According to Billet themselves, they heard nothing about compensation or payback until about 3 hours after the original GN video went live… Which Billet hadnt even replied to before Linus made his post saying they’ve already made the deal on compensation.

  • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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    11 months ago

    I’ve enjoyed LTT for a long time. The quality definitely went down, which I had chalked up to growing pains.

    But this is different. This is an absolute loss of trust from me, especially the response Linus posted. What a shame.

    GN has another subscriber, though.

  • OonTaaKissa@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    This response has made me lose so much respect for LTT. Linus really needs to learn when to shut up and stop digging himself into these holes. He could have just apologized, compensated Billet properly and worked on fixing whatever communication issues his team has, but instead he wrote a long non-apology where he deflected blame, tripled down on the Billet situation and just straight up lied about compensating them. Very scummy behaviour from Linus.

    • Dubious_Fart@lemmy.mlOP
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      11 months ago

      Linus is a narcissist.

      Narcissists have to prove how wrong everyone else was.

      They have to control the narrative.

      And when all else fails, they have to make themselves look like the victim, so they get all the positive attention.

      Thats why he cant shut up, and always doubles down to make everything worse.

      • ConsistentAlgae@reddthat.com
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        11 months ago

        I’m not either for narcissistic behavior or ADHD being the cause.

        I have several TBIs (traumatic brain induries) and I act like he does sometimes. Most of the time I can catch myself but everyone once in a while I’ll go into full “you’re all wrong, I’m right and stop hating on me” mode even when I am wrong. But I always admit I’m wrong afterwards.

        It’s a maturity and, hate to say it, grace thing. Even when you mess up this bad, and then do it again, and then a third time, you have to step up and admit you made a mistake.

        I have brain damage and I can do it. It’s just learning how to do it. Making that effort. I don’t think he knows how to do it or has never fucked up bad enough to want to learn how to admit to mistakes, or the reactions have never been negative enough for him to own up to it.

        Either way - he messed up and should sit and think about it before doing anything else. He didn’t do that and it’s going to cost him. Maybe not a lot but something.

          • ConsistentAlgae@reddthat.com
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            11 months ago

            Could be. Just trying to empathize with it is all. I get making decisions on emotion and it biting you in the ass, I’m just wondering has he ever tried to learn from being bit.

    • CoderKat@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Yeah, apologizing, paying Billet, and promising to slow down to improve quality would have been the perfect response. That would have been enough to keep me watching. But with the way he responded instead, I unsubbed and will avoid their videos, because he’s made it clear he can’t be trusted and doesn’t deserve my money.

      And I was the perfect kind of viewer. I have money, have bought things from YouTube sponsorships, have Patreoned people, and I’ve actually been considering buying stuff from LTT’s store for a while (the only thing that stopped me was that their best shirts were sold out).

      I suspect that for the most part, the kinds of people who would pay to support otherwise free content are those who are more informed and also care highly about the quality of what they pay for. The only reason I Patreon to stuff is because the creator has high quality and good ethics. I’m not gonna give money for no reason to someone who can’t be bothered to act ethically.

    • Awe@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      While this definitely wasn’t an okay response, I still prefer this transparency over every single response having to go through a filter/PR representative. At least we are closer to knowing what he is actually thinking.

      Is this the straw that leads to LTT going full corporate mode?

  • net00@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    Money and fame went to linus’ head, didn’t think it would happen considering they preach to be transparent but here it is.

    If only that bald guy at LTT would have kept his mouth shut about how their testing was better than GN/Hardware Unboxed, all this drama wouldn’t have blown up on ltt’s face LMFAO

    • Lazz45@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      I straight up had the shocked Pikachu face when he said that. Being someone with a background in chemistry, I love the level of care GN puts into their testing. To have an LTT employeee be so fucking brazen with how they shit on someone WHO DOES IT RIGHT made me unsub right then and there. Linus’ reaction only made me feel even more secure in my choice.

    • CeeBee@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If only that bald guy at LTT would have kept his mouth shut

      Do you happen to have a link to that video? I unsubbed from these clowns a long time ago, so I have no clue where I would even find it. I’m curious to see that clip now.

  • Vlyn@lemmy.zip
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    11 months ago

    The quality was already going down, but now I’m unsubbed and I’ll never click on a LTT video again. Sorry, but this behavior is just unacceptable.

    “We didn’t sell it, we auctioned it”, Jesus H. fucking Christ.

    • Ryumast3r@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      GN also literally said “auction” not “sold” in his first video, so Linus’s response was doubly stupid.

      • Vlyn@lemmy.zip
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        11 months ago

        It doesn’t even matter. An auction is selling too, same thing. If I put my stuff on eBay and someone buys it I don’t say I “auctioned it off”, I say “I sold it to some guy on eBay”. It’s just fixed price vs a bidding, in the end a price gets reached and a transaction occurs.

        Linus can’t seem to take the L and just digs the grave deeper. Unfortunately at this point LTT is too big to fail, but I hope it puts a dent in their numbers and makes them eat some humble pie. Maybe they can fix their internal issues then.

        • Nefyedardu@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          Linus’s brain simply cannot accept he did something wrong, so the cognitive dissonance forces him to make these great leaps of logic. He could have ended everything with a simple “I’m sorry, we’ll correct this” but his ego would never allow it.

        • Ryumast3r@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          I mean I completely agree with you in that the semantic bullshit is bullshit, my point was that Linus wasn’t even correct in his attempt at BS because GN didn’t use the word “sold”. GN used the same word that Linus is attempting to say is totally different.

          • SugaredScoundrel@sh.itjust.works
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            11 months ago

            Linus used the semantics that it sold for “charity” ie. “We didn’t sell it for money for us! We sold it for someone else’s benefit!”

      • phillaholic@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        He admits he doesn’t watch videos but instead reads the comments. Commenters often oversimplify things like this.

      • Clav64@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        I’m going to borrow things “to try” from my friends house, say they sucked, and then sell them on eBay.

        I’ll just say I auctioned them.

        GOT EM.

  • Clav64@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    If now was a time to bring in a full time CEO and relegate Linus into “creative director”, or whatever title he wants to give himself, now is that time.

    GN has simply pulled back the curtain to show another corporation who put their bottom line before their viewers. And his response only shows this even further.

    Truly disappointed by the whole debacle.

  • OtakuAltair@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    …Yeah that’s enough.

    Blatantly, and knowingly, lying (let’s not pretend that wasn’t the intention) about his compensation to billet is too much. No excuses for that.

    • 4am@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      You know what really sucks? Owning their stuff. I got the screwdriver (it’s pretty nice). I’m drinking from one of the water bottles right now (it’s also pretty nice).

      How am I supposed to go on using that shit? I can’t do it in front of anyone who knows. “Oh you like that LTT stuff? You know what they did right?”

      All that goodwill flushed because of ego. All that cost, sunk. And the worst part is that this discourages me from buying merch from anyone else again, lest I get burned again someday when it comes out they too are the opposite of the image they portray for money.

      I guess there truly is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

      • clegko@kbin.social
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        11 months ago

        Or… just don’t give a fuck and reply with “Bought it before the shennanigans, bro. Not gonna toss it.”

        • 4am@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Yeah, I suppose I’m not going to actually give a shit. Still feels bad, man.

          • BlueSquid0741@lemmy.sdf.org
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            11 months ago

            I used a Tek Syndicate mug up until a few months ago from way back when Logan was still cool. It was a sweet mug regardless.

      • MrFunnyMoustache@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        I’ve been eyeing their screwdriver for a while, but I don’t want to give Linus my money after seeing this… Wanna sell it to me? I don’t care if it has any minor damage from regular use.

        Edit: After the whole Madison thing, it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth… Nevermind the screwdriver, I’ll just buy a megapro or something…

        • 4am@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          ….uhhhhh

          (Lol nah thankfully I never went that far)

  • Syo@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    LTT has grown to the point they can not act as equal to any small time team or start up. Linus decision has consequence larger than he can afford by pretending “I’m just another tech youtuber”. With 100+ employee, and far outsized influence in tech, LTT must be professional in their decisions.

  • Skimmer@lemmy.zip
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    11 months ago

    So incredibly disappointing, I thought Linus was smart, but instead of just owning up to his mistakes and making a proper apology, he just doubled down and dug his own grave even further. If he had just apologized and explained how he would do better and make things right, and how he would prevent these mistakes from happening again, I’m sure a lot of people would’ve gave him another chance, but he really showed him and his company’s true colors.

    This is very sad to see, I was definitely a fan of LTT and enjoyed their videos, I watched and supported them for years, but now I’ll no longer be watching or trusting them after this. Its heartbreaking.

      • TehPers@beehaw.org
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        11 months ago

        Half the time, I’m watching WAN show for Luke. He’s really the star of the show. Without him, I think it would be a lot different.

    • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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      11 months ago

      The apparent transparency was something that stood out to me as a major respectable plus of the channel. These actions and responses are not at all in line with my understanding of the channel, and I’m mostly just sad. If I dont trust the content, I won’t watch. I just wish Linus in particular had stepped back to realize what he was throwing away.

    • cloudpunk@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Yeah he really just needed take the L and say we’re taking measures to correct past mistakes (and having a new CEO will help). I think that would have been an easy reply to all of this.

  • driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br
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    11 months ago

    People here acting surprised as Linus like hw didn’t do the same years ago with the crappy merchandise without warranties that he sold and double down about how everyone was wrong and he was right.

  • JimmyMcGill@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    GN absolutely destroys Linus in this video. I mean Linus gave him all the ammo by repeatedly lying and not owning up his mistakes, but still. He’s calling like it is, without any sugarcoating.

    I did change my sub from LTT to GN.

    • Dubious_Fart@lemmy.mlOP
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      11 months ago

      Nah.

      GN didnt destroy Linus.

      GN just assembled everything into a easily digestable package.

      It was Linus’s Ego that destroyed Linus.

  • salton@reddthat.com
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    11 months ago

    I may just be emotionally distanced enough from the channel to feel this way but I feel like this just isn’t that big of a deal. At worst everything seems like negligence and/or incompetence and I don’t see his main audience caring unless they already have a few bones to pick with Linus personally like a lot of people in these comments seem to.

    • phillaholic@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      The cover up is worse than the crime. Being wrong like that is bad, but it’s fixable and understandable the way the company is growing. Selling the prototype is a huge deal, both ethically and for future collaborations. But his statement after the fact stopped me from re-subbing to Floatplane. The response pissed me off.

    • Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      Occasional inaccuracies/mistakes are to be expected and are excusable; but a regular and consistent pattern of these mistakes bridges the gap to willful, almost intentional, negligence.

      That is not ok. (and is a huge part of why I don’t regularly watch LTT anymore.)

      LTT has chosen to focus on quantity instead of quality, so much so that the quality has slipped well below what many find useful/helpful. Having lots of content isn’t beneficial if none of that content holds any value so far fewer people want to watch it.

      I think pretty much any creator can agree 1 banger video with 100m views is far better than producing 100videos each only getting 1m.

      Put more effort into quality; then reaching that self-imposed weekly video count won’t be so important to the bottom line.

  • Potatofish@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    Unsubscribe from both and watch the may alternatives, or sit here and whine about it? Which team are you on? Pathetic.