Welcome 2024! A look ahead and a necessary look back

New Year, New Luck? Before looking forward optimistically, it’s always important to also look back. And that’s exactly why I want to address something that has increasingly become clear to me personally: the lack of focus on very important things, because many things in everyday life and the multitude of tasks simply get lost in the shuffle. This includes especially the weaknesses in my own approach in the review and control of third parties in the context of my work as a hardware journalist. It’s an area where I must admit that I haven’t always exercised the necessary diligence, because many other things seemed at least as important, and at the end of the day, there often just wasn’t enough time and energy.

On one hand, there’s the involvement of third parties in my testing processes. Here, I must admit that I was often too trusting and thus simply failed to continuously verify and question the credibility and reliability of those involved. This might also be due to the usual trust given, but it was also convenience, as everything so far met the standards one would expect. In my enthusiasm, despite all the cross-pressures, to deliver exciting content daily, I eventually just forgot that not every external contribution meets the same standards that I set for my own work. Not necessarily in terms of content, but in terms of correct working.

As a result, there were two cases where I relied too much on the work and results of a third party and especially failed to critically question their contributions or conduct independent reviews. This led to situations where the information presented on my website did not have the accuracy and objectivity that readers rightly deserve.

The fact that I have failed several times to establish a clear and transparent process for collaboration with third parties weighs heavily on me. I had to realize that this not only affects my credibility, but also undermines your trust in my work. This is painful, but probably not completely undeserved. In this sense, I want to express my sincere regret to you once again and assure you at the same time that I will strive to close these gaps immediately. I will introduce stricter control mechanisms to ensure that all external tests meet the necessary standards. In addition, I will do my best to create the necessary transparency regarding my sources and methods. Of course, this must always be considered in connection with one’s own ability to take criticism, which has occasionally been lost.

As I’ve already written, I can’t excuse myself, because then one would quite comfortably just relieve oneself, but I can only ask you for forgiveness. You can accept that, or not. I don’t have the right to judge. For the processing of the serious problem with the fan measurement, I was able to win Fritz Hunter, whom I not only personally value highly, but who is a truly integral colleague with a scientific approach who will fill exactly the gaps that have become apparent in recent weeks. I also owe him explicit thanks for this, as it is actually a mammoth task and anything but self-evident. There were already voices saying that a retest should have been published after two weeks at the latest. That this is simply impossible will be shown by the article on the fan measurement. Transparency is a must, and a thorough and well-founded processing is the least. I can’t afford another quick shot.

Especially in the interest of our readers and the quality of the content, I invested a significant six-figure sum in new technology and measuring equipment in 2023 to further consolidate the basis for our medium (and the parallel engineering). Because what many competitors simply solve with a higher number of employees, we intentionally do with unique content and things that others can’t or don’t want to solve. The courage to niche is only one facet, testing in depth is another. That’s why such omissions as the uncontrolled fan test hurt all the more. In the future, I will also actively resist when third parties speak or use the logo or company name in private representations without authorization. Because that puts the work of the entire team in an unjustly bad light.

And this is exactly where my honest colleagues come into play, who (with one exception) have so far exactly made up the charm of our site. When I have to read in certain forums that we are a “low-wage Hartz IV top-up gang,” I find this to be an inconsiderate, completely wrong, and downright humiliating assumption and a sign of a lack of moderation. Except for the one exception, all the writers here are fully employed or in the process of completing their university education. The professional vita of most of them should surpass the level of those who make such statements by a long shot.

Nobody here writes because they need to earn a few euros, but they are exclusively enthusiasts who like to live out and communicate their hobby on a public level and platform. I really don’t like writing such things, but what was to be read in other forums in recent days about envy, hatred, and scorn against the whole team says more about the decay and decline of society than one might like. You are welcome to criticize me for my mistakes, even must, as long as it is constructive and verbally fair. But when it starts to take the whole team to task, then I get angry because it’s just unfair.

As a lesson for the future, I draw from this that it doesn’t help to overexert oneself with too many tasks and projects. With two companies, as a health care proxy and caregiver, and as the sole breadwinner with two lively school children, one is quite quickly tempted to take on too much in terms of time and energy without really being fully aware of it. Since I have to fulfill my family duties, I will therefore have to cut back a little on media from time to time. I’ve already scaled back the YouTube channel in recent months, especially since I fundamentally dislike this medium because of the increasingly evident information greed for flat and shortened content or as an uncollegial quick trial without the prior hearing of witnesses. When I find the time and energy, there will still be videos from time to time, but the focus is increasingly on the website, engineering, and of course primarily on the family.

I generally need to pay more attention to quality and therefore cut back a bit on the quantity of my own commitment. It’s simply not possible anymore in this volume, one has to admit that at such a point. I’m approaching 60 and unfortunately, one doesn’t get any younger. That might sound silly, but you notice it early in the morning. The usual 12- to 14-hour days are simply not sustainable in this frequency. Interestingly, the days without a blockbuster review are on average hardly worse in terms of reach, and the average is still well above the level at which one begins to speak of a certain size. This, in turn, brings with it obligations, which logically closes the circle.

Because in a world where public life and personal freedom often collide, it’s especially challenging for people in the public eye to find a balance between family duties, the job, and personal freedoms. This field of tension is a complex topic that deserves special attention. Family duties are a universal aspect of life and they include more than just caring for and supporting family members, but also raising children and participating in family events and maintaining traditions. For people like me, these aspects are often unintentionally in the focus of the public, which can create additional pressure. One has to not only fulfill one’s family obligations but also deal with the fact that certain decisions and one’s own behavior are judged by a society that, of course, never sees all facets.

At the same time, I also have the right to personal freedoms and my own interests. This includes the freedom to make one’s own decisions, pursue hobbies, relax, and have time for oneself. The need for privacy to recover from the demands of “public life” is crucial for personal well-being. Most of the time it works out somehow, but sometimes it doesn’t. The actual dilemma always arises when family duties and personal freedoms conflict with the job. In such situations, it’s important to find a real balance that does justice to all aspects. This often requires compromises and setting priorities. And that’s exactly what I’ve set for myself for 2024.

I must always be aware that my actions can have both positive and negative impacts on my family. Therefore, it’s important to make decisions that are not only in the best interest of the career but also of the family. At the same time, it’s essential not to neglect oneself and to create time for personal interests and rest periods. In today’s society, where the boundaries between public and private life are increasingly blurred, it’s all the more important to respect the personal boundaries and decisions of others.

No matter how old you are, there’s always a reason to continue working on yourself. That’s exactly my most difficult resolution for 2024. I don’t really need to set myself anything more, because that’s quite enough if you take it seriously enough. I quit smoking almost 20 years ago, only the part about eating less is still difficult. I like cooking too much. So I don’t even try.

The remaining plans for the future are actually easy to summarize. Continue with what is worth preserving and change what has not been optimal so far. The rest will be taken care of by our friends in the industry with their launches and new developments. However, it will be important not to let oneself be degraded into a will-less driven person, but to say no sometimes. One should be worth that much to oneself.

I’m not currently afraid of AI, because if used purposefully and only as a supplement, it can be quite helpful for me too. However, with researched content, rechecking is the top priority, because the AI’s hallucinations are not always immediately recognizable as such and can often be downright dangerous. That’s why I generally don’t use AI as a text generator for myself, because my writing style, which one can like or hate, can’t be copied that easily. And rewriting would take more time than doing it myself. But I quite like the AI images from DALL-E & Co., even if sometimes what you wanted doesn’t come out. But that can have its charm too.

And now I’ll stop, otherwise I’ll just repeat myself or parrot the mainstream media with flat wishes for 2024. I wish you all a peaceful, healthy, and successful year 2024! As much as the world has been thrown off balance right now, one must not forget the big picture around us in all the love for hardware. Because these problems are real global problems, and you quickly realize how unimportant one’s own concerns actually are. Well, not quite, because you can still get involved there. And even if it’s only as a small cog. But you have to do something, otherwise, everything ends in chaos. One should actively offer this chance to one’s children.