RIP Hardocp

Dribble

Platinum Member
Aug 9, 2005
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https://www.hardocp.com/article/2019/03/19/goodbye_hardocp_hello_intel/

Kyle is going to work for Intel and is mothballing [H], but leaving the forums running. End of an era - love him or hate Kyle and [H] have had a huge influence in the PC community for decades. Here's to wishing him all the best in the future.

*edit* he does start his new job on April 1st but this does seem a bit early for an April fools...


Moved from Graphics Cards

AT Moderator ElFenix
 
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Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
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Pretty big news. At least he's mothballing the site, which implies that he can always dig it out again in the future if he decides to step down from his position at Intel and go back to running [H] again. I think he's also doing right by his forum members as well. You can tell Kyle has a lot of respect for the community and the readers of his site.
 
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MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
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Pretty big news. At least he's mothballing the site, which implies that he can always dig it out again in the future if he decides to step down from his position at Intel and go back to running [H] again. I think he's also doing right by his forum members as well. You can tell Kyle has a lot of respect for the community and the readers of his site.
He does but, he's always run a cult of personality. He's never been known to play nice with others. I hope it doesn't bite him in the butt at Intel.
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
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Reading the whole article, it states:
HardForum.com will be sold to a company that I have done business with for years, one that I can trust to run it in the way you are familiar with. HardForum will be demonitised and all advertising and commission links removed. Simply put, HardForum will not make money in any way. It will be left up to its members to fund operations through Patreon.
It seems for the forums to not close down, they are looking at almost $1,400 a month from the users. Also, even though he says the main site will be "mothballed", he is selling it to a company, so I'd be surprised any company would buy the site and then not publish content to get a return on their investment.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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My next job starts on April 1st - So I highly doubt it's April fools - just happens to be coincidentally a monday.

I don't go around HardForum much anymore - but I will give them credit for the original forum I use to go on all the time, and the one where people taught me to build my own computer when I was ~12 years old. Classic times.God damn I'm old now.

So my question is this: What happens to HardOCP? I still check news there daily.

EDIT: So OCP is being sold to another company... great... need to find a new news source unless they keep the same editors :(
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
Pretty big news. At least he's mothballing the site, which implies that he can always dig it out again in the future if he decides to step down from his position at Intel and go back to running [H] again. I think he's also doing right by his forum members as well. You can tell Kyle has a lot of respect for the community and the readers of his site.

NO ADBLOCKERS!!! Subscribe to my Patreon for $500/month! Otherwise I'll ban you!

:p
 

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
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Reading the whole article, it states:

It seems for the forums to not close down, they are looking at almost $1,400 a month from the users. Also, even though he says the main site will be "mothballed", he is selling it to a company, so I'd be surprised any company would buy the site and then not publish content to get a return on their investment.

My understanding is that the site itself is getting mothballed. It will continue to exist, but not receive updates or new articles. Kyle will still retain ownership.

The forums are what's being "sold" but it seems like that's more a result of avoiding any possible conflicts of interest with his new position at Intel. He makes it sound like it's more of a case of it being turned over to a third party that will keep running it a little like a non-profit. Basically it will just use the Patreon funds to cover expenses for bandwidth, etc. and all ads or other monetizeation being removed.

Maybe I just read it differently.
 

railven

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2010
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My understanding is that the site itself is getting mothballed. It will continue to exist, but not receive updates or new articles. Kyle will still retain ownership.

The forums are what's being "sold" but it seems like that's more a result of avoiding any possible conflicts of interest with his new position at Intel. He makes it sound like it's more of a case of it being turned over to a third party that will keep running it a little like a non-profit. Basically it will just use the Patreon funds to cover expenses for bandwidth, etc. and all ads or other monetizeation being removed.

Maybe I just read it differently.

I definitely agree with the conflict of interest issue. Tinfoil hat on, I do expect Intel shilling to happen but he will now have the legal distance, tinfoil hat off.

Biggest shock to me is him going to Intel. I'm an Intel fanboy, but what gaming experience? I got a free game that I basically had to send a DNA stamp to them on the UPC to prove I had the hardware. /s

Is this is a sign Intel thinks they're GPUs are going to bring in the cheddah!? Or they going to be so bad they need leverage?

Side note my personal opinion, Kyle seemed to respond to money. He sold NV stock on the side (ie felt like a shill) and turned a new leaf when NV gave him the cold shoulder. He then sang AMD's praise and burned more bridges with NV. Intel scooping him up to me feels more like they want his car salesman Rolodex of contacts and influence. Not saying this guy doesn't know his stuff. But watching someone like Raja do a presentation, the guy was clearly knowledgeable on the technical side but couldn't talk laymen. Vids I've seen of Kyle, he's so much laymen I often question his technical knowledge.

Either way, kudos to him! Moving up from the "community" to working for the "makers" must be a dream come true, or at least I'd hope.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,734
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www.betteroff.ca
Wow why would he want to do that, I imagine he was making decent money running his own site, why go work for the man?

Must have been a pretty serious offer.
 

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
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I don't even know where to start. Me an Kyle go way way back. End of an era I guess. I wish him all the best in his future endeavour.
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
16,094
8,111
136
Wow, another 'end of an era' change! I used follow the site and participate in the forums years ago - then things got crazy for a while and I bugged out.
 

DrDoug

Diamond Member
Jan 16, 2014
3,580
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Once he becomes what he used to criticize, he will have been fully assimilated. ;)
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
15,854
4,803
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The job title is "Director of Enthusiast Engagement" and it begins on April 1st...
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Meh... the guy that I actually liked at HardOCP (Steve) left and started his own tech news site a long time ago.
 

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
8,353
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Wow why would he want to do that, I imagine he was making decent money running his own site, why go work for the man?

Must have been a pretty serious offer.

He is an enthusiast, and this is going to give him a chance to do a lot of the things he loves, but work with products and technology way before anyone else gets it. Sometimes you get a really cool opportunity that you'd kick yourself if you didn't take, even if everything is going good and you don't need the job, the money, etc.

Even if he only does it for a few years, the experience would be a huge benefit when he goes back to [H] and resumes running his site.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
Bump

Looks like it's official. The forum will stand but the site is gone.

Anyone have recommendations for an equivalent site? I loved their news feed - They had very relevant tech news - but also ventured into other similar content (politics/laws related to it, etc.)
 

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
8,838
1,373
126
Bump

Looks like it's official. The forum will stand but the site is gone.

Anyone have recommendations for an equivalent site? I loved their news feed - They had very relevant tech news - but also ventured into other similar content (politics/laws related to it, etc.)

anandtech?
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Bump

Looks like it's official. The forum will stand but the site is gone.

Anyone have recommendations for an equivalent site? I loved their news feed - They had very relevant tech news - but also ventured into other similar content (politics/laws related to it, etc.)

Yeah, I like Blue's News and Hypothermia for gaming tech news. Their news sites are similar to what HardOCP had. If you want more tech politics added in, try Slashdot. If you want to go more technical, try Ars Technica.