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Policy Update - The monetization policy discussed in this episode, which included a conditional promise to turn off YouTube monetization once listener support was sufficient, has been updated. I will not change the transcript below, but I will make a note here to clarify the stance. This line "Monetization may happen at some point, but if you want just the content without ads, go directly to the site. And I'll make a promise to you. The moment listener support is able to pay the bills then I will turn monetization off on YouTube." does not apply any longer. Instead I will not accept money from anyone else except listener support. This project will only survive with that support.
Welcome to the No Fluff Collection.
My name is Dwayne, and I want this episode to be the only time I mention it. I want to focus on the messages and not me personally. This episode zero will be the only one centered around me and introducing this project.
Let me get this out of the way: I'm a generation X person. I'm an original trilogy Star Wars fan, where good and evil were clearly defined. But I got my cynicism from George Carlin.
I left the house at dawn and returned at dinner without my mother freaking out, and I can't stand all of the BS we have to put up with now. Our life should not be driven by algorithms, and I won't tailor what I do here to please the tech overlords.
This isn't a “safe space,” and I am not here to monitor your feelings. I will give you the facts without sugar coating anything.
Now, a little about the project. I started the website months ago as an experiment. I’m an old-school web developer, and after trying Wordpress, I built the site from the ground up: simple, no fluff, and it works anywhere without tricks. I tried other ideas, like plain spreadsheets and journals, but nothing clicked. I also avoid the advertising game because I believe it’s a trap you can’t escape.
When I was a driveaway driver, delivering trucks across the US and Canada, I started filming my drives and airport experiences. These things are common to me but unusual and interesting to those who’ve never seen them. Then, in October 2025, I injured myself and have been off the road for an undetermined amount of time.
This extended down time has had me focusing on what I'm going to do in the future.
Tech has always been in my blood. I’ve built computers since the 286SX days, set up Token Ring networks, and even banged hard drives on the table to make them work. I miss the early days of the web, figuring things out as we went, and I’ve watched tech change the way everything works today.
I have huge visions for what this project can become, from systems and web development to an entire media outlet, but I’m just one person, and if it ever happens, it’s going to take time to get there.
You are never going to hear me do an “ad read.” I’m not going to point you to affiliate links, and I will never use a paywall. If I create it, anyone can access it. On YouTube, you won’t hear me say “smash that like button and make sure you subscribe,” in any future episodes. Monetization may happen at some point, but if you want just the content without ads, go directly to the site. And I'll make a promise to you. The moment listener support is able to pay the bills then I will turn monetization off on YouTube. I expect some of the content won't be advertisor friendly anyway.
This project will either survive with support from listeners, or it will fail, it is that simple. I’ve set up a donation page on the website where you can make a one-time donation, a monthly donation, or even contribute via bitcoin.
Here’s the lineup. These won’t be traditional video podcasts. I’ll use the backdrop of my adventures on the road as the visuals, no flashy graphics, no jump scares, no overproduced crap. These visuals have helped me over the years focus on spoken content. These productions are going to be the same way I’ve absorbed tens of thousands of hours of podcasts and audiobooks over the years.
Our primary show, The Beacon will shine a light on systems, algorithms, and manipulation shaping our lives.
Lost Signals will explore technologies that competed but are no longer used, failed, or never really took off.
Reflections has been around in an audio only form but will return in video form, sharing quotes from historical and fictional figures.
I’ll have podcast versions of these shows along the written Dispatches on the website, with transcripts for everything I produce. Any references I make will include links to archived copies of the websites so the information never disappears as long as the site exists.
I am currently working on a search engine so information can be found easily. I should have it completed within the next week.
Let me repeat this, there won’t be advertising I am getting money for in anything I do. No ads in the shows except what YouTube inserts, and no outside trackers on my website. I built it myself, so I can guarantee it. Check your ad blocker on my site, there are none. This keeps me honest. Nobody is paying for my opinion, and nobody can buy your name from me.
If you’re interested in donating to keep the project alive, go to the website and click the donation link.
Thank you for listening.