Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Goodbye, TWiT!


Last weekend I unsubscribed from all my TWiT podcasts. The hypocrisy and lack of professionalism finally became too much. I post this on a blog because I have recommended the podcasts to others. While I cannot find every person and rescind my endorsement, I can post my decision here. I will also note that I do not judge anybody who does not make the same decision I made. I may be misinformed or ignorant of key pieces of information, but I do not trust Leo Laporte or his TWiT network anymore

I finally had to confront the duplicity of TWiT when, at the end of Security Now from May 26th, Leo announced that they would not be airing the taping of that show live anymore. Steve Gibson got confused, but Leo explained they would still tape it at the same time, but that they would only air the produced copy later and not the live show. I knew that Leo has often expressed the immense value he gets from the chatroom and doing live shows, so I knew something must have happened. I also knew that since this wasn't the first time, it must have been something bad. It was.

Even so, I might have overlooked it in isolation. I might have at least waited for the dust to settle. My problem is that the list of offenses has grown too long and too pervasive:
  • Leo's affair with his CEO
  • Erik Lanigan's dismissal and eventual death
  • Petty banning of Jason Calacanis
  • Leo accidentally showing sexts on shows
  • Departure of many hosts
  • General misogyny during shows
  • Recent emphasis on virtualized porn
  • Most recent issue
I did not know how much to go into the list. If you want or need to know more, I'm sure Google will help you. It's with a heavy heart that I leave the TWiT army. The shows were well-produced, quirky, funny, and informative. Integrity is one thing TWiT no longer has (if it ever had it), and that's the value that matters most to me. That network. . . is in the can.