Apple turning the thumbscrews on Louis Rossman?

[Macbeth]

I don't know what to say. 

[ProBang2]

Two hints for Apple:

   1. Google immediatly: "Streisand effect"
   2. Google immediatly: "Pyrrhic victory"

[george graves]

99.9% of apple's customers don't care.

Maybe the next macbook will be encapsulated in kryptonite - and 100% unrepairable.

Louis doesn't have all his eggs in one basket.  And it won't be the first time a repair industry went to the way of the dodo bird.  (see TV and VCR repair)

[Fraser]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

I really like Louis. Sure he can be very blunt in his delivery but this is a chap who provides an insight into his repair work free of charge in the hope that others will learn from what he uploads. An unselfish person for whom I have great respect. I have learnt from his YouTube channel, not so much the technical side, but the business and human interaction side of his commentary.

As he says in his video, he has not had the easiest of lives up to this point, but he has made something of himself despite these setbacks, and he employed others.

A good man and one who I hope to hear more from in the future.

Fraser

[Fraser]

As a Doctor Who fan...........

https://youtu.be/g1yMNgvebOI

[Brumby]

Louis is very clear in not being specific about the troubles he will be facing.  This sounds like a legal gag - the sort of thing a plaintiff might write into a lawsuit to prevent the defendant from advertising the action.  Just the sort of thing you would expect from any entity with a high visibility, high profile, high value image they don't want muddied.

Considering some of the opinions expressed by Louis on particular repair issues, it's not hard to come up with a short list of possible candidates.

A very short list.

If it is who we all think it is - and Louis' channel gets the chop ... I'd be REALLY wanting to know some details.

But don't ask Louis.

As much as he might be keen to share, I have no doubt he will be tied up in a million miles of red tape, preventing him from saying any more than he has.


I would be interested if it were possible to see if there were any cases being brought against Louis, say from public records.  This may not give any details of the case, but it might identify the parties...

[EEVblog]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

[EEVblog]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

If this is a true then perhaps this is something that EFF will help fight?

[Brumby]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

Neither did I.



Certainly, it is a bit of a mystery, but there is a logical direction for people's thinking.  Also, if he wanted to exclude Apple from the speculation, I'm sure he could have done so.

We don't know if it is Apple - but then again, we don't know if it isn't.


Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

[EEVblog]

Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

Forum owners cannot be (successfully) sued for something they didn't say.

[SteveyG]

Wow, this guy like to ramble on.  It looks like half his videos are like this.

[rsjsouza]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

Same feel here; I am glad I multitask. However, in all fairness, the title is posed as a question not an affirmative sentence - a trick to lure viewers (nice played, Macbeth!  )

Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

Forum owners cannot be (successfully) sued for something they didn't say.

Yes, but the headache...

[Macbeth]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

I got the impression he may be forced to close his NY repair business down too - which specialises in Apple repairs.

Same feel here; I am glad I multitask. However, in all fairness, the title is posed as a question not an affirmative sentence - a trick to lure viewers (nice played, Macbeth!  )

The question mark is quite deliberate.

My speculation is that some of those videos showing what appear to be leaked Apple schematics and board layouts have something to do with this turn of events.

Apple are are also an opponent of the Right to Repair bill in NY which Louis supports. Politics, corporate lobbyists and lawyers. Sleaze...

[CJay]

From personal experience, I know Apple do not like people repairing their products, they will make efforts to stop you.

It's not a pleasant experience looking down the wrong end of a letter from their legal team.

Whether this is what's happened to Louis I don't know, but it feels familiar.

[TheAmmoniacal]

In his most recent iPhone repair he screen-captured how he got schematics for the iPhone (downloading ZXW blackfish files). It works if you have this dongle http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Zillion-x-Work-ZXW-DONGLE-Repair-mobile-phone-circuit-board-the-circuit-diagram/1113184_32330995780.html

Which I assume has stolen/leaked schematics for all major phones and macbooks.

Might be illegal to get stolen schematics, so showing it = assisting in a crime?

[EEVblog]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

I gathered from the video that he plans to go down fighting, so neither of those scenarios seems to make sense?
If it is a lawsuit from a big company, then likely the only chance he has of winning is going public and hope to solicit the help of the EFF or some other legal group, or to raise public funds to fight it.

[Kjelt]

or was told by his lawyer in order to facilitate negotiations.
Sometimes you can work something out in the backroom, but by naming and shaming your opponent on forehand on a global social medium might just not be the best strategy.

[rsjsouza]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

I gathered from the video that he plans to go down fighting, so neither of those scenarios seems to make sense?
If it is a lawsuit from a big company, then likely the only chance he has of winning is going public and hope to solicit the help of the EFF or some other legal group, or to raise public funds to fight it.

Hard to say but, if b), perhaps a criminal charge? Or blackmail from the Jersey Mafias?

[wraper]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

3. If you make that thing public, you loose the case because the court will assume that your witness had been coordinated.

[gnavigator1007]

Saw on reddit that there is a full torrent of his channel up in case he gets shutdown.  I really hope he pulls through this.  I've always enjoyed his videos even though I'm not into Apple stuff

[mikeselectricstuff]

If it was a legal threat against the content, surely Youtube would already have taken it down.
Not clear if "tomorrow" is literal or metaphorical.
It's so vague it could even be a major health issue.

[joseph nicholas]

Its time for Louis to reinvent himself in the the great American tradition.  Here is a young energetic person who can still bounce back from adversity.  Imagine all those older people who have been wronged and don´t have the looks and energy any more to cope with adversity. 

[JPortici]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

Maybe this has something to do with the right to repair bill that was being discussed these days. Anyone in the area cared to follow?

I'm not sure of what's happening either. I truly hope there will be a follow up soon to shred some light

[JPortici]

He might have its channel shut down and videos removed because he is violating a trademark. has happened before. here in italy a couple of years ago, mediaset (major station) forced youtube to remove EVERY video that had references to its name and its logo. people knew about it only the morning after it happened

[TheAmmoniacal]

I know Louis lurks these forums, if we're lucky we might get a clue!

[zapta]

My speculation is that some of those videos showing what appear to be leaked Apple schematics and board layouts have something to do with this turn of events.

Apple are are also an opponent of the Right to Repair bill in NY which Louis supports. Politics, corporate lobbyists and lawyers. Sleaze...

This makes sense. Apple doesn't release repair technical information so if you are successful in fixing Apple products you are probably doing something they don't like, e.g. downloading schematics from third parties.  Promoting the right to repair bill doesn't help him either.

In a sense, Louis's educational video channel is risking of his core business, that NYC repair shop.

Anyway, as long as Clinton watches him, he will be fine.

[Richard Crowley]

Apple could probably BUY YouTube if they wanted. They have more cash in the bank than Google.
It is not at all surprising that Apple could simply file a DMCA take-down claim against Rossman's whole channel and Google/YouTube would jump up and say "Yes Sir!"
Are we forgetting the DMCA debacle with Ebay and the "counterfeit" oscilloscope claim?
Are we forgetting the completely absurd arguments Apple lobbyists used (SUCCESSFULLY) to get the right-to-repair bill defeated?

Are we forgetting Apple's cavalier, contemptuous, imperious indifferent and distainful attitude toward customers with broken iGadgets?
Telling a customer that they can't recover data from a broken gadget for ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY?  Why do we put up with that kind of behavior?

[NivagSwerdna]

Seems like you can't do anything nowadays without some lawyer threatening something or other.

I was asked to sign an NDA recently, I declined as I wanted to ensure my existing open source contributions would not violate it...
... I expect the lawyers are already sharpening their pencils for a reverse engineering suit.

Sigh.

Louis will just have to move on to something more interesting and from experience it normally ends in looking back and thinking... hey why was I wasting my time on that crap anyway!   

[hans]

https://www.rossmanngroup.com/lets-talk-something-serious-here-do-not-pass-go-read-this-shit/

Seems like an old article, but sounds like Apple is breathing down his neck really bad this time.

[Marco]

Apple could probably BUY YouTube if they wanted. They have more cash in the bank than Google.

They'd have to pay taxes over it first, so that's not going to happen until they can bribe enough politicians into some kind of "one time" amnesty.

[Herr R aus B]

self censored due to too much misled speculation 

[Fraser]

Here is a question that occurred to me.

Is it illegal to make profit by using stolen schematics ? In the UK, we are not allowed to profit from crime so it is not inconceivable that Apple have decided to go after anyone using such stolen schematic for profit.

I repair computers without access to schematics and it is a real PITA. Without such Apple Schematics, it would be hard to run a motherboard repair business.

Fraser

[Macbeth]

I'm not so sure they are "stolen". It appears the app Louis used is a legit (in China & Russia, maybe the EU until they sign up to TTIP) 3rd party product, with schematics and board diagrams in their own format and includes other manufacturers like Samsung too. Ostensibly this information is reverse engineered. If that is the case then I can't see any problem with NDAs and copyrights. Of course USA law has moved on in recent history and greatly favours content producers with large pockets and teams of lawyers and even makes what used to be a civil matter to an imprisonable crime carrying a tougher sentence than a crime of violence. This is gradually becoming our new world order. 

[edy]

This is another factor to consider when buying Apple products. Let's face it, Apple is a control freak. It mirrors Job's personality. When you buy into their ecosystem, you buy into this attitude. If you don't like it, don't buy Apple products. Period.

Sucks for the repair guys, but I'm sure they can run a successful repair shop for other electronics and non-Apple devices. Sure... Consumers lose when there is lack of competition, but Apple has a right to control everything they do, end to end. Consumers also have the choice to refuse to buy Apple products when they know they will not have as much choice in repair.

Instead, consumers flock to Apple suff even though there is a premium cost in all aspects of ownership, from initial purchase, to repair costs, to costs of accessories and cables, and everything else involved. Obviously, what Apple offers is still worth it to them, and they are willing to pay more for everything. But this is no secret... You know this going in. I'm sure repair shops know they walk a fine line as well especially if they are not "official" with Apple. Especially those that publicize to the public how to repair everything themselves.

If anything, hopefully the publicity from this will make more people aware of the way Apple works. It seems that nobody cares, alas, none of any of Apple's past behavior seems to make any difference. If anything, it has only served to embolden them.

[helius]

No, they do not have the right to control you "end to end" simply because you purchased their product. That would be unconscionable and contracts of that nature have never been valid.

[Fraser]

@Macbeth,

Louis does use Apple schematics that even he describes as "stolen" as many are the official Apple copies provided via a Laptop Schematics site that has no Apple authority to sell or supply them. Working with schematics belonging to Apple IP is always going to carry some risk, much like buying Pirate software or music for the purpose of profit. It is likely a legal nightmare.

I was actually surprised to see Apple schematics 'in the wild' as most repairs are board level only and schematics are needed by very few persons. Schematics are usually heavily protected to prevent them leaking into competitors and the public's hands. As Louis has stated though, this is a bit daft as the physical architecture is nothing special. The 'secret sauce' is in the firmware used in the chipset, and any custom chips used in the design.

Well it is all conjecture for the moment, but I wish Louis well and hope he comes through whatever challenge he has at the moment in good shape.

Fraser

[Richard Crowley]

What do you think would happen with exactly that same policy for automobiles?

Sorry, the oil pan plug came loose and your engine seized up from lack of lubrication.
We don't believe in component-level repair because we can't hire minimum-wage drones at the "Genius Repair Bay" who can do that.
You will have to leave your car with us and you can't retrieve your luggage out of the trunk.
But we will be happy to sell a new model to replace it.

Or even: "any repairman who uses anything besides a Mopar brand repair part is trying to sell you a counterfeit Chrysler product."

We don't tolerate that kind of stupidity in vehicles. Why do we tolerate it for Apple products?
We HAVE "right to repair" for vehicles.
But the Apple lobbyists were slicker than whatever modicum of common sense still exists in the legislators.
This is why people trust used-car salesmen more than government bureaucrats or elected representatives.

[edy]

No, they do not have the right to control you "end to end" simply because you purchased their product. That would be unconscionable and contracts of that nature have never been valid.

I agree, they shouldn't have a right to control you from "end to end". Yet companies with deep pockets and lots of lawyers seem to be able to do what they want. Look at this example of Ferrari versus electronic musician Deadmau5:

http://mashable.com/2014/08/30/ferrari-deadmau5-cease-and-desist/#gIHeAv3Z2kq3

http://jalopnik.com/ferrari-sent-deadmau5-a-cease-and-desist-about-his-purr-1627640534



So if a car company can dictate to an owner that he or she cannot give it a certain paint job, I can certainly see how Apple could write in the fine details of their EULA enough lawyer-speak to be able to effectively shut down any normal person or small-time business from doing anything. It would take some major legal offensive, and cost more than it's worth, to get them to back down.

Reminds me of how patent troll companies can shut down smaller companies that likely have a defensible case but not enough time and money to fight. Sucks, but we need major reform and way more public outcry to stop these legal bullies from pushing around their muscle in these cases.

[Richard Crowley]

Anyone with the financial resources to actually produce commercially-viable quantities of competing products can easily afford a complete component-level reverse-engineering of any competing product, including Apple.  You can be sure that Samsung and likely others already know every significant "secret" inside the iGadgets. "Trade Secrets" can only be protected by keeping them "secret". Once you start selling product containing the "secret-sauce", it is open-season for anyone to reverse-engineer whatever it is. A can opener, an overcoat, a cuilnary recipe, or a high-tech gadget. Only Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights can be legally defended against copying.

There are companies whose entire business is doing reverse-engineering.  You can buy their detailed report of everything that went into the latest gadget. Many are even available online.  For example:  http://www.techinsights.com/teardown.aspx  It appears unlikely that the paid lobbyists were briefed on that part of the industry.

[rfeecs]

What do you think would happen with exactly that same policy for automobiles?

Sorry, the oil pan plug came loose and your engine seized up from lack of lubrication.
We don't believe in component-level repair because we can't hire minimum-wage drones at the "Genius Repair Bay" who can do that.
You will have to leave your car with us and you can't retrieve your luggage out of the trunk.
But we will be happy to sell a new model to replace it.

Or even: "any repairman who uses anything besides a Mopar brand repair part is trying to sell you a counterfeit Chrysler product."

We don't tolerate that kind of stupidity in vehicles. Why do we tolerate it for Apple products?
We HAVE "right to repair" for vehicles.
But the Apple lobbyists were slicker than whatever modicum of common sense still exists in the legislators.
This is why people trust used-car salesmen more than government bureaucrats or elected representatives.

According to John Deere and GM you just have a license to use the vehicle because they own the firmware:
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150421/23581430744/gm-says-that-while-you-may-own-your-car-it-owns-software-it-thanks-to-copyright.shtml

From John Deere:

In the absence of an express written license in conjunction with the purchase of the vehicle, the vehicle owner receives an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle, subject to any warranty limitations, disclaimers or other contractual limitation in the sales contract or documentation.

From GM:

Proponents incorrectly conflate ownership of a vehicle with ownership of the underlying computer software in a vehicle.... Although we currently consider ownership of vehicle software instead of wireless handset software, the law’s ambiguity similarly renders it impossible for Proponents to establish that vehicle owners own the software in their vehicles (or even own a copy of the software rather than have a license), particularly where the law has not changed.

[Richard Crowley]

Right. But we are talking about HARDWARE here, not FIRMWARE or SOFTWARE.

[rfeecs]

Yes, but the claim is that John Deere is using this to prevent people from diagnosing and repairing their own tractors:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/nothing-drms-like-deere-farmers-cant-fix-tractors/

[XOIIO]

Got to the 6 minute mark and them skipped ahead only to find out there wasn't really any relevant information.

[TheAmmoniacal]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/16/07/01/2056205/apple-is-suing-a-man-that-teaches-people-to-repair-their-macbooks

[boffin]

What do you think would happen with exactly that same policy for automobiles?

Sorry, the oil pan plug came loose and your engine seized up from lack of lubrication.
We don't believe in component-level repair because we can't hire minimum-wage drones at the "Genius Repair Bay" who can do that.
You will have to leave your car with us and you can't retrieve your luggage out of the trunk.
But we will be happy to sell a new model to replace it.

Sadly, auto-part level DRM already exists (matching Apples ridiculous serial numbers in cables).  On my MB, you're forced to buy a lot of parts from the dealer, as parts are coded to the VIN of your car.  In my case I managed to track someone down that rebuilds transmission sensors, but it involved DHL'ing the part to eastern Europe to have it done (and took 10 days there/back), still half the price all-in of getting the new part, and my mechanic has now done about a dozen, which she proudly proclaims is the 'boffin' job.

Screw Apple, Screw MB and this sort of DRM. 

[janoc]

And Slashdot has jumped to conclusions that actually will get someone in hot water. What a bunch of sensation-crazy idiots! 

If Louis is getting sued, it could well be even by that repair shop/store that he eviscerated in one of his videos for trying to rip him off by selling him fake parts. Or an unhappy customer. Or a myriad of other possibilities.

There are plenty of 3rd-party shops repairing Apple products, some even producing videos with some colorful language and the same schematics and I haven't heard about Apple suing these.  Why would they pick exactly on him?

I think the best thing to do would be to not jump to conclusions and speculate without any facts. If he really is getting sued, it will be a public information soon enough. If he has got some legal nastygram from someone, then he will probably say more sooner or later once he got his lawyer involved and the affair sorted out.

I will keep my fingers crossed for him in the meantime.

[Richard Crowley]

I recently had to replace the ECU in my Ford min-van. The grille below the windshield accumulated debris that blocked the internal drain pipe and the built-up water leaked into the connector and corroded half a dozen pins.

My (independent) shop found a used ECU from a wrecking yard across the country. And then they had a guy come in from another state to re-flash the ECU for my engine, my accessories, and even my ignition keys (which have transponders).  My mechanic said the re-flash guy had the license for the software and the accessories (cable harness adapters, etc.). But I don't know if it was from Ford, or a 3rd party company?

[mikeselectricstuff]

The vagueness may actually have been a deliberate ploy to get others to speculate, to create bad publicity, and effectively communicate what;s going on by Apple's lack of a denial.

I don't understand why people still buy from a company that treats its customers so badly - it's not like the iphone doesn't have competition.

[vze1lryy]

And Slashdot has jumped to conclusions that actually will get someone in hot water. What a bunch of sensation-crazy idiots! 

Slashdot used to be an awesome news site. God how much I learned reading that in 2002. Not the news, but the comments. Man, the community there was amazing. So much of that is gone, they left when that beta new interface shit started a few years ago. That thing reads like a blog, and the fact that they stated with certainty that I am being sued when I do not have that certainty speaks volumes for the "news" ness of that site anymore.

I have had friends had their stores raided by ICE agents with guns in full uniform without notice for things as silly as iphone screens. I don't know what to be prepared for, but when you get a not so nice sounding call from kilpatrick and townsend, who knows? I don't feel like telling everything or jumping to conclusions until I myself know what is going on, and until I myself have retained counsel to guide me through the process. We'll see what's in store. It seems to be what I was expecting it to be about, but still waiting to hear back from the attorney with details. When I have them and have gone over the potential consequences of sharing everything with the audience, I will.

Either way,

Not fun

The interesting part on jumping to conclusions was the idea of playing the victim card for crowdfunding...  I have historically been against crowdfunding and turned down lots of donation offers. I turned down over a dozen attorneys that called who were going to be paid for by people I do not know... I'm paying for my own attorney, and I intend to fund my own defense if need be into the future. At least while I still have money Yeah it is a bit of a downer to get kicked in the balls 10000x times, get out of one legal snafu with a bully on Tuesday, to wind up in a legal snafu with another on Thursday. I remember Michael Carvin's words: I don't get up to lose man, I get up to win! and this is something I have every intention of winning!

I believe in fair use, I believe in education, and I believe in what I am doing.

[EEVblog]

He might have its channel shut down and videos removed because he is violating a trademark. has happened before. here in italy a couple of years ago, mediaset (major station) forced youtube to remove EVERY video that had references to its name and its logo. people knew about it only the morning after it happened

He could re-edit every video and remove every reference to any infringing language or logos etc
He would still have a ton of content.

[mikeselectricstuff]

If the issue is the videos, why are they still up ? Youtube would certainly cave to a legal threat, and even Apple aren't stupid enough to not realise that any threat to the author will result in them getting copied and uploaded elsewhere if they got taken down.
I can't see it being the videos.
My bet is they're trying to claim that non-OEM parts his business was fitting were counterfeit.

[tech5940]

If the issue is the videos, why are they still up ? Youtube would certainly cave to a legal threat, and even Apple aren't stupid enough to not realise that any threat to the author will result in them getting copied and uploaded elsewhere if they got taken down.
I can't see it being the videos.
My bet is they're trying to claim that non-OEM parts his business was fitting were counterfeit.

Hmm good point about the video's still being up. I have to admit I was wondering the same when I was watching his "No title" video after the fact.  I wish him all the best though.

[jaxbird]

Drama is the best kind of advertising available on Youtube, especially if you can play the little guy role.

I think highly unlikely Apple cares at all about Louis Rossman. It's not like he'll have any effect whatever on the billion dollar Apple operation.

But claiming being bullied by the big corporations works very well to gain some fame, I'm sure reddit will be all up in arms over a claim like this being the gullible morons they are.

I'd need some solid proof first, sorry for being an ass.

[Silent1]

Jessa of the iPad rehab channel is one of Louis rossman's best friend and it seems this video says a lot:
https://youtu.be/nzJrp3gT_7s

Also the comment by her below the video confirms he's being sued by "a giant fruit" and in the video she talks about schematics and so it seems they're suing him based on use or sharing of stolen schematics.

[ez24]

Jessa of the iPad rehab channel is one of Louis rossman's best friend and it seems this video says a lot:
https://youtu.be/nzJrp3gT_7s

Interesting - thanks   The last two days on this forum have been a gold mine on YT links.
Here is hers
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPjp41qeXe1o_lp1US9TpWA

What was that liquid she used - flux?
What gauge is that wire?  The smallest I ever used was 48 but this looks a lot smaller.

These videos are so exciting 

[tech5940]

You know it's sad for a small price you can buy schematics / service manuals for your car from many major manufacturers. Yet there is no such option for your iPhone or iPad. What are people expected to do?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iampoor]

Drama is the best kind of advertising available on Youtube, especially if you can play the little guy role.

I think highly unlikely Apple cares at all about Louis Rossman. It's not like he'll have any effect whatever on the billion dollar Apple operation.

But claiming being bullied by the big corporations works very well to gain some fame, I'm sure reddit will be all up in arms over a claim like this being the gullible morons they are.

I'd need some solid proof first, sorry for being an ass.

Louis did a video about that, ironically.

I think we need to wait to see how this plays out, Louis tends to exaggerate everything... (I am a fan of his videos, but the exaggerations are very obvious)

[helius]

What was that liquid she used - flux?
What gauge is that wire?  The smallest I ever used was 48 but this looks a lot smaller.

The flux is a gel no-clean type, probably Amtech NC-559 or a related product. The wire is magnet wire, I don't know the gauge. It's some type with a varnish that dissolves rapidly in flux. Magnet wire is available from 20 to 60 awg, so there's a huge variation in diameter.
The technique of flexing the wire to snap it off instead of using end-cutting tweezers is a little surprising, but it seems to work fine. You run less risk of scratching the traces.

[EEVblog]

If the issue is the videos, why are they still up ? Youtube would certainly cave to a legal threat, and even Apple aren't stupid enough to not realise that any threat to the author will result in them getting copied and uploaded elsewhere if they got taken down.
I can't see it being the videos.
My bet is they're trying to claim that non-OEM parts his business was fitting were counterfeit.

I agree.
It can't be a DMCA due to schematics etc, because they wouldn't even discuss it with him, they would just issue the DMCA and the videos would come down straight away.

[vze1lryy]

Drama is the best kind of advertising available on Youtube, especially if you can play the little guy role.

I think highly unlikely Apple cares at all about Louis Rossman. It's not like he'll have any effect whatever on the billion dollar Apple operation.

But claiming being bullied by the big corporations works very well to gain some fame, I'm sure reddit will be all up in arms over a claim like this being the gullible morons they are.

I'd need some solid proof first, sorry for being an ass.

I wouldn't say the reddit forum people are morons. They are forum people. Forums are a place for gossip, etc. Slashdot, on the other hand, is a place of news. For example, techcrunch reached out to me and asked questions. They didn't title an article based on nothing... slashdot did.

I feel like I have just enough details on what's going on to be concerned and anxious, but not enough to know exactly what is going on. Not fun, but we'll see where it ends. Crossed fingers here.

[Brumby]

Curiouser and curiouser...

[TheAmmoniacal]

A not-so-nice-sounding call from Kilpatrick and Townsend (Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP?) you say? A law firm Apple has used in the past https://www.asicentral.com/news/newsletters/promogram/december-2014/apple-claims-patent-infringement-on-charger-products/

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-friendly-lawyers-snag-ipad3-com-domain/

http://www.justanswer.com/intellectual-property-law/9f9wz-today-received-letter-kilpatrick.html

[TheAmmoniacal]

Louis: Louis got a notice that a law firm was trying to contact him, he googled the law firm and found they've worked with Apple in the past. Louis feared the worst and made a vague video with that in mind (earlier one). It now looks like the law firm is being more friendly than he would expect, but still not sure about the specifics/details (he might still be getting sued). (this video)

[XOIIO]

Louis: Louis got a notice that a law firm was trying to contact him, he googled the law firm and found they've worked with Apple in the past. Louis feared the worst and made a vague video with that in mind (earlier one). It now looks like the law firm is being more friendly than he would expect, but still not sure about the specifics/details (he might still be getting sued). (this video)

"try to get to a point succinctly"

24 minute video lol

[TheAmmoniacal]

"try to get to a point succinctly"

24 minute video lol

I got to 12 minutes

[XOIIO]

"try to get to a point succinctly"

24 minute video lol

I got to 12 minutes

I got further because I was playing with my laser at the time (not an innuendo lol), but he started repeating himself and I got bored.

[EEVblog]

The letter he got from the Apple lawyer said "they are a fan of the channel", and the concern involves a video (or perhaps several) with a schematic in it, which Louis then admits is "not surprising".
So seems like a huge out of proportion blow-up at this point anyway. The sky very likely isn't falling.

[AntiProtonBoy]

Not his fault that the whole situation got blown out of proportion. Assumptions were made in echo chambers like slashdot and reddit.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Not his fault that the whole situation got blown out of proportion. Assumptions were made in echo chambers like slashdot and reddit.

It would be vary naive for a tech/internet savvy guy like him  to put out a vid like that and not expect it to stir up a ton of speculation.
I can understand why he put _something_ out, as he didn't know what might happen, so thought it would be worth saying something before he was constrained by any legal stuff, to make sure people know that something was going on, and it it turned out to be really bad, it wouldn't just disappear with nobody knowing. 

[wraper]

The letter he got from the Apple lawyer said "they are a fan of the channel", and the concern involves a video (or perhaps several) with a schematic in it, which Louis then admits is "not surprising".
So seems like a huge out of proportion blow-up at this point anyway. The sky very likely isn't falling.

Letter did not say anything like that. His lawyer contacted them and said "they are a fan of the channel".

[bookaboo]

If similar businesses have been closed by force of law and he get's communication from Apple lawyers I don't blame him for over reacting.

Whatever the circumstance it's big business actively trying to prevent repairs and using bully tactics to do it. They can dress it whatever way they want as IP but its planned obsolesce and goes against everything good engineering should be trying to achieve. Screw Apple.

[Delta]

Wow, that man can ramble! 

[dannyf]

Drama is the best kind of advertising available on Youtube, especially if you can play the little guy role.

Precisely.

I think highly unlikely Apple cares at all about Louis Rossman.

Likely true. However, if proprietary Apple information is involved, and Apple failed to act, it could create a course of dealing argument down the road that can invalidate Apple's IP rights (like trade marks and patents, etc.).

It is unwise to disclose other people's information without their consent, however trivial one may think such disclosure may be.

[jitter]

Wow, that man can ramble!

Then you may want to check out the "Failed Normal" channel and have a look at the running times of those vids, and I promise you that he's talking non stop in all of them... 

About Rossman, I have seen several of his videos and he is not particularly without criticism towards Apple designs and policies. He will not beat around the bush on that. With that in mind, I find it hard to believe that Apple would be a Rossman fan, but even a big corporation like Apple is made up of individuals, so I guess it is possible some like his channel. Maybe they even secretly learn a thing or two from him.

But Louis is also objective enough to recommend others to buy Apple products when the application warrants it, even though he will not use them himself.

Since he is not going to be sued (for now), it seems likely to me that the lawfirm is going to request he blanks out the legible parts of the schematics that are in his vids. I don't see how Apple could legally take down videos of people showing how to repair their products on a component level, but when copyrighted schematics are shown, Apple probably stands in its right to have them blocked out. Having the lawfirm request that would be the first step. If Rossman complies, I see no reason why his content should be removed from YT.

[Brumby]

I think the situation is extremely simple - yes, there is a lack of detail - but the fundamental motivation for Louis' reaction is not at all difficult to understand at all.

Let me re-tell the story so far....

Yesterday (Day 1), Louis got a knock on the door - and when he looked out the window, he saw some suits carrying briefcases labelled "Lawyers to Apple Inc."

His first reaction: Oh shit!
His immediate fear: They're coming to get me.  My channel could be scrapped and my content lost.  My business could be facing the axe.
His response was to let the world know something was happening and that he was concerned about his Youtube content.

Why is this reaction completely understandable?  Well, how would you feel in the same situation?

Yes, he put up a video before he had any further details, but then, what if he'd waited ... and it was his time?  You have to respect the fact that he didn't jump to conclusions - there was enough of that from everyone else.  Also, he didn't name Apple - which was a sensible move.


Day 2.  The lawyers say "We want to talk" and he hears someone refer to his use of a schematic in one of his videos.  Then someone at the back calls out: "We're fans of your channel."

Louis now has a little information that doesn't quite make sense.  There is some sense of friendliness in the communication, but that is at odds with the anticipated nature of dealings with Apple that he might expect.


As for the rest off the things he 'rambles' on about ... there's no great surprise there either.  He's a self-confessed unscripted rambler who lets the project at hand lead him in what he says.  For a mainboard repair, that's a fairly structured journey ... following the clues set out on a PCB.  For a subject like the one above, there's no real path for him to follow.

The final component of the second video is that he berates himself for looking at 'worst case scenarios' - a flaw in human thinking that he has addressed in the past, yet he has failed to follow his own advice.  This shows he is conscious of his previous 'life lesson' material and of his failure in this instance.

But you can kind of understand that when Apple lawyers come a-knocking....



I trust you get some sleep, Louis - and that knot in your gut fades away.


Edit: Grammar

[gnavigator1007]

He had good reason to be worried.  His concern resulted in the preservation of his entire channel.  Last night I read a good bit about this Kilpatrick Townsend law firm he mentioned and their history representing Apple in IP matters.  Specifically Apple Computer Inc v. Psystar Corporation.  They managed to set some very dangerous legal precedent with that case that I could see being used against repair shops in the future.

[Fraser]

Brumby,

A very good precis of the situation IMHO 

If Apples, or any companies, Solicitor came knocking at my door, I feel sure I would also go into controlled panic mode.

My father once shared some good advice with me ..... Panic Slowly 

I hope everything pans out OK for Louis.

Fraser

[zapta]

Day 2.  The lawyers say "We want to talk" and he hears someone refer to his use of a schematic in one of his videos.  Then someone at the back calls out: "We're fans of your channel."

That's a good sign. Of course the lawyers are not fans of his repair channel. it's more likely that their guidelines from Apple are to dial down the intimidation level, for PR and 'messaging' reasons.

Now that a large community follows this issue, they will factor it as well into their considerations. This is how things work behind the scenes.

[imidis]

Apple has always been a control freak regarding their stuff, I'm pretty sure they aren't fans of his channel. Whatever their intentions are, I'm sure it's not good.

[rx8pilot]

Apple has always been a control freak regarding their stuff, I'm pretty sure they aren't fans of his channel. Whatever their intentions are, I'm sure it's not good.

'Control Freak' may be a strong term for a company that spends $billions on development and expect $billions in revenue. With that much money in play, they have a very big reason to constantly search for budding challenges before they get big enough to be a problem. That is business - not control freak.

I stumbled across this guys channel a few months ago and was immediately put off by his constant declaration of how stupid everyone is and how clever he is. If you can get past the rambling, you find a dark message. If you get past his dark message, you may learn something about repair. My wife's iPhone was damaged yesterday - screen shattered. I am going to take it directly to Apple and pay the premium because it will have a guaranteed outcome. I could fix it myself or try one of a million 'professionals', but I am completely swamped with work and just want it to be done and move on. According to Louis, that makes me an incompetent fool that is wasting money while feeding the criminal price premiums Apple charges.

[helius]

Obviously, the vendor-authorized technician is not the only one who can stand behind their work and give a guaranteed outcome.

[imidis]

Apple has always been a control freak regarding their stuff, I'm pretty sure they aren't fans of his channel. Whatever their intentions are, I'm sure it's not good.

'Control Freak' may be a strong term for a company that spends $billions on development and expect $billions in revenue. With that much money in play, they have a very big reason to constantly search for budding challenges before they get big enough to be a problem. That is business - not control freak.

I stumbled across this guys channel a few months ago and was immediately put off by his constant declaration of how stupid everyone is and how clever he is. If you can get past the rambling, you find a dark message. If you get past his dark message, you may learn something about repair. My wife's iPhone was damaged yesterday - screen shattered. I am going to take it directly to Apple and pay the premium because it will have a guaranteed outcome. I could fix it myself or try one of a million 'professionals', but I am completely swamped with work and just want it to be done and move on. According to Louis, that makes me an incompetent fool that is wasting money while feeding the criminal price premiums Apple charges.

https://channelprograms-a3t.apple.com/webGMACC/gotowelcome.do?method=gotoWelcome&affliationType=AAR&region=CAN&langCode=EN

https://www.apple.com/support/assets/docs/products/programs/aasp/aasp_application_au_2013.pdf

[ataradov]

https://www.apple.com/support/assets/docs/products/programs/aasp/aasp_application_au_2013.pdf

ESD protection measures  | Preferably located on ground floor with glass frontage.

[Richard Crowley]

Obviously, the vendor-authorized technician is not the only one who can stand behind their work and give a guaranteed outcome.

Right.  Apple's "guaranteed" is to simply refuse to repair and guarantee that your data is lost.

But perhaps that is all we can expect when they hire clueless Generation Z drones to staff their "Genius Bar"

[Fraser]

RX8Pilot,

Sorry to hear you do not enjoy the videos that Louis produces. With regard to your iPhone repair, I do not think you are being very fair to him. Louis does not do iPhone repairs, only data recovery. The reason ? They take as long as a laptop to repair yet the amount he can charge is almost half that of a laptop repair. Louis has produced video's detailing why the iPhone repair business is coming to the end of its natural life. He recommends that users go to Apple for the repair of their iPhone 6 as Apple have lowered their repair/replacement prices to the point that a 3rd party cannot compete.

I have not discovered the dark message that your mentioned, maybe i am not sensitive to such ? What I have found is a chap who repairs technology after having taught himself how to do it. A determined and focused young man who has managed to open a business in New York and employ staff. For that alone he has my respect. It is true that Louis does not suffer fools gladly and is plain speaking. His language can be a tad colourful but my brain just filters all that. I have worked in a male dominated technical environment so swearing is nothing new to me. Some of the motherboards that he is sent for repair are in a terrible state and Louis explains what has been done wrong to them by other tech's. Nothing wrong with that me thinks. I have met plenty of techs who I would not trust my electronics with. There are bad techs out there who can be the kiss of death to electronics. We used to nick name them KOD 

From my personal perspective I have learnt from the videos that Louis has produced. Not so much the motherboard repair videos, but more the business and life coaching. I have not discovered a 'dark side' to such with Louis.

Finally, Louis produces his videos without sponsorship and has explained why this is. He does not want donations, even though they have been offered, he does not want Patreon. He just wants to hear that he has helped others to repair equipment in a competent manner. Not the actions of a selfish person.

I created a post that summarised some of the good advice Louis has provided in his videos. I watched a lot of them !

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/pearls-of-wisdom-from-louis-rossmann-worth-thinking-about/msg872701/#msg872701

So from my perspective, I would miss Louis and his videos. I hope he is around on You Tube for a long time. I do understand that he is not everyone's cup of tea though, but that is true of many of us. We like and dislike different characters.

Fraser

[ez24]

I created a post that summarised some of the good advice Louis has provided in his videos. I watched a lot of them !

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/pearls-of-wisdom-from-louis-rossmann-worth-thinking-about/msg872701/#msg872701

Fraser

What surprises me you did not include ANY links to his videos ??   It would have been nice if for each topic in your pearls, you had a link to one of his videos to see what you are talking about.

PS Are you Louis ?

[Fraser]

No I am not Louis

That list of 'wisdom' was written from memory !

I watched a great many of the videos and learnt some important lessons. I thought that some of the information might be of interest to others so I created a condensed version for those without the many hours needed to watch the videos. I had not kept a log of which comments appeared in which videos so could not include that detail.

I had not set out intending to produce such a post, so sadly it only contains what I personally thought interesting and useful pearls of wisdom. Even without including URL links it took quite a while to write so I was not going to revisit the videos to identify content.

Sorry

Fraser

[retiredcaps]

PS Are you Louis ?

Louis's eevblog name is vze1lryy.

He has already commented and participated in this thread.  And yes, I believe he is the real Louis because his 1st post

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?u=102621

is very consistent with a video he did about finding shorts.  His first post is Dec 2014, way before any of this current stuff.

[vze1lryy]

My wife's iPhone was damaged yesterday - screen shattered. I am going to take it directly to Apple and pay the premium because it will have a guaranteed outcome. I could fix it myself or try one of a million 'professionals', but I am completely swamped with work and just want it to be done and move on. According to Louis, that makes me an incompetent fool that is wasting money while feeding the criminal price premiums Apple charges.

You made the right choice. I actually tell people to go to Apple for iPhone screen repair. I believe customers will receive the best service for the dollar that way.

On my own service website, if you scroll down to We no longer fix broken screens, you will read my reasoning why. My company is one of the few, if not the only in this business, that has been honest with the customer that the screens that have been available to third party service centers over the last year have been total garbage. I willingly and openly gave up that revenue stream so that my customers could receive the best service, from someone else.

Not only does my business website actively refer people to Apple for iPhone screen repairs, but I have received widespread criticism in the repair industry for condemning this shady middleman nonsense that was going on last year. Repair shops know that customers expect to pay high prices for screen repair when the phone is new. With the iPhone 6, Apple broke that cycle and offered $109 in-store repairs that many consumers were not aware of. Customers would walk into 3rd party repair stores expecting to pay $250 for a screen repair when the phone was still new. What I found atrocious is that rather than tell the customer that Apple does it for $109, many stores would just tell the customer "sure we'll fix it for you for $250" then send it to Apple to have them do it for them for $109, without telling the customer what their options were. Here's a , and a blog post quoting a post I made on a private repair forum two years ago.

I understand that I have controversial opinions and an odd way of presenting them. As a result, people will dislike me, and that's cool - there's a lot of people I dislike on the internet as well! All I ask is that you at least hate me for the things I actually said. :p

[vze1lryy]

In terms of the actual stuff up ahead, it comes down to benefit of the doubt. I know enough people who have been raided on technicalities(oh look there's an logo on the flex cable of the part you're putting in a device) and read about enough who were crushed by certain firms to know that this is not something to be excited about. These individuals who faced terrible consequences were far less public figures than me. They did far less of what can see perceived as "wrong" by fruity inc. than what I do. All those guys did was fix phones. I showed up in Albany repeatedly to spend time with senators and assemblypeople and explain in polite simple terms why everything the fruity inc lobbyists told them were bullshit. I put it 50/50 that I'd come to work on Friday and see a lock on the door, and if that were the case, I'd feel pretty dumb if the content on the channel were gone before I had a chance to say a word about it.

So it's less serious than that, great. I imagine, to some extent, the platform and audience I have is why I am dealing with nicey-nice versions of these requests rather than the business-as-usual wrath of satan people in our industry have come to accept. They're still making requests that, if I set a precedent of allowing to occur, would be the end of the content I create and the platform I create it from, without taking some very drastic and impractical measures. I alluded to a not fun legal mess up ahead.. not a specific lawsuit. and there still is a not fun legal mess up ahead.

Someday 50 years from now when I am old and onto something else entirely, I know we will look back and laugh at all this stupid shit I had to go through to be able to do something as mundane as teach computer circuit board repair. This is current sensing and RTC circuits and buck converters man. This is SUPPOSED to be BORING and I can't wait to live in a world where this is all boring as hell once again! No drama, no adventures to find manuals, no dumpster diving to find some chip that no one sells.

[ez24]

Louis can you tell me the brand and model of the headset you are using?  Your voice is sooo clear.

https://youtu.be/3I2wW5IJ-PA

Also can I suggest you put your Youtube channel link in your signature that goes at the bottom of the message where your name is.

thanks

[vze1lryy]

Louis can you tell me the brand and model of the headset you are using?  Your voice is sooo clear.

that headset is a shure WH20 which is a total pile of crap. In newer videos after that I have a shure SM35. In the newest videos I use a DPA4065. That is a beauty. Someone sent it to me for $45 shipping, all bent out of shape with no connector looking like a broken coat hanger. I spent half an hour bending it back into shape and put a connector on it and it is a dream. DPA makes some good stuff. It's incredibly expensive, but if you buy one broken because of some short in the really flimsy wire they use, it is worth every penny.

Also can I suggest you put your Youtube channel link in your signature that goes at the bottom of the message where your name is.

thanks

If I do that someone will say I am just posting here to shill my channel. :p

[Brumby]

I'm only guessing here ... but I suspect you might have a more constructive interaction with the lawyers than others may have experienced, due to your ability to not only see the wood from the trees, but to be able to differentiate the bark, branches and leaves.

If they have a point, I would expect you will not only be able to see it, but understand it well enough to discuss the implications intelligently and possibly work out a resolution that is satisfactory to both parties.  I have the feeling others in a similar boat would be squealing like a stuck pig, rendering them incapable or at least disadvantaged in being able to engage in objective discussion.


I just watched your video on the $25 iPhone 6 screen repair - and I am heartened by your comments about the difficulties faced by women in tech.  Spot on - but there's one point I would like to extend...

While it shouldn't be, sadly, the discrimination is real and perpetuated through another subtle process.  If a man had written that article, he would have been personally labelled an idiot or stooge.  The gender based reflection upon other male journalists would have been nil.  However, since it was a female, the discriminatory attitude shows through in there being a significant portion of the 'idiot' reaction not reflecting on the single person, but to women - and not just journalists.

In my experience of the best part of 3 decades in the IT industry, I have not seen any gender based differences between the capabilities of men and women - but a lot of differentiation which derives from aptitude and confidence (both male and female).  In some environments, however, opportunities do seem to have had a bias towards men.

I have worked with both capable and pathetic people - and there has been no correlation to gender.

[ez24]

If I do that someone will say I am just posting here to shill my channel. :p

Thanks on the advice. 
I think more people would like to know the link than those would not. 

thanks again

[retiredcaps]

Wow, that man can ramble!

Then you may want to check out the "Failed Normal" channel and have a look at the running times of those vids, and I promise you that he's talking non stop in all of them... 

Louis uses multimeter probes wrt to the above youtube channel.

[ez24]

Louis uses multimeter probes wrt to the above youtube channel.

Very funny - now I know what to do with my probes 

[jitter]

Apple has always been a control freak regarding their stuff, I'm pretty sure they aren't fans of his channel. Whatever their intentions are, I'm sure it's not good.

'Control Freak' may be a strong term for a company that spends $billions on development and expect $billions in revenue. With that much money in play, they have a very big reason to constantly search for budding challenges before they get big enough to be a problem. That is business - not control freak.

I stumbled across this guys channel a few months ago and was immediately put off by his constant declaration of how stupid everyone is and how clever he is. If you can get past the rambling, you find a dark message. If you get past his dark message, you may learn something about repair.

Then I guess you have a different understanding of Louis's messages than I. IMHO, here's someone who is far more honest than the "average" person. How do I know that? Well, I consider myself "average" and I'm aware of the fact that there are many things Louis says that I wouldn't share.

Do I agree with him that lots of techs don't have it in them to properly repair electronics? Definitely yes because I see it at work every day. Does it make me feel better because I can? Not at all, because it's actually a frustrating situation to be in that might not end well in the long run (loosing customers, etc.).

I would agree with you that Louis has a dark side, he's open about that in several videos (the "A word on..." and similar videos). And maybe that's his way of dealing with it.
One such video that I find especially worth mentioning is this one:

My wife's iPhone was damaged yesterday - screen shattered. I am going to take it directly to Apple and pay the premium because it will have a guaranteed outcome. I could fix it myself or try one of a million 'professionals', but I am completely swamped with work and just want it to be done and move on. According to Louis, that makes me an incompetent fool that is wasting money while feeding the criminal price premiums Apple charges.

As you have understood by now, going to Apple with this repair was the recommended choice. And that's mainly what Louis is on about: CHOICE. He wants people to have a choice who does an out of warranty repair, it shouldn't only be Apple allowed/able to do that at a far higher rate.

Recently I saw this video on the Tom Scott channel, and I was wondering if things can really become this bad:

[Fraser]

I now see what people mean by the 'dark side'. It was not what I thought. I thought it meant he had a nasty side to him. Not so. I was aware that Louis was bullied and has had a very difficult life in some areas. I am very sorry to hear about his mum and school life. As I already thought, Louis is a good guy who has fought his way to where he is today with honest hard work. His video's are intended to help others without wanting a reward for his efforts.
A GOOD MAN

[nctnico]

My father once shared some good advice with me ..... Panic Slowly 

And don't say anything, get everything in writing and get a lawyer yourself!

[Macbeth]

Louis uses multimeter probes wrt to the above youtube channel.

Very funny - now I know what to do with my probes 

PMSL. I was wondering what this dark side of Louis is. Now I know - Voodoo witchcraft!

[Fraser]

This and other threads discussing Louis are of interest to me as I have been asked several times if I will start a video blog on thermal imaging technology and some of the more exotic technical knowledge that I posses. In all cases I have stated that I am not a Videographer of blogger. It just is not in my make up. Being generally shy and avoiding public attention. It worked well for me in my previous jobs as I needed to be discreet but possess the curiosity of a cat and the investigative mindset of Sherlock Holmes. I did not, and would not, want to attract attention or publicity.

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments. I know for a fact that such would effect me personally if I were the subject of such negativity. I make no secret of the fact that I am a perfectionist who is very self critical, analytical, compassionate towards others, loves his wife, family and most animals. Yes I do love my cats but do not hold that against me ! They are good company and got me through some tough times. For this reason I will never present myself in a video blog to become a target for life's less pleasant personalities or those for whom nothing but perfection is acceptable. As a perfectionist I do not need that kind of analysis ! I used to be a technical Instructor though so can instruct people on specialist topics. I was noted for my passion for the topics I presented. Maybe I should go back to that as a job

IMHO  Louis is a chap who has been through the school of hard knocks. As a result, he has a hard impervious shell that is more suited to the life of a Video Blogger. I have a lot of respect for him as a result. Some may not agree with his techniques, comments or presentation style. That is their right and Louis seems to cope with any negative comments made. He does not seek sympathy but appears to be willing to reveal some of his personal life in order to help others who may be experiencing the same issues. I was lucky, I went to a good school with zero tolerance for bullying and I never suffered such. I was fortunate to be the popular kid who knew stuff and fixed things

Where am I going with this ? Well I just wanted to highlight that it takes guts and resilience to be a Video Blogger and negative comments can cut deep. I know some consider Louis a bit like Marmite, a love or hate relationship. Some think he rambles on or is too opinionated. To those I say, fair enough, you can fast forward or ignore his channel, but please offer praise where praise is due. Louis produces content that is interesting and helpful to many. He does not use his video's as a revenue stream and does not seek donations from his viewers. For this and other reasons I have respect for this man and what he is trying to achieve. He is a good role model for those who sadly find themselves living a difficult life, as he has done.

Fraser

[EEVblog]

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments.

In all cases. It is 100% unavoidable, guaranteed - death, taxes, and negative comments.

[Brumby]

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments.

In all cases. It is 100% unavoidable, guaranteed - death, taxes, and negative comments.

+1

[bookaboo]

Where am I going with this ? Well I just wanted to highlight that it takes guts and resilience to be a Video Blogger and negative comments can cut deep. I know some consider Louis a bit like Marmite, a love or hate relationship. Some think he rambles on or is too opinionated. To those I say, fair enough, you can fast forward or ignore his channel, but please offer praise where praise is due. Louis produces content that is interesting and helpful to many. He does not use his video's as a revenue stream and does not seek donations from his viewers. For this and other reasons I have respect for this man and what he is trying to achieve. He is a good role model for those who sadly find themselves living a difficult life, as he has done.

Totally agree, I don't know how anyone could not like this guy even if they disagree with viewpoints. Hope he continues with success with his shop and channel.

[rx8pilot]

Sorry to hear you do not enjoy the videos that Louis produces.

Perhaps I worded that too harshly, I apologize. What I was hoping to type was my impression after watching two of his videos that ultimately kept me from subscribing or watching any more. The 'Dark Side' comment was referring to the complaining about others that I was hearing. Repair techs that don't know what they are doing and companies that are ripping everyone off. I don't care about that he has those feelings, but I couldn't hear it so much when the interesting part for me was what he was troubleshooting and how the repair happened. On a long video, it was getting old quick. That, of course, is a personal preference. There are many that enjoy the life commentary along with the tech component. I hope that is not negative, at least it is not meant to be.

I very much appreciate and relate to his life challenges and his degrees from the school of hard knocks - there are many parallels with my own life. His skills and success should certainly be applauded. Like I say with any vlogger - it's their show. They call the content and the audience either likes it or not. I watched a lot of the Eli the Computer Guy's early stuff that was sharply focused on topic. When he became more of an opinion channel, I tuned out. He still has a TON of subs, so I am likely in the minority I guess.

Louis, even if you have thick skin - I don't want you to think I was taking a stab. If it seems that way, I am sorry for that.

[ez24]

I did not, and would not, want to attract attention or publicity.

You do not have to show your face on camera or wear a mask.  You can wear long sleeves and gloves.  You can electronically disguise your voice.  I think you could do it without attracting attention.

[vze1lryy]

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments.

In all cases. It is 100% unavoidable, guaranteed - death, taxes, and negative comments.

Some youtubers do everything they can to make sure their subscribers like them. They tell everyone to like, subscribe, etc. what a rabbit hole to hell that sounds like! The problem is that you wind up changing the show to appeal to people who wouldn't like you regardless of what you do. Then, as a result of constantly changing the show in an attempt to appeal to people who do not like you, you wind up removing everything that made you likable to the people who do enjoy what you produce! At that point, you're truly lost. So a lot of the videos I've done were questions from the regular "fanbase" of the channel.

Bob Olhsson had this great saying on the womb forums.. something like, in the pursuit of removing everything bad in a performance, producers wind up taking out what is good. So you have this take with nothing out of tune, pitch, or time, but that also isn't interesting to the listener. He suggests a focus on emphasizing what is good rather than removing what is bad.

I go back to this comment I got around 500 subscribers saying I'd never hit 1000 because my videos were too long. I don't know how to view that comment now. I still don't know why more than 500 people watch this stuff.. but they do.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments.

In all cases. It is 100% unavoidable, guaranteed - death, taxes, and negative comments.

+1

-1 for ignoring the irony.

[roffvald]

I once read that video bloggers were seeking attention and approval of their peers. That is an awful and inaccurate generalisation that applies to some, but not all. What I do not like about the world of video blogging is the way that people can start to unpick the personality of the blogger, make assumptions, and in some cases make very unkind comments.

Oh I've made some assumptions about Dave for sure, I'm assuming he's a nice bloke whom I'd enjoy having a beer with.

[jitter]

Yeah, I would too.

But the reality is that many people, or rather: egos, don't feel all that good about themselves, and one way around that (in their minds) is being negative about others they might actually look up to. You know, ignoring the things they like about them and exaggerating the things they don't like. And anonymously behind a keyboard, that's real easy to do...

[EEVblog]

I did not, and would not, want to attract attention or publicity.

You do not have to show your face on camera or wear a mask.  You can wear long sleeves and gloves.  You can electronically disguise your voice.  I think you could do it without attracting attention.

Absolutely.
For example, no one knows who the world's #1 Youtuber is:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyCollectorBR
Well, there are guesses, but pretty darn anonymous.
And hands up if you know Afrorechmods real name...

[mikeselectricstuff]

I did not, and would not, want to attract attention or publicity.

You do not have to show your face on camera or wear a mask.  You can wear long sleeves and gloves.  You can electronically disguise your voice.  I think you could do it without attracting attention.

Absolutely.
For example, no one knows who the world's #1 Youtuber is:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyCollectorBR
Well, there are guesses, but pretty darn anonymous.
And hands up if you know Afrorechmods real name...

Or https://www.youtube.com/user/NurdRage

[edy]

I usually only show my hands on my videos but people will still make fun of your hands or voice. You just have to learn not to give a crap!  Do what makes you happy and ignore the haters.


[ADDITIONAL NOTE:   Having watched a bunch of videos from Louis Rossmann's channel, I can tell you that I enjoy them. I worked and went to grad school and residency in PA, NJ and NY for a while so I totally get the accent, attitude, swearing and the tell it like it is approach, so I wish Louis good luck in keeping the channel going because it is both entertaining and educational  ].

[System Error Message]

i do watch some of Louis Rossman's videos, its his videos that showed me that repairing a motherboard is possible and that it is actually hard to find a legitimate business like his. He is also one of the youtubers that actually replies to messages which is something even EEVBlog doesnt do although i understand that people are busy.

You guys should be encouraging more people to get into repair work, people have been talking about going green by reducing electronic waste so if repairing and reusing electronics is a way to go green more people should be doing it.

[ez24]

I ..

How abou :-+t make links in your profile instead of the fact that there is a Youtube and your web address (without link)  Done somewhere under Profile.  So lazy people like me only have to click.

[JoeO]

i ...

I have always received replies from posters on the EEVBlog.

Maybe there is a problem with the way you ask.

[Stonent]

I did not, and would not, want to attract attention or publicity.

You do not have to show your face on camera or wear a mask.  You can wear long sleeves and gloves.  You can electronically disguise your voice.  I think you could do it without attracting attention.

Absolutely.
For example, no one knows who the world's #1 Youtuber is:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyCollectorBR
Well, there are guesses, but pretty darn anonymous.
And hands up if you know Afrorechmods real name...

At one time I had figured it out.  I was looking up the old version of his website on the internet archive (when he made videos before youtube was around) and his e-mail address was linked to his university.   I did a quick search and found some old web posting he mentioned his name.

[Stonent]

I'm thinking this whole debacle is related to some of the schematics having URLs watermarked in them indicating a place to obtain them.

[MacMeter]

Read the whole thread, watched the videos. So it's a year later, what was the final outcome of this story?

[ataradov]

Read the whole thread, watched the videos. So it's a year later, what was the final outcome of this story?

It all went quiet. They probably don't need more bad publicity.

[Fraser]

I seem to recall Louis saying that nothing more had been heard from Apple so he was reverting back to his standard practice of showing schematics. If they contacted him again, he would revisit the situation. There may have been some comment about not showing the schematics for the latest models but that may have just been my imagination !

Fraser

[boffin]

In all cases. It is 100% unavoidable, guaranteed - death, taxes, and negative comments.

Exactly why you should never send your blog's address to your mother.  She's might be in her 80s, but she'll still tell you why it sucks.

[EEVblog]

Read the whole thread, watched the videos. So it's a year later, what was the final outcome of this story?

Apple bluffed, Louis called it.