Friday, November 9th 2012

ChannelPro Tosses Elric Phares Out of Motherboards.org

Elric Phares, founder of the 20-year old tech publication Motherboards.org learned the hard way not to cut deals with the devil big corporate media houses that promise accelerated growth of your publication in exchange for a share of profits/copyrights. According to a rant posted by Phares on YouTube, Motherboards.org joined the ChannelPro Network three years ago, a deal which typically sees Motherboards.org hand over its revenue-stream management and copyrights to ChannelPro in exchange for site (cosmetic/technical) and business (diversification/partherships) development, leading up to increased revenues for all involved, which according to him, never happened. To add to that, Phares had been noting financial irregularities. When confronted with evidence of these, ChannelPro fired him. In his video, Phares announced what will shape up to be a long-drawn legal battle with his former employer, and appealed to his followers to unsubscribe from Motherboards.org (as run by ChannelPro). Phares set his base of operations in his 2010-registered consumer electronics website, TechofTomorrow.

Elric Phares's video announcing his departure from Motherboards.org follows.

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73 Comments on ChannelPro Tosses Elric Phares Out of Motherboards.org

#51
manofthem
WCG-TPU Team All-Star!
I had nothing against this guy. First time I ever saw him was on youtube when I saw some Crysis Eyefinity video, and I thought that he sucked at the game :p
Posted on Reply
#52
xcaninox
can somebody upload the same video again? i'm trying to find it elsewhere but failed..

pretty plix? i really want to see it.

thanks anyways
Posted on Reply
#53
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
I'm not going to take sides, I think Elric made good videos, but he was also an asshole that badmouthed and insulted anyone that would question his opinions in his reviews.

However, look at some of the facts, he isn't 100% in the right here. In his video he claims ChannelPro was supposed to develop a new website and never did. However, going to the WayBack Machine shows that the site looks very different now compared to what it looked like 3 years ago.

Also, he accused his employer of embezzlement with next to no evidence and then was surprised when he was canned. Duh! Also, he openly admits he has an anger management issue, so I highly doubt he calmly asked about the money he felt he was being cheated out of.

And on top of that in 2010, a year after signing the contract with ChannelPro, he registers and opens a site that is obviously designed to directly compete with the site he just sold ChannelPro. Yes, he didn't really do anything with the site until recently, but he was obviously planning to have a competing site at some point. If I owned a hardware store and one of my employees bought a new building down the block and put a big sign on the building that says "Hardware Store", I'd fire their ass as soon as I could too.

So I'll wait until the courts work out what really happened before I take a side. I'm not saying that what they did to him was right, but we've only heard one side of the story, so I'm going to wait to pass judgement until we've heard both sides.
Posted on Reply
#55
THE_EGG
This sucks, although he wasn't the most thorough reviewers out there, he actually had a lot of the real world opinions on things. Also he was a bit silly at times (like the weekly round-up being that funny weird reporter) but this is what made Elric who he is.

Also from what I understand he had to get his foot amputated about a year and a bit ago or something like that???

Unsubbing from motherboardsorg for the meantime. I think he might have seen this coming for a little while now because of one of his other channels 'techoftomorrow' becoming more computer hardware based. Amazing that motherboardsorg has lost over 150000 subscribers now.

I hope he still continues his reviews and funny stuff independently or finds another site to latch onto.
Posted on Reply
#57
Steven B
I am sorry but the kind of contract he made is one of those which basically says sure you can stay for a few years until we figure out your business enough to kick your ass out. I am sure he got paid a lot of money upfront, and I bet he spent it all and why he is mad now.

Also making videos about embezzlement, int he large scale operation of ad money that sites like his and this and others get, is serious business. I bet you he also has a gag clause in this contract, which is also why those video disappear.

Tons of the big sites, when they get big enough, have to take on investors, or enjoy taking on investors. However some of these investors ask for a lot of stuff, such as total control. If a company asks for all copyrights, i mean, you got to be stupid not to know you just got kicked out of your own company.

Anyways, yea business decisions are hard to make when you don't have any prior experience, a lot of these big sites have very big backers in terms of investors, they all make their money from advertising, which is provided from big vendors like cpu makers, motherboard makers, and retailers like newegg, and then if you click on the ads then the site makes money.

It isn't hard to figure that out, TPU has no black market trading operation going on to keep paying for its servers and time of some of their reviewers. I don't think w1zzrd will sell out, so i wouldn't worry about TPU much.
Posted on Reply
#58
overclocker!
Elric go to my DOCTOR.COM they can give you a nice quote for hair transplant :p
Posted on Reply
#59
W1zzard
Steven BI don't think w1zzrd will sell out, so i wouldn't worry about TPU much.
depends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
Posted on Reply
#60
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
I've got a huge pile of Monopoly money, some cold coca-colas in the fridge, and a closet full of coat hangers?:D
Posted on Reply
#61
AlienIsGOD
Vanguard Beta Tester
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is
big pile of money and blow, yes. but you don't want a big hooker, they charge by the pound :p
Posted on Reply
#62
sneekypeet
not-so supermod
AlienIsGODbig pile of money and blow, yes. but you don't want a big hooker, they charge by the pound :p
you misread...there are 3 piles, and I assume the hooker pile isn't just one girl!
Posted on Reply
#63
cadaveca
My name is Dave
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
Tom's sold for like $1 Million. I think you'd need 5-8 Mil.


Just sayin. :p

I don't think Motherboards.org got one mil...
Posted on Reply
#64
Morgoth
Fueled by Sapphire
if some one would buy tpu. what would they do with tpu? make it bether? worse? shut it down?
Posted on Reply
#65
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
Morgothif some one would buy tpu. what would they do with tpu? make it bether? worse? shut it down?
total take overs tend to make sites worse or even non existent
Posted on Reply
#66
SK-1
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
Or if it happens to be around the first of April....:laugh:
Posted on Reply
#67
Kreij
Senior Monkey Moderator
If W1zz sold TPU I would leave.
Not because the site would potential not be the same (or similar), but it would lay waste all the effort we moderators have been putting in to effect a hostile take-over from W1zz.
Posted on Reply
#68
Katanai
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
Really? Good!

*starts saving up on cash, stockpiling on coke and goes out and buys a green hat*

:pimp:
Posted on Reply
#69
THE_EGG
newtekie1I've got a huge pile of Monopoly money, some cold coca-colas in the fridge, and a closet full of coat hangers?:D
I think W1zzard may have meant a different kind of 'coke' if you get my drift... :p
Posted on Reply
#70
3870x2
THE_EGGI think W1zzard may have meant a different kind of 'coke' if you get my drift... :p
Coke used to have cocaine.
Posted on Reply
#71
TheMailMan78
Big Member
W1zzarddepends on how big the offered pile of money, coke and hookers is :)
When you coming to Miami? All this can be arranged faster then a McDonalds drive thru.
Posted on Reply
#72
Wrigleyvillain
PTFO or GTFO
Except, depending on the context, you gladly point out you don't live in Miami.
Posted on Reply
#73
TheMailMan78
Big Member
WrigleyvillainExcept, depending on the context, you gladly point out you don't live in Miami.
I grew up down there and its a less then a 5 hour drive. I still have MANY connections down there (30yrs after all) and I can make it happen!
Posted on Reply
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