Leo Laporte is well known for his “frugal” ways when it comes to the business. Everything that can be free or could be free is used over anything that costs money. He hires the worst people as well, likely due to not paying well enough to attract and keep exceptional talent.
Let’s create a list of miserly decisions Soup has made in the past. Please contribute in the comments if you can think of more that we should add.
- Skype is used over superior commercial products, while complaining constantly about Skype.
- HexChat is used over Textual because it’s free. When Leo finally gave up and bought Textual, he complained that it’s 5 dollars.
- IRCcloud is used because Leo is too stupid to figure out how to connect to his IRC’s ZNC bouncer. He complained that he needed to pay 5 dollars per month.
- Twitch, Ustream, and BitGravity are all used because they’re free or cheap.
- Flosoft is used to stream only in cases where it is absolutely necessary. It is not advertised on the site and exists solely to service HLS mobile clients, like iOS. It is run from a server in France rather than a real CDN. Leo hates people using Flosoft because it is the one streaming provider that actually costs him money.
- He has no IT person on staff. He has to rely on contract personnel and his own idiocy to try to solve problems — or alternatively blame his problems on trolls.
- He refuses to pay for mobile apps for TWiT. Apparently the mobile platform isn’t big enough to matter to Soup. He leaves that to developers to create apps for free that make Leo money and cost the developers time and money. He then berates those developers on-air if a viewer has a problem with an app.
- Willful copyright infringement. He sticks ads on live streams from other companies while sending DMCA requests to YouTube for clearly fair-use content.
- The number 2 host, in terms of airtime, one Father Robert Ballecer, works for free. Leo makes a “donation” to the church for his time, but the fat priest would work for free due to his fat ego anyway.
- He got CUNY to pay for his New York Studio as well as the equipment in Petaluma required to send/receive the high-quality video. The taxpayers of New York are funding the dotNYC show currently in beta. We can’t wait to see them slap ads on it to make TWiT money while sticking the people of New York with the bill.
This brings us to the latest announcement. Leo Laporte literally wants you, the viewer, to pay for his streaming bandwidth. The concept itself is galling.
The BitTorrent announcement has a bit of humor in it as well:
TWiT: The TWiT.tv Netcast Network with Leo Laporte features the #1 ranked technology podcast This Week in Tech, along with over 20 other top-ranked online shows.
TWiT hasn’t been the #1 ranked technology podcast in a really long time. It’s likely been years at this point.
Leo has finally figured out how to get his few remaining fans to directly pay for his streaming bandwidth. Soup and CeHO Liza Kentzell Laporte must be very excited.
I don’t know about miserly, but his worst decision was marrying that swanky cunt we love to hate as the CEHo.
Also where is Myriam Joire?
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
Skanky, I obviously meant skanky and not swanky because that bitch is low-rent. Did you know she’d only been to Mexico before she hooked her claws into Soup?
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
That must be where she went for her gender reassignment surgery.
Franchise» Quote comment
She gives new meaning to gender fluid…
Scott» Quote comment
That is a phrase that I really don’t want to think about.
PettyJeffJarvis» Quote comment
Needs to be noted that she was only going to Mexico because one of her previous jobs was a drug mule. Considering the sewer-like condition of her privates she knew nobody would bother searching her too closely at the border check points.
thoughtpolyp» Quote comment
He’s squeezing every nickel outta the business which is fair enough but the resulting quality is shit and he don’t care.
Lisa’s Cunt» Quote comment
THIS is the problem. Crap content with no insight. And why does he pinch pennies then blow a crapload of money on that bad website?
Queer as a 3 Dollar Bill» Quote comment
“Netcasts you hate, from people who suck.” – Goud one lol!
ITM everybody and TYFYC!
Mark Pugner» Quote comment
It’s fine that he wants to keep running costs down, what business person wouldn’t? The problem with this is that Leo expects high end quality and whines when it’s not there in a free or nearly free product. He’s not even humble enough to recognize you get what you pay for and accept it and move on.
Esch» Quote comment
Leica, you are objectively wrong on most of your stated facts. This post is a waste. Totaldrama is circling the drain.
Fauxjournalist» Quote comment
Then why are you here?
Sex Swing» Quote comment
Faux, please present any counterevidence you have, as ours is based on things Leo has said on-air.
If we are incorrect, we will be more than happy to correct the article and make a retraction obvious.
Leica Lens» Quote comment
This is the only thing fauxjournalist does – anyone who had even the most remotely interesting personality would actually engage and produce corrections.
Not this guy – this guy wants to feel good about himself, so he posts here only to show how much cleverer he is than you.
evilpants» Quote comment
I won’t waste my time to do your fact checking. You need not be lazy. I’ll give you that should be easy to verify. Bitgravity isn’t free.
This website is killing itself by being lazy and wrong. You could do better.
Fauxjournalist» Quote comment
TYFYC. TWiT has been circling the drain for the last few years and the inevitable collapse is coming. No doubt about about it, LaPorke and the CEhO is EFFENDUNN!
Too Early???
Nah.
NAKnight» Quote comment
NAKnight – ITM!
Sex Swing» Quote comment
ITM and TYFYC!
NAKnight» Quote comment
What the fuck is wrong with the guy, if he spent a little people might not quit watching his shitty shows.
I quit the first time the stream freezes.
I noticed that he has started saying they are having a mobile app being written, seems too much of a coincidence with this BitTorrent announcement. I would bet that it’s a going to have a little paywall built in.
I guess his claim of “I do this because I love it” may be more of “I do this because I keep finding more ways of sucking the suckers dry”
I won’t pay for the steaming pile of shit he calls TWiT, it’s no longer something that I watch regularly, in fact it’s more of watch rarely.
He blames guests for the shitty skype connection, I’m sure that if he could use hangouts he would use that and send it all straight to YouTube and have it all free and save on the TD too. Only reason he hasn’t is because he likes to be the sole focus and hates too much air time to the guests. Maybe why so many just never get asked back on.
Ferdinand Legrand» Quote comment
I recall sitting in meetings in 2010 where Leo was wanting to create a mobile app.
Jeff» Quote comment
Can I buy a brick or shitty t-shirt at the same time?
#1 Fan» Quote comment
Instead of hiring a CEO he pays his mistress $200,000 a year that goes back to him.
Instead of hiring guests like JCD for twit and screen savers he uses Oh Doctah, Snell, Iain and anyone who is free. Actually, the entire network survives on the backs of free contributors of bored bloggers.
His roving reporter to events is the Priest using Church donations to pay for his travel and accommodations.
He has fans buy T-shirts and bricks to supplement his income
Instead of hiring professional editors like Jeff Stewart for 60-90K a year, he gives people a copy of Adobe and calls them editors.
he is moving his beautiful studio to a strip mall, (or his house?)
***i am looking forward to seeing if Obamas new overtime law is adhered to at twit. Most of those people there make under 48K. Leo probably votes republican.
Jere» Quote comment
The moral of the story is that you get what you pay for and if Leo has not been paying for the things he needs to keep the network afloat, then the drain circling motion shall begin…..
NAKnight» Quote comment
He’s actually an outspoken lefty. Those types always rely on the fanaticism of their base to prop themselves up. I frequently stop listening to him when he goes on a liberal rant.
StinkBeard» Quote comment
I love you. This all turned out to be a blessing. I work for a successful Silicon Valley company with better pay and stocks.
Jeff» Quote comment
So does anyone have a prediction for the date that TWiT goes under?
GetALife» Quote comment
you mean like a deadpool?
ryan reynolds» Quote comment
Soon as Leo has to pay a dime for anything. That’s when the doors will shut. He’s a tight wad with a gold digger wife.
Radar» Quote comment
As long as twit has Leo, twit lives.
Fauxjournalist» Quote comment
It offended me as a cheapskate when Leo instantly ordered The Wizard of Oz when it was restored from the original Technicolor reels for perfect color alignment. He didn’t even think about it. He even had to have it shipped as soon as possible. Then some time went by and he blundered into the insane Brickhouse lease. Then he spent a fortune on decor to make it look like the cottage and a lame 1990s cable channel. Then he wanted the audience to be impressed and be filled with envy at his high spending lifestyle.
I barely remember to check in with TWiT more than once or twice a month lately. The content is so weak that even Total Drama is suffering! It’s hard to understand how Laporte’s operation coasts along like it does, since it couldn’t seem to get any worse two years ago. Tech news in general has declined in importance.
At least the on camera talent at Tech TV used to DO things with new tech products. All TWiT does is sit there and talk and talk about battery life and speculate about some bizarre future where consolidating digital services will somehow revolutionize society. Leo would be the world’s greatest photographer if expensive new technology alone was the answer.
If only Sarah Lane got to decide things! Leo had to throw it all away for personal power. Now everything has his personal stamp and it’s unwatchable.
DramaDude» Quote comment
You’re right. TWiT sucks.
And so does Lisa!
Sex Swing» Quote comment
Sarah has enough trouble running her own life…don’t think she would have been the solution to anything.
WiBB» Quote comment
Speaking of ManTranny aka CeHo has she ever posted any nudes?
It’s not for me
cpl of crackheads here at the shelter were asking
OhNoYetAnotherTroll» Quote comment
Pics of her nasty snatch don’t count as nudes?
She’s usually wearing little clothing anyway, use your imagination.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
Looks like that disgusting pig had @leolaportesucks taken down.
Not to worry. It’s now renamed as @LeoLaportePerv
WE’RE GETTING TO THAT DOUCHEBAG!!
Holden» Quote comment
Has anyone managed to reach Hilton for comment?
I like Hummus … and Turtles» Quote comment
How do you file a compliant to get TWIT LLC audited by the IRS?
Nagee» Quote comment
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/how-do-you-report-suspected-tax-fraud-activity
Poniferous» Quote comment
He has small hands
Radar» Quote comment
As much as I am mostly despising the way Leo is turning TwiT into irrelevance I fully support proposing his podcasts via BTS – that’s a nice idea and a “good” way to avoid the usual “gatekeepers” !
AlexT» Quote comment