How MKBHD Broke the #1 Rule of the Internet and Shocked Everyone

Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, stunned his fans by breaking the golden rule of the internet: “Never charge for something that was free.”

Screenshot by the Author

In November 2016, Marques Brownlee, or MKBHD as he is more famously known, tweeted something that felt almost like an earthquake message to online communities, a clap of thunder: “The golden rule #1 of the internet: Never try to charge for something that was already free.” I recall reading that and suddenly it hit me; all became crystal clear. There was a man who built an empire that rested on trust, authenticity, and value to his audience.

Fast forward to 2024: It looks like Marques may have actually succumbed to the digital quicksand as king of tech reviews. I look at where his subscription service to wallpaper is headed: the best that comes to mind is different kinds of confusion as to how he, who usually had such sharp instincts with respect to what was supposed to be sharp in critiquing technology, possibly missed that very essence of the internet.

This is not just a mistake; this is a failure of epic proportions as promised to his audience.

My Reaction to the Launch of the “Panels Wallpapers” app.