So let me get this straight.
- Linus screwed over a small two-person startup with his own incompetence by using the product in an unintended way and not using the GPU and instructions which were provided for him.
- Stole their prototype which they needed to develop their product further, even going so far as to sell it at auction.
- Goes on record to say “yes, we screwed up but it would cost $100-$500 to fix it so I’m not going to and no, I’m not apologizing for that”. (That amount of money is chump change to him.)
- Lies about offering to recompense the company. They didn’t do that until after getting called out.
- When he gets criticized for screwing over this company for his own mistakes, rather than owning up he tries to gaslight everybody into think he is somehow the victim?? “Today was so hard bros” oh poor wittle multi-millionaire Linus… I’ll be sure to pray for you while I struggle to pay my rent.
What a fucking piece of shit, fuck him. I hate people like this that simply can’t own up to mistakes and have to deflect all criticism.
It’s not just the Billet Labs thing, GN showed a pattern at LMG of rushing out bad test data and therefore wrong conclusions to keep up the frankly ridiculous volume of videos they put out.
It’s the sort of thing that makes me really, really sad for the people working there. That crazy breakneck pace cannot be good for mental health.
This is the kind of thing a union (which Linus, of course, has said he’s very against) would help with
I kept thinking about that watching GN’s last video and how it’s so perfectly in line with what GN exposed.
Unions, the bane of rich people that take advantage of their workers via positions of power.
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“I like unions, I just don’t think they’re right for my company” is one of the oldest tricks in the anti-union playbook
I like condoms. I looove condoms. I just don’t think they’re right for our relationship
That’s how bosses have to phrase being anti union. “Oh we’re a family here why do you need a union” shit
If a union isn’t needed form one anyway, now you only have to do the contract negotiations once instead of doing the same shtick of “This is the payraise I can offer you, please sign if you are fine with that”. There is literally no downside to having a union anyway if you are of the opinion your employees don’t need one.
Now if you actually think a union would harm you as a business owner that equation changes and you have every incentive to invent reasons why a union is unnecessary anyway and how unions only exist in companies with crap working conditions. (Cannot speak for the US but at least here some of the best companies are well regarded by employees because of the union, not despite of it.)
He’s basically saying the same thing by saying that. Wake the fuck up.
Good ol’ double speak
“We want a business where a union isnt needed” is a massive red flag. Kroger said the same to me at an employee orientation in 2016, at the time their starting pay was 7.75 and working pressures massive, as I’m sure they still are.
You should read Catch 22
Do you honestly think he’d come out directly and say “I’m against unions”? Wouldn’t it be just as easy for him to say “I’m pro union and I’d support my employees if they decide to unionize” if that’s what he believed? C’mon now
They somewhat recently did a “what do lmg employees really think of working here” video, and it seemed like the #1 complaint was the pace. I really hope they take this criticism to heart and just… Slow down for a bit
But they won’t. Cos $$$.
I used to like LTT up until their “Linux Challenge” videos which were just a pain to watch. Shit like this coming from the biggest tech channel on youtube just drives me up the wall.
ohh boy, I almost forgot about that. That was super painful. It’s a website linus, not a file browser.
That bit made me cringe. You go to the file, and can download using the Raw button or using wget. It’s not hard, it’s ignorance.
It also has nothing to do with Linux and everything to do with how Github works. I actually give him a pass on nuking X while installing Steam, that shouldn’t happen(although he did get a nice big warning, but that warning was far from user friendly). But some of the other stuff they ran into was “This doesn’t work exactly like windows, therefore is bad.” type stuff.
How would someone who doesn’t use GitHub or linux know how to do that?
And to prove the point there was a website dedicated to taking GitHub links and turning them into download links.
GitHub shouldn’t be a method of software distribution, but a lot of FOSS devs take the easy way out. Understandably so; they’re volunteering their time. Still, Linus is in a position to show how it works rather than complaining.
I know Linus is more of a hardware guy but c’mon. You learn git freshman year into any Computer Science-related degree. Failing that, 5 seconds of Google or ChatGPT even will set you straight. Maybe it wasn’t intuitive, but I like think the biggest tech youtuber would have knowledge of something so fundamental to his field…
As I recall he was trying to use Linux as if he was a regular non-techy person. So it could make sense for him to do that knowing it’s wrong. (Which wouldn’t apply to “apt install Steam” yes do as I say issue, which a regular user probably wouldn’t have tried and ignored the warning even with jargon there).
I don’t find it completly unbelievable even a techy could make that mistake because they do not use version control software like git.
I really don’t think he was acting or anything. Like someone else said, if he knew how it worked he could have used it as a moment to teach others right? Instead he just completely fumbled everything, said it was set up incorrectly and blamed the website for it. Which given recent events is such a Linus thing to do…
Why would a regular non-techy person need to run GoXLR on Linux
I loved watching him type out “yes I understand the thing that I’m about to do is going to break my computer” and then complain that the thing that he did broke his computer!
Linus shits on entrepreneurship with his continual BS with easily caught bad data. No reputable companies should touch him. Anything he pushes to his viewers should be suspicious. I’ll be wondering how much LMG gets under the table for posting positive reviews.
I’ve seen videos where he’s just basically repeating the script marketing have given him… zero difficult questions. No doubt they’re quite lucrative.
Woah woah woah woah!
I dunno how many times this has to be said!
He didn’t SELL it! He AUCTIONED it!
That’s a distinction that needs to be made!
And it was for CHARITY. Surely that obsolves him right?
I herby start the bidding on LM! Do I hear $500?
Solid summary, yep. I will say though that while I understand your anger and certainly share in your disappointment, Linus has a pretty good (but not spotless, not by a long shot) track record of doing the right thing and being a decent dude, and I think he deserves a bit more grace than the more vitriolic comments have been giving him. Saying he’s a piece of shit is a bit much, in my opinion.
As a long-time viewer, it’s hard to see. I hope he sits and thinks on this whole situation, and comes around to apologise to Billet, to GN, and to the community he spent so long building. In the absence of that, I really hope someone from LMG outlines the steps they’ll take moving forward to address the points raised in the GN videos. I love LMG’s content, it would be a shame to lose them over all this.
I was almost ready to be with you, but after reading the tweet from Madison elsewhere in the thread, Linus is going to have to go above and beyond to fix things.
Link for any wanderers who haven’t seen it yet: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1691693740254228741.html
Oof. I’m glad she finally felt like she could speak out properly. How she was treated is simply awful. At this point I just really hope I’m not wrong about Luke, I like him 😞
See, everything’s really actually tooootally fine and Linus is a totes wonderful dude who runs a happy little family worth a hundred million dollars.
Except his employees endure various forms of abuse and are visibly afraid of him at least some of the time. So much suffering is clearly a price many are willing to accept. Companies drive people to breakdowns and literal suicide and… oh well, I guess? What are people gonna do, think a little? Care a little? Post one tweet (or Xcretion or whatever the fuck) on the way to go buy the latest from a company that just killed someone, or destroyed their mental health and ability to live, or maybe “just” (said very sarcastically) groped them a bit and caused a crapload of undue stress besides? No wonder my mind’s all fucked up: I look at the people around me and few of them would so much as skip a DLC to make this world any better. Everything is fucked and it’s only going to get worse and I feel like I’m gonna implode if I have to see one more comfortable prick explain how his precious fucking rich white guy parasocial pal only accidentally constantly screws people over. He’s really a nice guy, actually! Probably tons of fun to have a beer with! Funny on screen!
What’s some peon’s life, or a dozen, or a hundred or thousand or million of them compared to the complete comfort of someone who’s just such a good ol’ boy?
FWIW, Luke was clearly trying to prod Linus into acknowledging the problem of the “trust me, bro” warranty on the WAN show instead of treating it like a joke. I think he was also making some expressions of dissatisfaction about how that cooler block review was handled, which is a major part of this.
Obviously, there’s only so far he can push things on his employer’s platform. Plus, the two of them have been friends for a long time. But I do wonder if he’s going to break in the not so distant future.
Linus just straight up lied about Billet labs resolution. That alone is horrendous behaviour.
While not being directly related it might be worth noting that a former employee of lmg has now come forward on twitter to describe in gory detail the kind of treatment she received while working there. The culture there sounds utterly disgusting and based on their history it is all extremely believable. Link to the post
This post should be pinned. I went in not liking her because to be she came off on camera as unlikable (giving you this context so you know my mindset going in to the read).
By the end, I was sickened, disgusted and appalled at the treatment she got. I have obviously unsubbed. I was going to wait this out to see how LMG solved this but fuck them. I wish her all the best and as swift a recovery as possible.
The saddest thing is, reading that post, you can tell exactly when she’s quoting linus even when she doesn’t mention him.
Really makes me think they need a union. Also makes me wonder what all Linus learned from this guy who “taught me everything about management” if this is his style of management.
Linus is explicitly anti-union. He’s stated on camera that “if you treat your employees well, you don’t need a union.” All this bullshit coming out proves that’s a fuckin’ lie.
Is Madison the one that became popular in the community after being snarky in a video while they were building a new PC for her? I think I remember her getting a job there afterwards. If I remember correctly, she was really funny.
Is there an archive of the chain somewhere? I dont have twitter/x, and it won’t let me see anything other than the main tweet
Thanks!
I think this reddit post has all of it.
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Basically Madison got misled when getting hired, was expected to do way too much work, was verbally and physically sexually abused, and overall just treated like absolute shit. Not to mention that she was belittled when she complained about it
It’s looking like Linus should have taken that $100 million offer he got and left when he had the chance.
I get that some people like working, and that business founders can be very emotionally invested in their baby.
But to imagine having $100 million waved in my face and saying “nah, I think I’ll just wake up and go to work tomorrow” is crazy to me. But I guess you can’t be a billionaire if you “settle” for nine figures and an absurdly comfortable life with nothing but free time to find new interests and see the world.
I don’t think he works “traditionally” as he is essentially the sole founder and CEO. He’s the centre piece but it’s not like you’re actually “going to work” but rather building something. That doesn’t make the $100 an escape but more as an offer for someone to take what you built all this time and saying later.
A good analogy is walking your dog, that you cherish, and someone offers to buy him right there.
Even if you like working. Taking those $100 million means you and your family will, for generations not have to worry about work. You can take the money and still work like a madman by either making a new venture or doing charity.
But I guess for some people it’s more about the power than the money.
I can imagine it is his dreamjob, in which case what the heck would money matter?
That is quite likely the main reason he refused.
That company is probably worth way more then that. Or at least could be. So if you’re even remotely prideful, you probably think that’s a slap in the face.
I doubt it is worth way more than that now.
Of course, but the offer was prior to the issues coming out.
Linus is always dropping shit, and this is no different.
Also, don’t fuck with tech Jesus
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Wow. When you’re supposed to wait and hear from both sides and this is what comes… Yikes. Went to check and read the whole response and any other replies that might have come from it on their forum and found ~115 pages (oops 2 more while writing this) of discussion after Linus’ post.
All I want is just good hardware reviews, the rest is noise…
All I want is just good hardware reviews
Same. Seems LTT and Short Circuit is out. As demonstrated, they aren’t a reliable source.
Same, that’s why i never liked that twat
I really only ever followed any tech channels for cool videos and news, reviews are nearly pointless to me until I’m trying to actually buy or recommend something.
But outside of an occasional great video or at least great topic (like the 48kW fan), LMG barely offers anything special in that space anymore, despite still being the biggest outlet. GN has news down pat (along with reviews), Storage Review and STH cover enterprise stuff that Linus has only exceeded once with the million dollar (or whatever it was) setup, and plenty of channels do guides.
I’ve never understood the appeal of Linus Tech Tips anyway. Anthony was great but Linus is just terrible as a host. “Oh no, Linux sucks because it is not Windows! Oh no I broke the system because I couldn’t read the text on the screen!”
I feel like the point of that video though was to point out how a common user using linux would just make these kind of mistakes which do happen and are legitimate. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy Linux Mint so much really. Simple to use and not too much of a hassle while also slightly helping you understand some of the easier aspects of Linux.
He’s an idiot. After I saw him installing Linux I was sure about that. What a bozo.
and now there stuf about sexual harasment…
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I agree with Steve on everything, this was a huge blunder and fail in messaging from Linus. But you are supposed to reach out and ask for comment before running a story. I was a news reporter and have a master’s in public relations.
Edit: Called Linus “Linux”
You ask for a comment regarding an accusation, this wasn’t something to get a comment for, it was the details and evidence itself which is not refutable.
If there was a claim against someone of an event that cannot be shown, you would ask them for their version of events, if the news had a clear video of an irrefutable event they would not require comment for what the video itself would clearly demonstrate.
Steve’s video was demonstrable information through explicit evidence, it wasn’t something that a comment would have shed light to as the only appropriate comment that could be made be a public response.
The content of the video could not have been changed and given what was demonstrated, it did not serve the viewerbase to wait for the response of the larger platform with greater reach.
Linus Tech Tips has the reach needed to be seen by at least as many viewers with their response.
Nope. You call them up and go, “This is happening and we’re running a story. Care to comment?” You should even have a list of questions to ask if they agree. They can give you bullshit answers if they want, then you point those out and add that to the story. It doesn’t have to affect the story. Facts are facts, and they can try to explain it away, but can’t. You’re still holding them accountable. You’re just also giving them a chance to apologize or own up to it. And if they dont’ comment, you include that.
Steve and crew are amazing tech journalists. They’re doing great work. But that’s a miss in this whole thing.
Did you watch the video above? Steve spend some time explaining exactly his thoughts behind not reaching out for comments. I think he argues well.
He said that he ‘aggrees with Steve on everything’, so no, he didn’t watch the video lol.
I did watch the video. And I don’t agree with him. He needs to ask for a comment.
Then the literal first sentence of your first comment was a lie.
Thats how I am used to it as well. There is always more than pure facts. And giving the other side a change explain themselves is a part of it.
That’s a courtesy you can extend, but mostly it’s a protection against libel - if they take you to court about a claim they dispute, being able to say “your honor, we gave them a chance to respond before going public”
In this case, there’s no dispute over facts - they didn’t bring up any accusations, they just took what LTT posted publicly and presented criticisms of it
For example, if you report on the president being accused of misconduct you might ask the white house for comment, but if you are criticizing a speech they made or their public actions you probably wouldn’t (unless you think they’ll give you something that improves the story)
But you are supposed to reach out and ask for a comment before running a story.
In certain cases yes. This is not one. What comment could Linus have given that would contextualize the story in such a way to excuse factual information?
Steve was absolutely vindicated in refusing to ask for comment due to Linus’s behavior. Had he asked for comment, Linus would have contacted Billet prior to the release. Instead, Linus makes a statement that heavily (if not outright) implies that had Steve asked for comment he would have context to know that an agreement had been made between LMG/Linus and Billet Labs before the video dropped. Because Steve did not reach out for comment we now know that this was a lie or an attempt to obfuscate the truth.
If you are extolling factual information you do not owe the subject a comment. If your work could be damaged (see above) by doing so you do not owe the subject a comment. If a person has already commented publicly you do not owe the subject a comment.
Steve reported objectively factual information that cannot be excused with any context. The story that was written at the time would have been damaged had he asked for comment. Linus has a public presence and has made his feelings known about previous scandals before, and his actual response was entirely telegraphed in tone, if not also content, by long time viewers.
There is not some ethics masterclass that would have come to the conclusion that Steve violated journalistic integrity by running this story without comment from Linus. You may not like it, but you’re also not some ethics in journalism arbiter.
I agree it’s generally good practice to ask the subject for comment, and Steve seems to know that because he explains at length why he didn’t here. I criticized him for this when the last video came out, but I thought his explanation in this new video for why he didn’t contact Linus first is pretty good; I’m not sure why you’re being downvoted here, but since you are a former reporter I’d be interested in hearing specifics on why you disagree with it.
Yea, I think that and a few other nitpicky things are the only flaws in GN’s argument. Otherwise, the testing results and Billet’s response speaks for itself. LTT is going too loose and fast and while that’s bad, it’s understandable if you’re a fledging company. That’s all LTT had to point out. And instead of being humble and retrospective they put out this PR nightmare of a response.
I used to be a regular watcher of LTT, but really noticed their latest videos have declined in quality and it’s apparent that they’re just pumping out as much videos as possible.
Oof.
So annoying how all good tech channels now lean on drama and sensationalism to get more engagement.
Digital Foundry seems to be the last one where people are level-headed.
I didn’t find this to be overly dramatic or sensationalized. I enjoy knowing when one of the people I regularly watch are in fact assholes. Note, he didn’t say they were assholes. He merely repeated what they did and called out issues. He said he wouldn’t be covering the channel anymore after their response. Just decent journalism in my opinion.
Yea, but ever since Nexus started doing their “investigations”, so much of their content looks like cable news. They now jump on all opportunities to drum up more drama.
How dare Gamer’s Nexus…point out lies and widespread problems at LTT with Nexus backing every claim with evidence. The real issue is reporting on the issues!
If you’re more concerned with the muckrakers than the muck idk what to tell you
LMG has a lot of issues. Clickbait, and now this.
I hope the new CEO will intervene sooner or later, although a lot of CEOs only exist as de-facto mascots.
I’m not sure the new CEO has any actual power when it comes to reining Linus in.
Yeah, Linus admitted that himself. He still owns the majority, and Yvonne owns the rest. The CEO really can’t actually do anything that Linus doesn’t want, he’s just a figurehead and businessman there to keep Linus from being forced into the office and off the camera.
So a yet another puppet CEO, just like the in Twitter… oh sorry, X.
No they don’t. Go take a look at their list of videos. You have to scroll for a while to find any of the ones you consider drama.
They came from a tech journalist forum before doing reviews, covering bad practices in the industry, most notoriously MSI, and Linus being the face of PC hardware with so many inaccuracies is just another topic.
Yes, facts are drama, for sure.
Understandable, but I think many people (including me) are fine with a little drama every once in a while as long as it’s warranted and doesn’t damage the substance of the content. Unnecessary drama can certainly be a problem, but unnecessarily making dramatic things boring is not necessarily the solution.
I can agree with that. It may be that ever since I no longer subscribe to the tech elite (LTT, MKBHD, Nexus, Jays2Cents, etc) - I only come across their content when there is drama!
