Patrons Only - October Update Video

Oh man. I walked out of the room when he was talking about Twitter, and I walked back in (coffee in hand) and the first thing I heard was "My new album is coming out on Monday." For a confusing moment I thought TechMoan was REALLY diversifying. Just saying, if Techmoan really did have an album out, I'd absolutely buy it, even though I'm sure I wouldn't have the equipment to play it.

i absolutely hate the Ebay Global Shipping program its just a cash grab by eBay and Pitney Bowes. i always ask sellers to turn it off when i order from the US. Damaged and more expensive shipping. had a item sealed in its original box from the seller but came to me without the original box in pieces and missing major parts. so i just refuse to use the program

These videos are great, Mat... Like having a coffee (or a tea) with an interesting friend. Add me to the list of people that would like to see you work on some of this equipment, even if you can't fix it. One of the reasons I love your site is getting the chance to see inside of complex devices that I would not be brave enough to take apart myself. Perhaps you could still post the video, and add a warning to keep the trolls away? (BTW, sorry for the late comment- I've been on vacation (holiday.))

I LOVE when you take things apart. I dosent matter if you fix it or not. So thumbs up for your idea releasing videos that dosent always relsut in fixing the machine. :-)

Your theory on conspiracy theorists (meta) is spot on. Those I know who forward emails or bogus Youtube video with robot narration eschew the obvious and clear culprits every time. Honestly, I'm surprised that the video clarity isn't *better* on Vinyl Video as LP's have the capacity for 20hz to 30,000+hz signals and a good dynamic range too. I remember watching grainy color videos over a 56k modem and there's no lower-fidelity medium around than a phone line, so I'd submit that there's great room for fidelity improvement on the data compression they used. Also: thanks for putting these bonus videos out there, your sincerity is appreciated!

I always take notice of sponsored videos - of course a reviewer may be more disposed to a product that they haven’t paid for, indeed I would expect them to be as it ensures continuity of product. Put are consumers that thick? We’ve had teleshoping channels for 15+ years which use the medium to promote sales - do folk expect these to be impartial? Surely not! Mat’s robot was Bank on the line - I have a loft full of things I should never have bought, I use it as my constant reminder to be pragmatic and realistic. If it doesn’t deliver the dream, if’s nobody’s fault but mine!

Regarding Lew from UnboxTherapy, it's a YouTube algorithm thing. Linus from LinusTechNews does the same, as do many others, Philip Defranco, Good Mythical Morning (Rhett and Link), etc. It was a recent change (within the last year or so) where the featured videos from certain channels do better when the main subject of the channel is actually featured in the thumbnail. *shrug* I don't know why they made that change, but as soon as word got out that it made a difference, EVERYBODY does now. *shrug* I don't get it either.

Do you think the VinylVideo signal is similar to the recordings made on a Fisher-Price Compact Cassette Camcorder from the early 90s? The video quality looks very similar to my eyes.

So, people are moaning that you, on a channel called Techmoan, are moaning too much, even though you were no,t in fact, moaning? Odd.

People do say the strangest things. I lost my sense of smell after a brain injury. Sometimes people will say "oh you're lucky because you don't have to smell (insert unpleasant smelling thing)" and I just say "no, how is that lucky? I'd rather be able to smell farts, rotting food, unclean toilets etc if I can also smell the things I like". You wouldn't tell a blind person they are lucky because they don't have to look at ugly things. Its surprising how many people really don't think before they say something. Regarding failed repair videos. Do you think that could be something you could use for Patreon exclusives? I think we'd be a bit more accepting of you saying "I tried but failed to get it to work" than you're normal Youtube viewers.

If you really hate the thumbnail choices, just cut off a frame of the video and upload a custom one. That said, as this is exclusive, it might not be worth the time; I don't care much about thumbnails. Speaking of which, I know of a very old YouTuber (lonelygirl15) that reverse-engineered YouTube's thumbnail algorithm at the time to change the frame at the right moment.

At last, an ethical tech reviewer. Well, one of several in a sea of the other kind. I would stand in line, in the rain, to see this. And maybe we can figure out how to salvage those incomplete fixit jobs into a useful form. I'm sure there is an audience for that.

I loved your Anki video and given everyone else fawning over it, and some doing so without _clearly_ disclosing it was sponsored, reveals the true lack of credibility of most other reviewers. Keep up the good work and thanks for making these videos.

so basically some chap in shipping liked your laptop so much he bought it off you. gotcha

It is hard to express certain things over text...unless you are a pro writer... but I don't think people feel bad for you, they are just projecting their own feelings over the event, and what would comfort them... and yes a lot of keyboard bullies hiding behind screens...

Your comments about people rudely mentioning a disability reminded me of something my dad did once. He only has nine fingers, and one time at a store the clerk asked, "What happened to your finger?" He looked down, and said in a loud scream "OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FINGER!?"

Really great chat, Mat - like having a cup of coffee and a biscuit with a friend. I do enjoy these informal talks to camera! It really is like catching up with a friend. But could we have Hob Nobs next time, please? I understand why you decided not to review the levitating turntable, and I completely appreciate the price alone puts it out of range, but in general, just because other people review things shouldn't of itself put you off doing a review too. I saw the mag-lev turntable review you referred to and found it very disappointing and uninformative, whereas when you review things, you nearly always do it from the perspective of the middle-aged bloke who like to tinker a bit and understand how things work, as opposed to the baseball cap wearing reviewer with a beard and tattoos who appeals to a completely different demographic. I mean, how many iron nails can you put under the platter before the magnetic field is disrupted? We need to know! I also follow the 8 Bit Guy (I managed to refurbish the extractor fan vent in our bathroom using his peroxide method for bleaching computer cases!) and also enjoy Technology Connections as he often covers the more difficult technical explanations behind the devices you show - not that I understand much of it. Like you, I just can't get to grips with Twitter, although I have a tenuous grip on Facebook, which my daughter assures me is only used by 'old people'. It is interesting to read the You Tube comments and see how few exchanges, even on a purely technical matter, it takes to descend into hostilities. I have no problem at all with repair videos that are not successful - frankly that mirrors my own experience of trying to fix complicated things, although I did manage to change the grill element in the electric oven by following a You Tube video last week. 5 screws and four wires - about my limit, I think. Thanks for the call-out - and you did pronounce my name right in the end, so thanks for that! Please keep up the good work and give Gromit a pat from me. Thanks and keep up the good work!

Actually, Linus Tech Tips had some useful insights about those lame thumbnails: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzRGBAUz5mA" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzRGBAUz5mA</a>

Something else I wanted to mention: only a few weeks ago several Chinese companies contacted me about doing "on-spec" reviews, as a result of reviews I did for stuff I bought myself. That was a new experience for me! One company wanted me to review a microphone for the iPhone. I thought, hey why not - free gear, right? Well... turns out the mic sucked, at least in my opinion, and I didn't feel comfortable posting a 2-star review, because the gadget was my "payment" for looking at this thing in the first place. I ended up sending it back, having spent a lot of time and effort on shooting footage, editing and writing about it, with nothing to show for it at the end. That taught me a lesson: never agree to review something that you don't want to own. I found it so refreshing what you mentioned about the Anki Vector, turning down the free offer. You buy it, you say what you want about it. That's what makes an authentic voice - and at the end of the day, that's why we watch you. I for one won't accept free gear anymore unless I'm pretty sure it's good gear that I can use. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Perhaps you could release the attempted fixes as Patreon-only videos if it happens to not work out. At least you don't have to "discard" what you already recorded. I'd watch that =)

Excellent insights, very inspiring. Thank you, Mat! I agree about the new type of video, call it the "failed projects" category. I think there's an audience for it - I mean, we'd probably watch it :-) It's just a fact of life that not all projects come to a happy end. I remember seeing a spy/keyfob camera review of yours, around 2010 I guess it must have been, in which you managed to brick a unit and showed it ending up in the bin. I loved that! It's just what happens sometimes. Perhaps those unsuccessful projects would be something for a "Techmoan 2" channel or the Patreon feed?

I feel like I want to do a take apart video where the components are hopelessly trashed, make up some repair story and cut to a different, working machine. Maybe not, I'd probably be killed in my sleep.

Nice one again Mat. Haha, guilty of the "Have you seen this" messages. Always enjoy your videos, I think because they are honnest and personal. That is what I also like about LGR. Not so many youtubers like that. The sponsored videos are a problem, I had a talk with my 10 y.o. last week about it becuase she always want everything her youtube stars promote. I pointed out that most of the stuff was sponsored and that it is just one big commercial that she is watching, this is something that concerns me as a parent so I wish there would be more techmoans around...

The problem with the Macintosh might be just the battery. I use the global shipping program almost weekly and if there is a battery in the machine, the global shipping program might reject it, as batteries are now only allowed as carry on, or specially packed on the plane. It happened also with a cleaning dcc cassette, that still had the cleaning fluid (alcohol). The buyer received a refund, but I could not get it back. Such a shame as it was so rare.

Hi Mat, nice overview to watch. Glad to have just stolen the 500th spot for name in the credits which seems to have only just come available; hopefully I'll help fund some tea or other essentials! It seems a massive shame to let the videos of stuff you can't get working go to waste, really, maybe it'd be an idea to showcase some of those as a compilation, as I'm sure I'd not be the only one to appreciate interesting retro tech in whatever state it's in. As a whole, I must say your channel has been really interesting for me being quite young and discovering lots of interesting and quirky technical masterpieces. Thanks for the great content! -Conn

Mat, my wife has been a type 1 diabetic for 40 years and was interested in your Freestyle Libre review. How are you finding it? some of her friends who had it thought it wasn't very accurate (accepting that you still need to use test strips). I can't believe how level headed you are as demonstrated in your chat, but maybe thats a bit of a northern trait, the wife comes from Yorkshire.

Thanks Mat. I really enjoy your content. I have medical issues too. I'm an insulin addict (Type 1) and really liked your meter reviews. There's a load I'd like to say - I'll keep it short though. I don't mind if you get something and it won't work. You may wish to make some pretty short Patreon 'I got this but it won't go - any ideas?' type videos. Somebody might be able to offer assistance. I'm experienced in electronics and if I lived closer I'd love to help out. Perhaps one day you would let me treat you to lunch out somewhere in your town as a thank you. Best wishes.

PS I'm tempted to become an anti-troll troll based on what some folk have taken the time to type to you. But then I recall that there are a lot of weird folk out there who see the world in a very different way to me but now have the stupendous, webulous internet to share their psychosis with. And with that he was gone

Excellent video Mr Techmoan (may I call you Matt?). Many thanks for sharing, I can relate to so much of it. And yes I watched it all the way through 10 hours ago while lounging on my bed with a warm, soft ginger Labrador. She would comment as well if she wasn't asleep. Why am I a Patreon? Because you show me things I have never seen or heard of before. I also lived through that era in the UK and I missed some of the things you pop up with. And I get to see bits of Liverpool, your house and your garden (and your garage!) that I will probably never see any other way. And then like Big Clive, you also have a voice which is a pleasure to listen to (faint Liverpudlian accent??).

Yep, keep making these videos, they're down to earth and personal, not like you're talking to millions of people in general. You will always pay some kind of price for being honest, sincere, logical and sensible, as there are way too many people who don't like thinking that way, and are unfortunately quite vocal. Keep the ship on course!

Thanks for the video. This is something that proves that even $1 on here is worthwhile to spend for a trade. If I remember correctly, the Mac Portable had a lead acid battery like a car has so policies about lithium batteries etc don't apply. Probably has its own set of shipping requirements and would definitely have saved on weight if it had been removed. I always blamed the voice on the whole "being British" angle :P So its interesting to hear that not everything can be blamed on that :P I'm more frustrated about the techmoan effect you mentioned ages ago since the PS-F9 will forever be out of my price range at this rate. It's really too slick a record player and I'd love to hang it on a wall as part of my system when I do sit down to listen to records as the aesthetic is purely the reason I listen to records when they all have download codes nowadays.

As I recall the original Mac Portable has a lead-acid battery, not a LiIon battery . I suspect that might be the cause of the shipping problem. We had a couple at work back in the day. They are massive, but cool in a retro way. One feature is that the keyboard and trackball unplug and can be swapped over for left-handers.

Do you get random things send to you? I understand that 8-bit guy sometimes gets unsolicited things send to him by random people.

Matt, make these types of video as often as you like.

Clearly your thumbnail for the video is at 28:00. Thoroughly enjoyed watching/listening to that.

I almost pissed myself laughing at that Gentoo thing! I am a Linux guy and I wouldn't mind if you had made it!

I think the whole point of you buying things allows you to be impartial - vs the sponsor driving an advert, essentially. This is the same as DC Rainmaker does with all the sports tech he reviews.

Oh my, going to be lots of comments on this one. First, thanks. I feel like a friend has been telling me about their week. Second, the GSP lost a vintage box set of Time Life Science Library books from the 1960s that I bought on eBay. Lost forever, sadly. All because the wrong label went on the box in Erlanger. Not buying anything from the US on eBay as a result. Greeting from Down Under!

The Global Shipping program is a DISASTER! - They hold back vacuum tubes, Nixie tubes and the like, and they "dispose" of them for destruction. Some really rare and vintage stuff ended their way like that - stupid and senseless. I can only tell people to avoid using GSP at all cost!

As a few mentioned before, I too find the more intimate tone of these videos really interesting for many reasons, so please keep the blathers comin'! And I'm always particularly fascinated by the type of human interactions you've had to deal with because of this channel --I cannot imagine the amount of crap your brain must have learnt to filter out from comments, and how annoying the first ones might have been too, until you presumably understood that there are many idiots out there! I love that this forum has become a somewhat safe environment to chat and discuss your videos and much more, wish I'd joined Patreon earlier!

My Twitter experience is quite like yours... I just use it to post links to new posts on my website and prevented to use someone else my brand.

I can only say, "Cracking Video Grommit" :)

Oops, I didn't even notice that the voice that instantly endeared me a year ago, is coloured by a dissability. No doubt it's a burden for the speaker, but not for this listener.

I think you are right about Twitter. It doesn't work as a normal human interaction. But I liked you tweets.

At this point all I use Twitter for is complaining about trains when I'm commuting. Facebook mostly gets used for co-ordinating meet-ups with friends.

Matt, your right about the power of positivity... as far as eBay goes I had a very similar situation happen when i sold a Sony TC-d5 Pro to a chap in the UK, item was flagged as return to sender, and I received a vague message From eBay, and the item was never seen again

This is fine! Wallace & Gromit is really good, after all!

Mat, I really appreciated what you had to say about positivity. I make your videos a part of my life in large part because your positive tone and your sense of humor always puts me in a good mood, which is just as important as the fact that I am fascinated by the subject matter. I hope you realize how much what you’ve created and continue to create means to so many of us. Also, you’re an inspiration to me because honestly, I think my ideal life would look just like what you show us. Exploring the things you’re interested in, learning, and sharing it with others. (Of course I know you’ve got challenges too and it’s probably not all hi-fis, dashcams and laserdiscs!) Anyway all this to say thank you so much for being who you are and choosing to share all this with the world, making it a more interesting, appreciative, curious, and happy place.

I don’t think a “mystery outcome” video will fly with the public — the hero story is very ingrained. But I do watch lots of project/tear down type videos where the presenter is very upfront that they didn’t get it working, but have taken it apart on video so you can see how it’s supposed to work. EEVblog does a bunch of these. But also other old tech repair channels will often show their progress. You might need to put it on another YouTube channel to make it work. “Techmoan Teardowns” maybe? Ewen

28:00 ROFL. Looks so funny when paused. But yes, presenting stuff always like this makes it kinda boring.

I am pretty sad that you deactivated Patreon. Anyway... There is a Mrs Techmoan on it now (4 Tweets only)

Very nice vid. Thanks for the interesting stories and a few good chuckles!

Lol@all the goons fluffing up the anki robot haha

Nice update Mat. Glad to hear you are paring down social media activities and focusing on what your core audience wants. For example the recent V2000 video very enjoyable and nostalgic - and clearly a major undertaking for you. I enjoy the repair sections of the videos and like to think that I still would even if ultimately no fix. The historical context around the products you show is a major differentiator too. Like many others I support LGR and 8bit guy too - it is enjoyable to see you guys collaborate from time to time. Reckon a Christmas special of you guys just talkng about stuff on Skype would go over well!

Totally with you on social networking. Too often people want to argue down an opinion (??) treating it as fact. That and the fact it's very depressing posting something you put some effort or research into to then see someone sharing a photo of a cake they bought being mass reposted?? It's always nice to browse the smart well written comments on here Vs. the ones when the video goes public. And as we get these great "catchup" vids to right the world a little bit, that's even nicer still :-)

Well, you don't need sympathy or advice. So I'll just say that the star of each video you make isn't the gear you're showing off...it's your point of view. There are tech YouTubers who could be unboxing the Ark of the Covenant and they wouldn't be more interesting than a video of you wrestling with a broken Walkman.

Yes, mystery videos, please! I really like your videos as they are! They're always fun and informative, while being chill. :) Your description of 4chan is right on. ;)

Haters. Gonna. Hate.

Could the "mystery videos" succeed on a second channel so the expectation is set in advance? I'd be quite interested in seeing those, and I'm sure many others would too!

I feel like EEVBlog does videos on things he doesn't fix all the time. He calls them "tear-downs".

I'm an old guy now, 64, and have never been able to figure out why people do these weird, unthinking, oddball things and go off half cocked at the slightest thing. However, I just reread Candide and Zadig, and if Voltaire couldn't figure out why things happen and why people act like they do....then I don't feel so bad that I haven't been able to understand it. Perhaps it's just the way their brains are wired, who knows? I have learned that it really is a fool's game to spend too much time thinking about it; best to just carry on with the things that I enjoy in life and leave all that other stuff to the couch doctors.

Recently I read on the DHL website (or one of this popular ones) something about not shipping electronics that have a removable battery

and by "informed I mean having the shipping company forced me to make adjustments before they would allow it. I've shipped to the phillipines, norway and germany and it was this case for all of them.

not sure if anyone explained this already but I have been informed there are regulations with some international shipping companies in regards to batteries. Laptops and devices with batteries should be shipped with the battery OUT of the device. they will not let a device onto the plane with the battery in due to the possibility of it exploding in the cargo hold and compromising or causing an internal firee. You mentioned he said it needed a new battery, which sounds like it HAD one and was likely left in the unit? I guess batteries out and not in use are ok though.

I remember your puppet video about click-baity YouTube thumbnails, and I was (and continue to be) so happy someone else sees this trend and find it off-putting! I also really like your idea about videos that don't necessarily end with success! Another YouTuber, druaga1, does this quite well with his attempts to install weird operating systems on even weirder devices (iOS on a Pentium II or similar). It usually doesn't work out too well, but it's a fascinating ride. I think if you did something similar, it would be well received by your fans. We like you, your presentation, and the weird things you find. If it ends up completely working, that's an "ancillary plus" in my book.

I quite agree, Mat, your channel isn't like Linus' or the Unboxing guy. That's why I support you and not them. Don't change a thing, and ignore the peanut gallery.

Nice Blather Mat. I like your honest videos over the other tech blogs. I don't know of you follow AVE or have seen his videos,bit he does a lot of tool teardowns, but always buys the item himself, so he does not have to be held to the sponsor, and can be honest about them. As for a video series of stuff you tried to fix but could not, I love the journey, not so much the destination. Hope you could consider doing some. Maybe you could do them as patreon exclusive. Someone may have some insight on how to fix it and you end up with the ability to retool the video with it working in the end, for the "normal" YouTube viewer that hates cliff hangers.

1] People dislike the content of TV, and barring commercials, not the structure (mentioned in the video at <a href="https://youtu.be/lnobtl4F61k?t=2183)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lnobtl4F61k?t=2183)</a> 2] There are a limited number of story formats that are generally pleasurable to a human brain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots</a> 3] Here is the format for a memorable story, from the book Made to Stick <a href="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/successmodel-12724888979287-phpapp01/95/success-model-1-728.jpg?cb=1272470982" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://image.slidesharecdn.com/successmodel-12724888979287-phpapp01/95/success-model-1-728.jpg?cb=1272470982</a>

New iPads coming in 12 days :)

"I can fix something if it's something obvious that's broken" ... Mat ... that puts you ahead of 99.99% of people! I like your idea about a video that builds and builds but doesn't climax. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I like the idea of a video where you go into it and don't end up fixing it or making it work. Maybe it's a way to include the "moan" part of Techmoan. You might be able to avoid some (not all ... never all) of the negativity if the fact that the item doesn't end up working is clear from the beginning. Maybe have the intro done by one of the Moans. Or call it the "Flippin 'eck" series or something. I'd like to see one myself. Maybe do a short one and post here and see what The Faithful think?

That global shipping program nonsense... Just wtf. I've had some bizarre problems with it in the past but that takes the cake.

If your videos are chirpy and positive, and your demographics must be overwhelmingly male (A/V magazines were generally 95% male), and Twitter is negative and political, and feminine (<a href="https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/11/men-women-twitter-differences-gender/women-use-twitter-more-than-men)...." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/11/men-women-twitter-differences-gender/women-use-twitter-more-than-men)....</a> surely it would be of no benefit to you.

The following video explains why Twitter is a female and negative phenomenon: The Hive Mind <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNLNzoogBKU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNLNzoogBKU</a>

The following video explains why men like YouTube and not Twitter and Facebook: The Riddle Of The Pumpkin Spice Latte <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NreA_Sx6m7E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NreA_Sx6m7E</a>

I can definitely relate to the feelings on Twitter. I haven't left because it's my main lifeline to most of my friends, but I've had to use a ton of filters and mutes, etc to keep it positive.

These update videos are great! Keep up the good work!

Your Macintosh Portable won't be destroyed - and this is a very common story in the retro computing world, to the point where many people are accusing eBay of operating the global shipping program as a borderline scam, because it only seems to happen with valuable equipment that was sold at an unusually low price. If you wait a few days, a clone of the original Macintosh Portable listing (they usually use the exact same description and photos) will appear on eBay, only this time being sold by eBay themselves - and at a much higher price. It's very suspicious.

These behind these scenes videos are always lovely, thanks for sharing! My very first video on my channel ended up (unplanned of course) with a non-working item. The plan was to fix up an old Mac IIcx and well it didn’t want to cooperate. However after all the time invested in it I went ahead and teleased it as-is in the hopes of that at least it was informative. So I’d definitely love to see others do the same thing. But I do agree that the expectation is likely there for a lot of viewers (me included) that when they watch a repair video they expect a positive outcome. But I’m all for these mystery videos! Sorry to hear about the Mac portable, what a bummer! Those are really neat machines too, not a bad price either. I’m sure it’s being kept safe by “top men”. Looking forward to the next blather!

Crakin' Video Gromit!

I'd love to see videos that don't automatically end in success. For those angry about the lack of a TV story pay-off... "If you're upset that this device still doesn't work, leave the comment 'I'll fix it myself' down below, and instead of me binning it, you'll get a chance of winning it. Postage C.O.D., see the video description for details."

Instead of logging in every 30 days, you can simply lock your account, in Settings > Privacy and Safety > Protect your Tweets. Your account will continue to exist, but no-one will be able to see anything from it, except for those you approve - which can be no-one if you like.

I did listen to this as audio while reconciling my checking account. I enjoy learning more about you, the person. I find I don’t have a lot of time to watch videos, but I can always work and listen to audio which makes the tasks less boring.

I enjoyed this chat, and hope you will continue with this format. Feels natural and honest, much like having a chat with a friend about something! Your idea about a "mystery genre" is appealing to me, I'd love to see that. Make it so, number one.

I did rage-quite Twitter. Just decided that it was a net negative in the world and no longer wanted to be part of it. Facebook, OTOH, well ... OK, you got me. There I am. Every damn day. I blame it on the fact that I am staff at an institute of higher education. :-) Now. Here's the part where I tell you you are wrong on the internet. You need to secure a Techmoan presence on Facebook and Twitter. You don't need to post there or follow anyone or anything but you do need to **protect your brand**. We, the faithful, would spot an imposter right away (first clue - they are using social media!) but millions of others wouldn't. Neither profile has to be anything other than "Follow me at techmoan.com, Youtube, or Patreon! Thanks!" But you really need to protect your brand. OK, I'm done now. :-D As always, keep up the great work!

Watched the whole thing.. have a few comments. I don't have a twitter account, but I do have a facebook account. I can't seem to find the time to post interesting things on there so my facebook page has relatively no activity. I had to shut off the messenger portion of facebook because I was getting 30 or 40 messages per day, and I didn't check them every day, so when I would log in I would have hundreds of messages. Much like you, I feel the need to answer them but it was just overwhelming. I still get hundreds of emails but those are easier to deal with than facebook messages. I also know exactly what you're talking about with the trolls. And I have experienced the same thing, sometimes I just want to show what people have said because I thought people would find it interesting and instead I get flooded with comments offering me support or sympathy, which isn't what I was after. I often get the same when I talk about some of the hardships of doing YouTube in general. It is usually meant to be informative, not so much asking for sympathy. I also get asked to repair stuff, like 10 times a day. It's annoying. Half the time they want me to do it for free. The other half want to pay, but they only want to pay like $50. The trouble is, they don't understand that these repair and restoration jobs take sometimes a week or two to do. So if I work on their device for a week and only make $50, then I just lost a week's worth of wages. People don't seem to get that. And as you mentioned, they can even get angry when I decline to repair it for them. I also hate conspiracy theorists. I argue with them all the time about everything from chemtrails, anti-vaxers, climate-change deniers, etc. When I offer them irrefutable empirical evidence for my side of the argument, the only thing they can reply with is "everyone is lying to you, you've been fooled." And so it's nearly impossible to have a logical conversation with these people because they are only going to believe what they want to believe. The repair jobs that I can't finish are also very annoying. However, sometimes I make them into two-parters because I can use the advice I get from some of the viewers to help me finish part 2. But absolutely there are projects I started and gave up on. I have lost sometimes an entire week of work on a project that I thought I could fix and couldn't. And then people complain "why don't you upload videos more often?" I already work 10 to 12 hours a day, how can I upload more than I do? So anyway.. yeah, I am right there with you. I know exactly how you feel!

I enjoy your radical honesty Mat!

These Patreon blathers are fast becoming some of my favourites! Thank you Mat, and keep the positivity going. As someone who has battled depression for many years now, I know all to well how important it is to do what needs to be done to get rid of negative influences and things in life in order to function each day. You do a brilliant job on YouTube, and I’m sure I’m not the only one here on Patreon who feels privileged that you sit down and chat about things to us every month or so.

I'd totally watch that new genre of video for the history and guts without it necessarily working...

Given up on most social media, mainly FB and twatter earlier this year. Didnt delete or anything just didnt install the app on the new phone. Its been glorious. Much more peaceful. Sticking to YT and patreon for now watching good content from quality creators.

You know whats interesting about the macintosh story is that recently rossman (another youtuber) had some batteries for apple laptops similarly discarded because apple had claimed they were counterfeit. He claims this is something apple does at customs to prevent people from shipping their products out of or into the US. I'm really suspicious that maybe apple was notified and they prevented it from being delivered...

Positivity is definitely more important than Twitter!

LOL Rob, and ditto. :-)

I haven't watched this yet, but at 48 minutes long i'm already happy. Doesn't matter what is in the video.