I’m sure he tweeted after x number of years he had finally be sent one to review
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As a binge watcher of many actual tech reviewers (as "wannabe" Ali will never be), I'm quite unsensitive to a rich person having a whole bunch of stuff they don't need...
Like, what should he do with them? Donate them and give 4 random viewers a new computer?
Tbf, not that impactful on the world.
Also
After seeing the new video, I think he is suffering from his current life and will suddenly convert to the gentle productivity a la D'Avella / Blakely
Like, what should he do with them? Donate them and give 4 random viewers a new computer?
Tbf, not that impactful on the world.
Also
After seeing the new video, I think he is suffering from his current life and will suddenly convert to the gentle productivity a la D'Avella / Blakely
This is gonna go a bit OT, sorry. It's about a trend I feel applies to a lot of productivity vloggers and studytubers (e.g. those who have been sponsored by that surface laptop - like Holly and Elena), but Ali just sort of emobides it in my view. Their audiece is young and they are pushing super pricey gadgets as though they are essentials. And I hate it so much, haha.
So Ali edits stuff (videos, podcasts, things with high resolution whatever) on his computers and, I guess, will need a decent one for that. But most of his viewers probably don't. They might play games on their devices, at least some of them. Most of them probably won't do anything fancier than use Netflix, which e.g. my laptop I bought used 5 years ago does without problem.
But Ali, like many productivity Youtubers, seems to try to cater to a broader group that includes entrepreneurs and irrelevant startup ideas, but in the end of the day will probably most consist of students at different stages in their academic careers. Maybe people who Rmare doing freelance work and already know what they need to run their software, maybe do writing work, maybe partly rely on tech he doesn't review at all (like printers).
A lot of these vloggers are advertising really fancy and expensive gear to this group and sure, the tech-needs will vary based on your subject. But generally you really do not need fancy equipment to run basically MS Word, something like R, a PDF Reader, Zotero, and maybe LaTeX if you're feeling fancy. I have *opinions* on studytubers listing expensive stuff like mildliners as a study essential. But much like you don't need pastel highlighters that cost a fortune and come in a ridiculous number of colors, you REALLY REALLY DO NOT NEED an iPad or a laptop that's also a tablet, or a keyboard that's also secretly a spaceship.
Sit down on your regular chair, maybe from IKEA, maybe free from Facebook marketplace. Turn on your old laptop with an average built-in webcam, whatever crappy heads at came with your mediocre phone, take out a notepad that lets ink bleed through, use that pen you accidentally kept that one time you signed something, and that nein highlighter you keep losing but it periodically shows up in your stuff again.
So Ali edits stuff (videos, podcasts, things with high resolution whatever) on his computers and, I guess, will need a decent one for that. But most of his viewers probably don't. They might play games on their devices, at least some of them. Most of them probably won't do anything fancier than use Netflix, which e.g. my laptop I bought used 5 years ago does without problem.
But Ali, like many productivity Youtubers, seems to try to cater to a broader group that includes entrepreneurs and irrelevant startup ideas, but in the end of the day will probably most consist of students at different stages in their academic careers. Maybe people who Rmare doing freelance work and already know what they need to run their software, maybe do writing work, maybe partly rely on tech he doesn't review at all (like printers).
A lot of these vloggers are advertising really fancy and expensive gear to this group and sure, the tech-needs will vary based on your subject. But generally you really do not need fancy equipment to run basically MS Word, something like R, a PDF Reader, Zotero, and maybe LaTeX if you're feeling fancy. I have *opinions* on studytubers listing expensive stuff like mildliners as a study essential. But much like you don't need pastel highlighters that cost a fortune and come in a ridiculous number of colors, you REALLY REALLY DO NOT NEED an iPad or a laptop that's also a tablet, or a keyboard that's also secretly a spaceship.
Sit down on your regular chair, maybe from IKEA, maybe free from Facebook marketplace. Turn on your old laptop with an average built-in webcam, whatever crappy heads at came with your mediocre phone, take out a notepad that lets ink bleed through, use that pen you accidentally kept that one time you signed something, and that nein highlighter you keep losing but it periodically shows up in your stuff again.
Well, given he isn't a tech reviewer, I'd say he should decline the offer of free equipment he doesn't need. Or yes, donate his spare equipment to students from low income backgrounds etc.
Great post and it's 100% true.
I went to uni at the turn of the last decade when all of this tech was much more expensive and much less available. Had a £500 laptop and didn't even get a smartphone until the last year of my degree. Completed my masters without even using MS Word (too expensive) and all notes were completed on a pack of lined paper from WHSmith with cheap biros and highlighters. I had an okay desk chair and a crappy glass desk which came with my room.
Productivity and tech people are often intertwined, something I've learned to my misfortunate. You are always looking for something that lets you achieve more and eke out the next 1% and often tech is the answer for that. I'm no stranger to tech - I have my own gaming PC - but for most people as long as its runs quickly you don't really need that ultrawide, or that second monitor, or that cutting edge MacBook in order to get your work done, let alone iPads, subscriptions to Chrome extensions, note taking apps etc.
Could I have done better in my degree with more productivity hacks and tech? Yeah perhaps I would be a little more organised in my note taking (the endless amounts of ring binder folders I had for lecture notes was annoying at times and I wish it could have been digitised a bit) and a little bit more motivated but I doubt it would have completely overhauled my grade. You don't need all this tech, it's an expensive distraction.
Some of this is doubtless motivated by the fact that YouTube is the way that it is and essentially our StudyTubers are also salespeople for brands so they're not just giving you study techniques, but they are selling a product as well. How they gonna sell you a subscription service for grammar checking or their Skillshare course when the secret to good grades is just hard work, turning your phone off and a pen and notepad?
How's he going to release two videos on the same day as the iMac as all the tech YouTubers and get the views and ad money if he has to wait 6 weeks for his fully specced out iMac to come? He'd miss the boat and miss out on so much money!
Doesn't he just review and return? It's what most tech youtubers I watch do
Any thoughts about what Ali’s channel/content will look like over the next few months, or even in a year?
I’m interested whether he’ll return to medicine post-pandemic, or stick to his videos.
I know he’s relatively drama free as an influencer, and he did get through that set of terrifically weird “productivity” videos (like the one about watching TV
productively, what the duck man)which may have gotten peak toxic productivity (IMO) out of his system.
idk, I used to find him quite relatable and admirable and then at some point I just went off him entirely.
I’m interested whether he’ll return to medicine post-pandemic, or stick to his videos.
I know he’s relatively drama free as an influencer, and he did get through that set of terrifically weird “productivity” videos (like the one about watching TV
productively, what the duck man)which may have gotten peak toxic productivity (IMO) out of his system.idk, I used to find him quite relatable and admirable and then at some point I just went off him entirely.
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He said he wants to be a part-time doctor.
Also, it seems like he found that the influencer-youtuber career doesn't really satisfy him enough to do only that. He clearly stated in his last video that his passions are other than YT
Money's gonna do that to a person.Any thoughts about what Ali’s channel/content will look like over the next few months, or even in a year?
I’m interested whether he’ll return to medicine post-pandemic, or stick to his videos.
I know he’s relatively drama free as an influencer, and he did get through that set of terrifically weird “productivity” videos (like the one about watching TV
idk, I used to find him quite relatable and admirable and then at some point I just went off him entirely.
He's gonna milk the process of writing his book for views as much as he can.
He'll move to more mindful/gentle productivity and explore meditating and mindfulness and that stuff. He will dip his toes into minimalism because there is a big market there. The book summary stuff is a good nook that he does well I think.
Alternatively he could go into the investment/crypto/passive income stuff. I hope he doesn't because we definitely do not need another one of those YouTubers but honestly his investment strategy does not seem particularly good (I wonder how his 20% of investments in BTC is doing now lol).
Tesla content is always a big one he could go for, as well as all the tech review stuff but from a productivity standpoint. He hasn't seemed particularly interested in putting out Tesla content or gadget reviews through apart from very surface level reviews of new Apple stuff.
Post-pandemic I think he will travel for a year or two, and try to work with YouTubers in the US. It was funny when he decided he was moving to America to pursue medicine there and also work with people like Matt D'vella and then Matt decided to move to Australia. Hopefully that will teach him that although he can work anywhere in the world, it is important to have roots somewhere and people close by to spend time with.
At the end of the day, his brand is productivity and being a Doctor so he can't stray too much away from those things. I hope he stays in medicine. I wanted to be a Doctor a long time ago but the competition for places was too high so I ended up doing a Chemistry degree instead. To have someone like Ali take up that spot, go through the training and then bun it off really stings.
His content right now is too diverse, which makes sense because there's been a pandemic, but he will need to focus up because I'm not sure what his channel is actually about right now. Seems too much like "unemployed rich man messes about doing whatever he fancies on a given day" and it isn't actually particularly helpful. The productivity stuff is much more useful when he's actually juggling being a doctor with all this other stuff.
I hope he gets into medicine again. Like, properly, full-time. Or maybe into a career related to facilitating access to medical treatments or breaking down how the healthcare system works. Something worthwhile that isn't just a random guy making a lot of money for no purpose in particular.
A lot of productivity youtubers seem to be really productive as they create content about being productive, as they make money off of talking about making money, or use their fancy laptop to edit a video about a fancy desktop pc. It seems circular and just so depressing. A long-term project might be a book about being productive. Then comes the productivity content about writing a book. As a PhD student/TA, this just seems... dreadful? Where is this going? And as someone quite invested into social justice movements, what good is it doing?
A lot of productivity youtubers seem to be really productive as they create content about being productive, as they make money off of talking about making money, or use their fancy laptop to edit a video about a fancy desktop pc. It seems circular and just so depressing. A long-term project might be a book about being productive. Then comes the productivity content about writing a book. As a PhD student/TA, this just seems... dreadful? Where is this going? And as someone quite invested into social justice movements, what good is it doing?
i can't believe I'm typing this rn but this dude forgot it was Sheen's birthday and went on a trip with his friends. holy hell. that's hilarious yet tragic. he gifted her a canon m50 to make up for it. lmao.
btw, she also mentioned she's leaving in august. i'm really looking forward to watching her solo vlogs!! but yeah wish she'd rethink the voiceover style vlogs.
btw, she also mentioned she's leaving in august. i'm really looking forward to watching her solo vlogs!! but yeah wish she'd rethink the voiceover style vlogs.
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Ctfu what an inconsiderate friend. Glad to see she had a nice weekend though. Voiceover style vlogs are boring really. Clearly she is taking inspo from people like Elizabeth and Ali but it is not a particularly engaging style.
The medical stuff is what is most interesting honestly versus the entrepreneur stuff. It'll be interesting to see what people like KharmaMedic do when their time training is up and if they go down the entrepreneur and productivity route too. He has always seemed way more into medicine than Ali ever has been.
The productivity people are just far too invested in their own thing. They think that everyone's got to have a Notion, got to take notes, got to have an expensive mic, and got to edit videos. It's just not particularly useful at this point, it's not practical or interesting. Who tf at a normal every day job is bringing their iPad and taking notes. It's all mega focused towards "side hustle" and out of work stuff that they all seem to have forgotten that the majority of people do not edit videos for a living and we have actual jobs. Some productivity content geared towards being productive (or should I say more efficient) in an actual 9-5 office job would be so much more useful.
I think she’s just copied Ali with it, she used language he also uses (can’t remember and example) and then it’s interesting she’s leaving so who will he get to replace her? Because seemingly he makes money off them being there to help pay his mortgage
It's Cambridge, the rental market here is mad. He will get someone to fill the spot in about a day if he needs.
If not then it seems like he's got enough money to just pay other half of the mortgage himself now.
I think he'll return to medicine in a part-time capacity, definitely not move to the US (at least not as a doctor), maybe do some ER in australia? He seems a bit bored with just being a youtuber, plus with international travel being restricted atm he may as well get on with his career and then go travelling later
I think it's fair enough if he wants to go back to doing medicine just part-time, if I had a side gig as good as Ali's I would definitely do the same. Love the job but it does tire you out and can leave little time/energy in your life for other things.
Agreed, some people on here think that working in healthcare needs to be this all-consuming passion that you selflessly dedicate yourself to, which is fair enough as it's a common stereotype that people have. But it's that kind of attitude that leads to the poor retention rates of medics in this country and a having a fairly balanced attitude to it like ali does seems healthier.
It would be great if we could apply this to all jobs across society (not just healthcare). We could all do with 4 day weeks.
I agree, but on the flip side, I don’t think Ali is ever going to be that person.
I don’t think he’s good at balance.
So... his ideal week 5 years from now is one he can make happen pretty much instantly as it is, and... it's ideal because it's putting him out of his comfort zone and he wants to be remembered as a productivity teacher? I guess it's fair to say that his and my outlook in life, and general aspirations, just don't match at all 
They don't have to, of course. Though I do find it odd when people don't really express any intent to further a cause and make other people's life's better in ways that don't benefit them directly.
I thought it was sweet that he wants to be remembered as a good father and a good husband, though. Those are very worthy goal and he comes across as a very gentle person in his videos (and his kids would probably be the most efficient pre-k students out there).
They don't have to, of course. Though I do find it odd when people don't really express any intent to further a cause and make other people's life's better in ways that don't benefit them directly. I thought it was sweet that he wants to be remembered as a good father and a good husband, though. Those are very worthy goal and he comes across as a very gentle person in his videos (and his kids would probably be the most efficient pre-k students out there).