How a YouTube Personality Unmasks Anonymous Critics

CREATOR NEWSLETTER


Presented by:

This week, we have another wild story from the drama-tuber scene. Reporter Steven Asarch spoke with some of the biggest creators in the YouTube commentary space — SomeOrdinaryGamers and the Internet Anarchist — as well as a smaller channel, the Dark Company, to discuss their experiences with a notorious YouTuber known as TechLead.

For the uninitiated, TechLead is run by Patrick Shyu, who started the channel in 2016 and claims to be a former software engineer at Google and Facebook. Shyu is known for basically being a caricature of the tech-bro-misogynist, saying things like “no one asked for women programmers” and that he “rejected all women on the spot and trashed their résumés in front of them” while working at Google.

In an interview, Shyu told Passionfruit that TechLead is just a “fictional persona built to gain attention” and that anyone watching should “take his words with a grain or large amount of salt.” But as Steven puts it in his piece, “Shyu’s other controversies cannot be explained away as a mustachio-twirling villain for clicks.”

Though Shyu claims to be “not against constructive forms of criticism or free speech,” he has sent copyright notices to three YouTubers who have created critical content about him. Shyu has also been pretty open about using YouTube’s copyright system to get anonymous creators’ names and identities.

In short, the story shows how easily YouTube’s copyright system can potentially be exploited to affect all creators, big and small. Read more about it below.


PERSONALITIES

Man in front of electronic waste background

Transform your creator business—on your own terms.

With Teachable, you can turn your expertise into fully customizable digital products. Whatever your passion, share it with others in exactly the way you want with courses, community, downloadable content, and more.


IN THE BIZ


CULTURE

Creators Shill Merch and Fan-Fic In Wake of Trump Assassination Attempt

‘It’s a lot easier to deal with a democracy in shambles if you have a silly escape.’ 

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor


TIPS & TRICKS

How To Change Your TikTok Username When You Need To Rebrand

Here’s what happens when your swap your TikTok username for something fresh. 

By Rachel Kiley, Passionfruit Contributor


YOUTUBE MADE ME DO IT

Star Wars reactor Catherine LaSalle joins the Reactorverse Podcast to share her journey —  from reacting to fan edits to appearing on Howard Stern — during the Disney+ era of Star Wars TV. 

LaSalle also discusses her early days as a creator, unexpected opportunities, and the ongoing issue of toxicity in online fandoms. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Passionfruit YouTube channel so you don’t miss an episode! If you’d prefer to listen in audio form, we also have a podcast feed. And if you want to catch the episodes early, join us on Patreon!

Content for Creators.

News, tips, and tricks delivered to your inbox twice a week.

Newsletter Signup

Latest Newsletters

  • Fake News: Influencers Didn’t Kill Journalism. Wall Street Did. 

    Fake News: Influencers Didn’t Kill Journalism. Wall Street Did. 

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #208 | February 1, 2024 Two weeks ago, the 30-year-old music news and review site Pitchfork was folded unceremoniously into GQ, gutting its staff. Conde Nast, the parent company of GQ, which acquired the venerated music site in 2015 — had its chief content officer Anna Wintour announce the layoffs during a…

  • Even the Top 4% of Creators Want a Union

    Even the Top 4% of Creators Want a Union

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #207 | January 30, 2024 Tomorrow morning, creator commerce platform Kajabi is releasing a new study examining 2,000+ high-earning creators across the world who make over $100,000 per year. The study covers some of the various “strategies, behaviors, mindsets, and demographics” that set six-figure-earning creators apart from the rest of the crowd.…

  • Do We Need a Reverse Adpocalypse?

    Do We Need a Reverse Adpocalypse?

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #206 | January 25, 2024 Deja-tube: no, it’s not the weird feeling one gets while watching Doja Cat’s “Demons” video. It’s the uncanny sensation after seeing a YouTube ad in clear, flagrant defiance of the platform’s policies show up on one channel and suddenly seeing it everywhere.  Whether it’s fleshlights, celebrity AI-generated…