they're just jealous of my l33t Formula 1 car. (Which, incidentally, turns out to be a mid-range Ford Escort I've well and truly over-hyped. And I put the wheels on the wrong way 'round to boot.)
     
    Last edited: 15 Feb 2019
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  2. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    The public reaction was enough, IMO. It was shared everywhere and people had plenty of opinions about it. Other Youtubers using it as an idea to make content for hits though (just IMO) is kinda lame. I didn't see any of them extracting the urine out of Jay for (deliberately) drilling four holes in a motherboard and then wondering why it didn't work. Nor any of them doing a parody of him setting a FX 8 AMD CPU to 1.5v without taking LLC into consideration and it then going pop. Both of those things are noob mistakes.

    And like I said, the reaction to it has been equally childish and pathetic. I go on Youtube for interesting content like this for example -



    Which has been genuinely fantastic, not to see a bunch of hugely over hyped and over rated PC techs all taking the pee out of one another. I also seem to remember the controversy when they were all ripping on this site because Rich had managed to score a CPU before them and their noses were all out of joint that he broke what to them was an NDA that he just didn't have.
     
  3. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    I literally have no idea who Jay is, but I'll take your word for him getting away with both of those things - which are, indeed, schoolboy errors, although there's an argument to be made that you shouldn't be able to permanently damage your hardware just by twiddling settings in the BIOS. I know you can, but it would be nice if there were protections against that kind of thing.

    I don't go on YouTube much at all, really. Music videos, film trailers, that's pretty much my lot.
     
  4. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I've started watching Youtube a lot, but not for that crowd. I like things like Mustie, who takes engines apart and fixes them whilst explaining it all in great detail and taking the viewers along for the ride. He's awesome, very patient and helpful. I do, however, get really annoyed when all I get is the "glam tech" videos plastered everywhere even though I have clicked the "Not interested" bit. I guess Youtube wants its high earning viewers to basically get more hits and subs because it's all about money.

    Youtube will end up being a victim of its own success IMO. The whole copyright thing is overdone to lunacy levels. Like a couple of weeks back I uploaded a 5 second video of me running the LEDs on my fans and I had my headphones on. The video was removed and I got a strike because you could faintly hear a Beyonce song coming from my headphones. It's a joke. That is why The Verge were able to pull of their childish stunt, because Youtube are gung ho and shoot on sight.

    Then again my nana always said "Never make your living off the backs of others" so I guess it serves them right.
     
  5. The_Crapman

    The_Crapman World's worst stuntman. Lover of bit-tech

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    I watch a lot of pootube on my commute, butni'm quite particular about who I watch and what for. I didn't like Jay too much at first, but could not be more self derogatory if he tried. He constantly admits that he doesn't know everything, or even a lot and strongly advises not to copy anything he does, but to go seek advice from people who really know what they're doing. He also leaves in a lot of mistakes and out takes and that's why I like him. I watch his videos more for the entertainment than anything. If I want factual information I'll come here.
     
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  6. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I got sick of him digressing. Talk about learning a clever word then rinsing the crap out of it.

    No sorry, I really hate to say it but I'm totally sick of American TV.

    Give me a bit of technomoan or ashens any day. Oh and binky too!
     
  7. The_Crapman

    The_Crapman World's worst stuntman. Lover of bit-tech

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    Mmm, he really does like that word, like he got a cack word a day calendar with the same word each day. :hehe:
     
  8. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I do it all the time (like when I speak to myself). But I read about that with autistic people. We learn something new, then totally overdo the crap out of it. But it's almost like he does it to show his faux intelligence? IDK man. I guess Youtube just reminds me how much I don't like being around people for too long. I am also aware of how annoying I can be, which is kinda cool even though most of my inappropriate stuff just happens any way without me being able to control that.

    I've seen plenty of noob mistakes. It was part of our business back in the late 90s, fixing PCs people had buggered. I still think the best was the Nigerian student who could barely speak English who put his motherboard in with bin ties (those twisty tie things) shorted the whole lot out and blew it all up. Things like a post in the wrong place were common too. But I've done daft stuff. I've burned out plenty of computer parts. I just don't think it's cool to then rip on some one. Especially for your own gain. That's like bullying with benefits. Plus we all need to learn somewhere. I mean, at least the PC worked. I saw a dude connect a 12v fan wire to the slave jumper on a CD rom drive once. Caused a terrible fire. The entire IDE cable was burnt to the wires lol.



    In his defence though at least he has not been ripping (not that I've seen any way). But if these are the experts who then (some of them any way) can then take the pee out of other people for doing dumb crap then what sort of teachers are they?
     
  9. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    That's the very problem: if the video was presented as "watch someone who has never built a PC in his life give it a go," then fine. But it wasn't: it was "here is a video showing you how to build a PC."

    Now, I don't know about you, but when I watch a video showing me how to do something I expect the person in said video *to know how to do that something.*
     
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  10. Byron C

    Byron C Multimodder

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    I'm not generally a fan of "tech"/PC channels on YouTube tbh; they're either cringey, sponsored out the wazoo, or just flat out irritating (Linus Tech Tips usually ticks boxes 1 and 2). I'll be honest tho, I've hardly watched any of bit-tech's content :grin:.

    Just to pick up on this bit...

    I did actually follow the iMac Pro stuff when they started posting the followup videos. They fully admitted that it was their fault - their guy buggered it up when re-assembling the machine - but the far more interesting part of that story was Apple's response to them requesting a repair (a repair they were prepared to pay for). TL;DR: Apple basically flat out refused to repair it (even after LTT had said they're prepared to pay for it and acknowledged that this was not a warranty issue); LTT had to employ some "highly unofficial" means of getting replacement parts, and they ended up spending - IIRC - almost as much as the machine cost in the first place just to repair it. All because Apple seemingly hadn't rolled out the repair programme to all stores in time for the product launch. So yeah, they screwed up, but they admitted their screw up and ended up finding out information that's in the public interest.

    The Verge though? That video was full of inaccurate and misleading information and it was right to draw attention to how just how bad it was. Srsly - mount the PSU on the rubber pads or you'll cause a short-circuit? Ehm... what?! This wasn't Johnny Noobface with 12 subscribers, 2 previous videos, grainy video, and poor quality audio - this was a major media organisation with a professional budget producing a well-polished piece of work. In light of their abuse of the copyright takedown system they rightly deserve every single word of bad press that they're getting. Throw them in the stocks and hand me the rotten vegetables (preferably the big flat ones - sh-- wait, that's for stonings, sorry...)
     
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  11. fix-the-spade

    fix-the-spade Multimodder

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    I find the frequency of LTT breaking/dropping/failing with their projects strangely endearing. It's rare to see any channel flat out admit their screw ups.

    As for The Verge, they are surely about ot fire someone. The initial video was (extremely) embarrassing but trying to bury any reference to it by abusing Youtube's take down system is unforgiveable. It wouldn't surprise me if they see some legal blowback from this, Vladimir the one man developer from Yuktobania filing claims against Youtubers he doesn't like is one thing, but these guys have an actual office and business address.
     
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  12. cobalt6700

    cobalt6700 Minimodder

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    The blokes a bloody wizard!

    Can also recommemd AvE if you’ve not seen him - again another honest bloke.
     
  13. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    IDK dude. Getting the name of a couple of parts wrong and building a messy PC is not a crime. Like I say, at least it worked. It's amazing how many people still run cables directly up the motherboard without realising there are holes to do it all through the back. However, a recent experience with a cheaper PSU model caused even me serious issues. firstly the EPS cable would not route around the back as it was too short so the obvious option was to run it across the board. Then the 24 pin was not even long enough to reach the board in any shape or fashion so I had to buy an extension (I ended up making one for the EPS myself). However, generally some one would have just made them fit in the messiest way possible.

    Yes it's not a great video but then 90% of Youtube is like that. I also find it a little upsetting that Jayz now has a video up saying "We need to stand together". What? for bullying and poking fun? It's very ironic this video has been put up for views (and thus, cash) coming from a bloke who drilled holes in a motherboard and blew up an AMD because he did not know what he was doing. Where are the countless videos making fun of him? dragging him over the coals?

    I don't like this "new media" as he calls it movement. It's quite clear these people are not trained professionals. In fact, Jay constantly gets things wrong (which is why I stopped watching his channel). Another example of this was when he used that "tarty" coolant that clogs your pump. Then he had to strip them apart, complaining that the coolant clogged his pumps. Thing is? even at day one Bit Tech were totally on the ball about these cosmetic coolants and warned they would need regular flushing and changing, before pretty much every one condemned them. Yet he went ahead and used it any way.

    I just don't like pack mentality, and this is a clear case of that. I wouldn't even mind if these guys were honest and had some integrity, but they would talk poo to their gran to make a few quid. Hardware reviewers? lmao, yeah, right. They are glorified pretty boy salesmen. "But before that !" yeah, eff off.

    I really don't like the way the world is going. Where we are punished for criticising anything. I also noted this band of merry men all whinging and whining when Rich scored BT a CPU before them and with no NDA all whining that he was damaging the industry /rolls eyes.
     
  14. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    The Verge has issued a 'note' on the issue.
     
  15. The_Crapman

    The_Crapman World's worst stuntman. Lover of bit-tech

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  16. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    The guy who built the machine in the video claimed the criticism came from racists and nerds who were jealous of his PC.

    Yeah, I know.


    BTW, as I understand it, they didn't retract the copyright strikes unbidden - I believe they were given little choice in the matter. Sounds like someone from Youtube finally grew a spine.
     
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  17. Byron C

    Byron C Multimodder

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    I highly doubt it. They could have sorted out these problems a long time ago with more human intervention - same with social media sites - but unfortunately paying human meatbags is more expensive than writing a bot to do it.

    Sorry, I forgot to reply to this. I don't have a problem with ads in principle. However the ad industry in general has done an extremely crappy job of regulating itself. Over the years I can remember: flashing banner ads, flash-based adverts, skimlinks (or similar), undisclosed sponsored content, video ads, auto-playing video ads, ads that block content, interstitial ads that disrupt site navigation, ads that suddenly pop up when you're half-way through reading something and block the content, ads with trackers, ads with javascript, ads that deliver malware, ads that mine crypto, and probably many many more horrible things that I just can't remember right now.

    Over the last few years my policy has been that ads are blocked by default until a site proves to be trustworthy and doesn't use intrusive/abusive ads; because of the way the ad networks work there is nothing to prevent malicious content being bundled with ads that are delivered to sites that I have whitelisted. Not even the sites I trust are entirely safe. I am sick to the back teeth of all the s**t that goes on with ad networks these days, and I am done with jumping through hoops to be accommodating. Once I get my network set up the way I want it, I'm setting up PiHole and all when not on WiFi my phone will be VPN'ed into my home network.
     
  18. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    OMG they played the race card. WTF.

    I've never seen such petulance from so many people. That's a dirty trick though, that.

    Oh well sod it. May as well grab me a bag of popcorn and watch the fireworks.
     
  19. yuusou

    yuusou Multimodder

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    In that "note" the example used as a "death threat" I'm 99% sure the commenter was talking about The Verge / Vox Media as a business and not actually inciting violence.

    I wouldn't put it past people on the internet inciting violence what so ever, but it seems like they just wanted an example with a name.
     
  20. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    So we've got death threats and the race card. Yup, sounds like the Internet alright !
     

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