Jake Ludington

Over the past few weeks, I started going through old posts on my blog and removing outdated links or making small updates when the content still felt relevant. I have posts going back twenty years, so there’s quite a bit to update.

One of the great things about writing online is that it leaves a breadcrumb trail I can follow to see how my thinking has changed over time.

Sometimes, I find that my thinking has changed very little. One example is an assessment of the Tablet PC platform from 2004. It turns out that my opinion then, that “I’m at a point where I don’t think I could ever go back to writing things by hand instead of typing. For me, it’s just not efficient. I found myself seeking out keyboard shortcuts that just weren’t there when I was using the pen.” This still reflects my approach to using an iPad, where I default to using a keyboard whenever possible, even though the Apple Pencil is evolved well beyond where the Fujitsu stylus was back in 2004.

Another example is more timely, with all of the recent discussion about Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, a YouTuber who is known for thoughtful reviews of all kinds of technology products. He posted a highly critical review of the new Humane Ai Pin, which resulted in a fair amount of online backlash.

MKBHD has demonstrated impeccable credibility throughout his career and I sometimes watch his videos to get an additional perspective on products I might purchase, so when he says something is bad, it probably is.

The general criticism of MKBHD’s Humane Ai Pin review is that his negativity will kill the company because of his influence. I’m not sure even Walt Mossberg ever accomplished that.

I respect his opinion and given the number of other reviews that essentially said the same thing, I’m sure it’s an accurate assessment. I had written the device off before it ever shipped because it seems like the wrong solution to the problems it promises to solve. Maybe we’ll all be proven wrong over time, who knows?

What does this have to do with my old blog posts? 

Back in 2009, there was a New York Times article about sponsored blog posts, which have since evolved into the whole category of online influencers who post about products for money on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The beginning of the article included a section on Colleen Padilla, who runs Classymommy.com. At the tail end of the segment on Padilla, it mentions that if she doesn’t like something, she doesn’t post about it.

The people defending MKBHD all talk about the responsibility of reviewers to tell their readers and viewers about products they don’t like. I appreciate this view and certainly if you’re going to review something that is deeply flawed, you owe it to your readers to give your honest opinion. I disagree that there is some fundamental responsibility to give air time to low quality products. 

I wrote a response laying out the reasons that I almost never write negative product reviews, none of which have anything to do with financial incentive. Looking at my response nearly 15 years later, I still agree with my rationale.

There’s no such thing as bad publicity

P.T. Barnum had a point. Or to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, the only thing worse than hearing something negative about your product is to have it be ignored.

Your Time is Precious

There are even more things to distract us than there were back then. Reading negative reviews from a niche writer like me takes time away from reading things that might be more helpful.

My Time is Precious

I have less available time to write than I did back in 2009 because it is no longer my primary job. When I was writing full time, I still had to budget my time to the articles I thought would make the biggest impact. It was a rare event for that to be a negative review.

Helping People Solve Problems with Poorly Designed Products

My most popular articles are never product reviews anyway. The articles that consistently receive the largest readership are the ones that help people solve problems. Many times the articles help people solve problems with deeply flawed products. It does no good to tell someone that they thing they already purchased is a piece of junk — it’s far better to help them make the best of it. 

A great example of this was a series of articles on helping people edit video recordings made on Sony’s DVD camcorders. Tens of thousands of those camcorders sold before better alternatives came along. They created all kinds of issues for people who wanted to edit and share their home movies with other people. Telling people these cameras suck wasn’t useful, it was more helpful to show them a way to get the most out of the purchase they already made.

I still love helping people. When I have time to write, it’s either to respond to something I feel passionate about or to try and leave behind something that might help someone else when they are looking for answers to annoying tech problems.

Customer Reviews Are a Different Story

When it comes to customer feedback on products, I have an entirely different view. I deeply appreciate someone who pays for a product and takes the time to give constructive feedback in a 1-star review. That customer traded their hard-earned money for a solution to a problem. When something isn’t working, I want to know.