The one percent unfairly hurt by YouTube’s new monetization threshold

YouTube has recently made some changes that directly affect me and my channel, as well as thousands of other small creators. I made a quick video (above) outlining the changes, which I also summarize below, but I wanted to write this article to dive into the topic in a bit more detail. I’ve seen a lot of articles explaining why these changes won’t actually hurt YouTubers, and I want to argue that some people, including myself, are a forgotten minority.

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My best of 2016: A year in review

Out with 2016, in with 2017

It’s that time of year again. The end of the year. Which means it’s time to get reflective, like I’ve done in several years past (2012, 2013, 2015). This has been a pretty terrible year for so many reasons (celebrity deaths, the US election, Casey Neistat ending his daily vlog). But this post isn’t going to be about any of that.

This post is about my favorite things that happened this year. It’s a highlight of my favorite content, both created and consumed. It’s a look back at this past year to see how far I’ve come, and to set goals for myself in 2017. This post, of course, is for you to read and enjoy. But it’s also largely for me. Oh, and some of the links are affiliate links. Just a heads up.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s dive right in.

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My best of 2015: A year in review

Dann New Years Fireworks

Sitting here on New Year’s Eve day, I can’t help but feel reflective (as you can see from the gif). I like to take this time to go over my previous year-end posts (2012, 2013) and craft a new mega-post for this year. These types of posts are mostly for my own use, but I always like to post them publicly just in case any of this information can help you in any way. Oh, the book links are affiliate links. Just a heads up.

This has been a big and eventful year, so let’s just dive right in.

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The time I was almost drawn into a Futurama episode

Dann Berg's Futurama Head in a Jar Tattoo

What do you do when you cross a borderline unhealthy relationship with Futurama and  a free trial of LinkedIn premium?

You get inches away from being drawn into a Futurama episode.

My love affair with Futurama started long after the show was off the air (for the first time). I never really watched the show during the original six-season stint, even though I remember gathering around the living room TV to watch the premiere episode. Continue reading

Top 5 tech movies to see and avoid

Technology has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, and movies are no different. Sometimes films can really hit the nail on the head — providing a true glimpse into a possible future or creating an inspiring recount of a famous moment in tech history — but other movies simply fall flat.

I wanted to make a short list of movies that got it right and a few that got it wrong. This is by no means a complete list (that post would be exhausting) but these are my top picks for must-see movies and a few notable avoids. Continue reading