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[CrustyBritches]

Via Gamers Nexus' Youtube channel:

In September, 2018 The Verge published a Youtube video on how to build a high-end PC. Needless to say, it was a disaster and many Youtube tech channels quickly picked up on the video and published responses and parodies of the "tutorial".

The Verge responded to the criticism of their disaster-piece video by saying that people were just racist against the host. They pulled their video and attempted more damage control of their potentially dangerous advice by attacking PC gamers as nit-picky nerds.

Fast-forward to February, 2019 and although the general gaming populace had moved on from the cringe-worthy video and damage control from The Verge, "The Verge" decided it would be a good idea to weaponize the DMCA takedown tool on Youtube to force BitWit Kyle and ReviewTechUSA to remove their videos archiving The Verge's faux pas.

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Gamers Nexus video explaining the situation:


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The hypocrisy runs deep since The Verge seemed to have a much different take on weaponizing DMCA in the past...

"Sources: All The Verge, a group which may not be self-aware:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/11/18... | "YouTube’s copyright strikes have become a tool for extortion"

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/12/16... | "Why was it so easy to weaponize copyright against PewDiePie?"

https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/14/93... | "'Dancing baby' ruling says fair use matters in copyright takedowns" etc."

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BitWit Kyle's parody vid:


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I have more to say on this matter, but not enough time, so I encourage you to watch the Gamers Nexus video and the original videos in question to gain a full understanding of absolute lows the "gaming press" will stoop to, their tactics, and the depths of their hypocrisy.

-Link to GAF response thread-
Obligatory Verge gif:

 

[LordRaptor]

I figure this is part of them moving towards being a paywalled subscription based site and trying to remove anything they've put up previously from being mirrored before they charge for it

 

[Javthusiast]

Ah the good old youtube copyright system being abused. They will never fix this shit it seems.

 

[LucidFeuer]

Ah the good old youtube copyright system being abused. They will never fix this shit it seems.

Youtube is in on the propaganda, manipulation, dumbing down and censorship. Why would they "fix" that?

 

[Fox Mulder]

Lol, they couldnt just let this rest, the video was months ago and people had a laugh but moved on.

Of course they lost. Their apology is awful, full of lies, and they just had to call someone a racist.
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/15/18226105/a-note-about-youtube-copyright-strikes-from-vox-media

What a trash site, nice they felt like reminding everyone.

 

[Nymphae]

I think it's a shame the site is so terrible, because it has a great layout and overall design.

 

[oagboghi2]

Good Luck staying alive. The internet doesn't forget

That is not a "death threat"

 

[shark sandwich]

I’d like to thank The Verge for reminding us of this terrible video so we can make fun of them some more. We almost forgot about it.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Now we're getting channels like Gamers Nexus and Paul's Hardware that had not made vids solely dedicated to The Verge's disaster-piece build stepping up in defense of Fair Use. Streisand Effect activated:

Paul's Hardware response to The Verge weaponizing DMCA takedown: 300k+ views and running. Gamers Nexus response is at 175k+. This is something no Youtube personality who makes their living from the site will be happy with.


Now The Verge are not only irresponsible race-baiters with laughably bad tech advice, they are enemies of the very Fair Use rights they used to champion themselves.

Capital One was probably horrified that they paid for such a tragic video. Sponsors beware, The Verge is a losing proposition.

I figure this is part of them moving towards being a paywalled subscription based site and trying to remove anything they've put up previously from being mirrored before they charge for it

The restructuring is probably because of the reduced traffic they've experience YoY, which Gamers Nexus covers...

Gamers Nexus with brutality of truth:

"We see these actions by Vox media as an egregious abuse of its position and power in the market. Although The Verge has a 30% reduction year-over-year in traffic volume, which is a sort of staggering loss in the amount of visitors its website is receiving, it is still unarguably a massive website, and this isn't just YouTube drama here it's an important keystone weakness in YouTube's copyright claim system." -Gamers Nexus

They[The Verge/Vox Media] want to erase the Capital One sponsored video because it's an embarrassment to somebody in power and a problem. If it wasn't, they would have let it go.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

I’d like to thank The Verge for reminding us of this terrible video so we can make fun of them some more. We almost forgot about it.

It is just baffling, never mind all the computer stuff, but how could 13 people not know what tweezers are?!? How could it get past 13 people that this clown calls cable ties "tweezers" .

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Can somebody give me a toddler's rundown of what the guy did wrong in the original PC build video?

Also, fuck Youtube copyright shenanigans.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

Can somebody give me a toddler's rundown of what the guy did wrong in the original PC build video?

Also, fuck Youtube copyright shenanigans.

He fucked everything up from the get go. I mean, he fucked up when stating what tools you need to build a PC. He fucked up the names of the tools.

Just an amazing example of extreme incompetence.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

Enjoy.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Can somebody give me a toddler's rundown of what the guy did wrong in the original PC build video?

If you haven't seen BitWit's "Lyle Reacts to The Verge PC" above give it a watch, it's pretty funny.

This is the fastest rundown you can get via Paul's Hardware: Starts at 40sec mark...

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To me the worst offenses he committed were applying more thermal paste to the AIO heatsink even though it had thermal compound pre-applied. This can at worst have severe impact on your CPU's thermal, and at best cause a nasty porno-style mess. Secondly, he used the wrong screws on the radiator for AIO cooler, which could puncture it and cause leaks, which again could cause thermal issues, a mess, and potentially invalidate your warranty.

Just watch some of the reaction vids, there's a bunch of them out there, some very funny. Glad we get to relive it all over again.

 

[Fnord]

Okay, so you're going to shoot a video explaining how to build a PC. You know what parts (well, let's pretend) are going to be installed, you know what case you have, you know you'll be screwing in a lot of screws. And, in preparation for this endeavor, you put together the tools you'll need. Why, in the name of everything that is good and right in this universe, do you put "Swiss Army Knife, preferably one with a phillips head screwdriver attachment" on your list of tools, but NOT an actual phillips head screwdriver?!? Who DOES that???

 

[Shifty]

Okay, so you're going to shoot a video explaining how to build a PC. You know what parts (well, let's pretend) are going to be installed, you know what case you have, you know you'll be screwing in a lot of screws. And, in preparation for this endeavor, you put together the tools you'll need. Why, in the name of everything that is good and right in this universe, do you put "Swiss Army Knife, preferably one with a phillips head screwdriver attachment" on your list of tools, but NOT an actual phillips head screwdriver?!? Who DOES that???

It's all they had knocking around the office. Full disclosure and all that.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

Can somebody give me a toddler's rundown of what the guy did wrong in the original PC build video?

Also, fuck Youtube copyright shenanigans.

He applied thermal paste to the CPU as if he was icing a cake. His cable management was atrocious. And my absolute favorite, he took out a Swiss Army knife that hopefully had a screwdriver.

 

[EviLore]

Enjoy.

"Hmm, okay, inoffensive so far..."
"?????? Wait, what? Did you just call zip ties...tweezers? TWEEZERS? I could understand if you called them twist ties..."
"Swiss army knife you hope has a philips head screwdriver? You're an adult and don't have a dedicated screwdriver in your home?"
"Huh? Scale back the CPU to a Core i5 or i3 so that you use less energy? So that other parts are cheaper? That's not how it works."
"....................................................................the "brace"? You mean the rear i/o panel? The BRACE????????"

Stopped there. That's less than three minutes in. A five year-old could've presented a more competent PC build video.

 

[DeepEnigma]

"Hmm, okay, inoffensive so far..."
"?????? Wait, what? Did you just call zip ties...tweezers? TWEEZERS? I could understand if you called them twist ties..."
"Swiss army knife you hope has a philips head screwdriver? You're an adult and don't have a dedicated screwdriver in your home?"
"Huh? Scale back the CPU to a Core i5 or i3 so that you use less energy? So that other parts are cheaper? That's not how it works."
"....................................................................the "brace"? You mean the rear i/o panel? The BRACE????????"

Stopped there. That's less than three minutes in. A five year-old could've presented a more competent PC build video.

"Stop being racist." - TheVerjayjay

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Okay, so you're going to shoot a video explaining how to build a PC. You know what parts (well, let's pretend) are going to be installed, you know what case you have, you know you'll be screwing in a lot of screws. And, in preparation for this endeavor, you put together the tools you'll need. Why, in the name of everything that is good and right in this universe, do you put "Swiss Army Knife, preferably one with a phillips head screwdriver attachment" on your list of tools, but NOT an actual phillips head screwdriver?!? Who DOES that???

Honestly it’s so bizarre it makes me wonder whether it was paid marketing. After all, who’s buying Swiss Army knives these days?

 

[Pimpbaa]

Honestly it’s so bizarre it makes me wonder whether it was paid marketing. After all, who’s buying Swiss Army knives these days?

I got one as a kid some 30 years ago, and the only tools in in I recognize are the blades, cork screw, and a shitty phillips head screwdriver that no sane person would try to use. Only thing they are good for is stripping the heads of screws.

 

[ZehDon]

I just watched this. They could've pulled just about any enthusiast gamer off the street, and they'd have done a better job at both actually building the PC, and making that build entertaining. LOL as a demonstration of the PC's power feels like a "Fellow kids" moment, too. The blow-back here is definitely not unwarranted.

Regarding their use of the DMCA Take down, and general "copyright strike" stuff in general, these systems are designed to favour the alleged copyright holder. They're incredibly open to abuse because they assume guilt from the get-go. It's a wonderful example of how assumption of guilt is dangerous and a breeding ground for unethical behaviour, when there is little repercussions for said abuse. For a publication to actively use such disreputable tactics to hide their own egregious errors, speaks more than ever is needed about them, their ethics, the quality of their content. I feel like this is exactly what's wrong with online culture summed up nicely; low effort content, more video transitions than researched facts, and the get-out-of-jail-free cards of identity politics if someone points out your painfully obvious errors.

 

[Chiggs]

I figure this is part of them moving towards being a paywalled subscription based site and trying to remove anything they've put up previously from being mirrored before they charge for it

I wouldn’t trade used toilet paper for a subscription to The Verge.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The Verge is straight garbage. Maybe if they weren't such trash they wouldn't be losing views. Their pathetic attempt to manufacture controversy when the Pokemon: Detective Pikachu trailer was first released was so transparent and stupid.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Honestly, it's not that bad guys. It's not perfect by any means but people are acting like the used a water hose and hammer it install it. Its got some... Issues, but it's not awful. At least Imo.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

I just watched this. They could've pulled just about any enthusiast gamer off the street, and they'd have done a better job at both actually building the PC, and making that build entertaining. LOL as a demonstration of the PC's power feels like a "Fellow kids" moment, too. The blow-back here is definitely not unwarranted.

Regarding their use of the DMCA Take down, and general "copyright strike" stuff in general, these systems are designed to favour the alleged copyright holder. They're incredibly open to abuse because they assume guilt from the get-go. It's a wonderful example of how assumption of guilt is dangerous and a breeding ground for unethical behaviour, when there is little repercussions for said abuse. For a publication to actively use such disreputable tactics to hide their own egregious errors, speaks more than ever is needed about them, their ethics, the quality of their content. I feel like this is exactly what's wrong with online culture summed up nicely; low effort content, more video transitions than researched facts, and the get-out-of-jail-free cards of identity politics if someone points out your painfully obvious errors.

They wouldn’t even need an enthusiast. I’ve built 2 pcs in my life, neither of which I’d hold up as beacons of pc building mastery and I was baffled by the basic stuff they got wrong. He could have at least watched a few YouTube how-to’s before putting himself forward for criticism.

 

[lynux3]

It was so bad then and it's still bad now. The Verge should have pulled this immediately... hell, never even put it up and at least put a little more effort into researching how to build a PC properly. I think the reactions are well deserved seeing that The Verge is a pretty big publication.

Honestly, it's not that bad guys. It's not perfect by any means but people are acting like the used a water hose and hammer it install it. Its got some... Issues, but it's not awful. At least Imo.

It's extremely awful. A water hose and hammer might have actually faired better.

 

[TeamGhobad]

apparently all these hipster leftwing sjw sites have taken a huge hit the last year. i wonder why with stories like this...