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Tested.com |OT| Lean Into It If It's Racist
- Thread starter eznark
- Start date
Aruarian Reflection
Chauffeur de la gdlk
I actually have fancy Japanese Toto toilets installed in my house. I don't use the bidet function much at all, but all the automatic stuff is awesome (automatic lid open/close, deodorizer, flush, heated seat). It's stuff that you don't think you would need until you live with it for a few days and now can never go back. These toilets can be bought all over the US if you look for it, but are obscure enough that it could make for a good Tested article
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Has Will done the scale review yet? I'm thinking of picking one up.
I choose to believe he was referring to Nintendo there cause the Xbox back catalog is far inferior to Sony's. I did love Links 2004, though.
BolognaSoup
Member
With riveting content like "Look at this overpriced pen I bought," Tested won't last another 2 years.
Hah, not gonna lie, I've thought the same thing once or twice - especially when they do their usual "lets laugh at the overpriced, niche products demonstrated at CES/MWC, meanwhile here's a video of a overpriced, niche product that I like".
HamPster PamPster
Member
My last job gave us one (and only one) expensive mechanical pencil when we started. I used that baby for a year before I lost it 
My last job gave us one (and only one) expensive mechanical pencil when we started. I used that baby for a year before I lost it
How big was the lead?
I'm almost impressed that they managed to get the "is the Galaxy Note 8.0 a phone?" question wrong even with on the spot fact-checking - the (absurd) revelation that the international HSPA+ variant can in fact be held up to your ear and used as a phone was one of the preeminent bits of information for the device on practically all the major tech blogs.
I miss App of the Day.
Apps apps apps of the week now, apps apps of the week.
Come back ana!
BolognaSoup
Member
So in the last week I've noticed that we've had Will telling us about his $45 pen covers, $4,000 is totally worth going to see some TED Talks, he'll absolutley jump on the first release of Google Glass for $1,500, and Norm is putting together his $2,000-3,000 camera. I've probably missed a few. 1% Tested!
In all seriousness, how does a site like Tested make money? Also, is Jamie Hyneman ever going to do anything with Will and Norm?
In all seriousness, how does a site like Tested make money? Also, is Jamie Hyneman ever going to do anything with Will and Norm?
HamPster PamPster
Member
There's no money left in the internet peasants. Tested is going after the ultra-wealthy tech enthusiast clientele
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
It does start to feel that way.
Maybe they don't? AFAIK, they never did on Whiskey Media: That's why it was sold. It always ran on StartUp money and the subscriptions only covered the basics.
BermanBraun must be funding most of the big expensive stuff (Like equipment and stuff). The replicator 2 they use is a loan from Adam: He bought it and never really got into it. The only other stream revenue they have is ADs on the website and on YouTube. Also, the fact that they don't have to pay for Bandwidth for hosting the videos is probably a huge burden removed from them financially-wise when compared to WhiskeyMedia times. Another thing: Other than Joey, Norm and Will, the rest of the "Tested" staff (Engineers, website designers) is constantly working on other BermanBraun websites, so it's not like they greatly improve the maintenance cost of the website.
However, the way they keep asking for people to give thumbs up on YouTube, Likes on Facebook and Comments on iTunes (which just makes it all go upper on the "top 10" scale of each of those services) probably means they need more visibility than they're getting.
Why would you buy a site if it didn't make money?
Didn't like how Norm attacked the writer from The Verge. Dick move
If I'm not mistaken, BermanBraun bought Tested and the whole Distillery backend system thing that WhiskeyMedia created (that's why most of the engineers went along with Tested and only Dave and Alexis remained on Giantbomb). CBSi bought Giantbomb and ComicVine, but none of the backend stuff.
Hell knows what happened to AnimeVice. Somebody is still updating it.
That's why both Giantbomb and ComicVine are going through MASSIVE website rebuilding: They're changing the backend systems as well, and that's why it took so long.
I don't think Tested made money. I don't think it lost money either: They created a much more personality based tech website (not unlike Giantbomb), something that's not quite common and, in Jeff's vision, is the future of the Internet. Will and Norm are the creators of the website, and if you like the idea, you need them. Both their work and their audience are a good investment.
If Tested was making good money, why would they need to change the entire scope of the website, from mostly Tech news (kinda over-saturated market) to all kinds of interesting shit news? If you pay close attention, even what Adam is doing is regular day-to-day life stuff: Making stuff yourself, being prepared for whatever job you're making, buying the right products for the right reasons. The site is still mostly rooted on Tech News, but I have a feeling it's much more oriented at "which steps I should take when choosing any product I want to buy" as opposed to "which device should I buy?" nowadays.
BolognaSoup
Member
I don't understand how GiantBomb makes much money either. They are obviously a much more focused site (and in my opinion a much more mature site) but I would be surprised if the advertising they are getting is really enough. I can't imagine their subscriptions do all that much either. I subscribed for a couple months before realizing there was hardly any real reason to. Almost all of the content is right there for free.
I have been a subscriber since they started offering subscriptions. I've also bought 2 shirts and a poster from them. I'm sure there are hundreds of people like me.
The profitable measurement of websites always amuse me. Sometimes, just a raw amount of daily access is something that's good enough to keep a website around. Sometimes, it's not even about raw page hits or advertisement income: A company as big as CBSi can say: hey, we have two of the biggest gaming websites (in their respective areas) around: Gamespot, which tries to provide access and content to everybody about everything, and Giantbomb, which provides a much more personal interaction with it's users and (for a lack of a better term) is editor-"celebrity" focused, as opposed to "game" focused.
As I see, they are both very different user bases and it can be interesting for a company to tell their partners that they have control over both audiences. Maybe that's enough to pay for the cost of it.
They don't have to disclose the fact that the audience it panders to doesn't turn a profit. This is why we don't hear much about how a website stays afloat. Sometimes, like 1up, they don't.
I'm pretty sure this is a really big bullet point when adding costs up every year. While the Subscribers on GiantBomb.com seem to fluctuate a lot (as some people sign up for the Exclusive Content and find out that there isn't much of it), it seems to me that there's a good part of it that just pays for the sake of giving them money, so they can continue doing what they do, be it "exclusive" content or free for all.chogidogs said:
I know that's why I make sure I pay the 39 bucks every year (I usually re-up my subscription on either Thanksgiving of Christmas, when they usually have a discount up).
Yep. Seemed quite jealous.
I wouldn't assume they do. I have no insight into the CBS deal but that seemed to me like it was more an acquisition of talent than it was the acquisition of a profitable website. Whiskey Media didn't get broken up and sold off because it was making big bucks.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Thing is though, the subscriber base (which seems to be growing, 18K last time I saw it) that was used to sustain 5 websites are now used to sustain 2, and now they've removed the really dumb "no ads" restrictions they've imposed on themselves.
Not sure how I missed this comment but you made a great point, sir.
Is the Verge thing about Josh Topolsky and Google Glass? Because I'm pretty sure all tech writers and enthusiasts were/are super jealous about that.
I don't usually listen when it's just Will and Norm, I tend to find it a bit cringe worthy. If they have to record with just the 2 of them, they should consider doing it live with a chat room or something.
I don't usually listen when it's just Will and Norm, I tend to find it a bit cringe worthy. If they have to record with just the 2 of them, they should consider doing it live with a chat room or something.
Norm started off with saying "Boy, is he cool" and then he went on to attack the nice clothes Josh wore and the haircut he might've gotten before going to use them. It seemed like norm is super jealous of Topolski in general and just used this to get at him. Real lame.
Norm attacking someone else over their vanity was so delightfully self-unaware. He's been paying too much attention to Gruber and his weird potshots at TheVerge/Topolsky.
But yeah, the podcast is unlistenable without Gary or someone similar. They struggle as it is to ground themselves and without that third chair it becomes really noticeable. I get the feeling they just don't know what to do with the podcast, it's kinda at odds with the direction of the rest of the site but they don't want to lose the tech listeners.
But yeah, the podcast is unlistenable without Gary or someone similar. They struggle as it is to ground themselves and without that third chair it becomes really noticeable. I get the feeling they just don't know what to do with the podcast, it's kinda at odds with the direction of the rest of the site but they don't want to lose the tech listeners.
I think it was more along the lines of "would you buy new clothes and get a new haircut to promote yourself if you got exclusive access to the Google Glass and everybody is going to bring you to their TV shows to talk about the product or would you try to cover it properly?", which was kinda reinforced (or the argument was saved by will) when he said that the 3 thousand word article doesn't say much about the device itself.
however, I can't say much about the subject: I didn't see his coverage of the product.
funkystudent
Member
Well this will be the first tested podcast I listen to since mid January.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Can't believe they're having a dad cast without Gary, but Jeff Green makes me completely forget what I just said.
Gary is too busy hanging out with his new best friend Will Smith.
HamPster PamPster
Member
A podcast like that deserves its own thread once its out
The Wizard
Member
Vinny and Jeff Green on the same podcast? This is going to be great.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Nevermind! I think Gary's the one taking the photo.