128K!! Mission Accomplished!!!

For what it's worth I'm also a Patreon supporter and huge fan of Big Clive, and he's got 667K subscribers at this point. His channel and his Patreon feels a whole lot like this one. It doesn't seem to be overrun with trolls and bots and other badness. I realize there may be more trolls targeting a trans woman than a man, and that sucks, but my point is just that I hope you don't have too much anxiety if you DO happen to get more popular. I think there's still room for this channel to grow without losing its intimate feel and great community!

Circuitmike

Honestly, I think you have the right mindset, especially since electronics is a hobby for us. Just creating or doing something to grow can become unsatisfying in the end (hedonic treadmill). Thank you and keep sticking to your roots.

Fran, I don’t know if you saw MickMake. He devoted a LOT to his content and slowly over several months started to slip and you could see him struggle and each video he was burning himself out more and more. There was so much in his videos. You could tell he could not keep up. Now it’s been months and nothing. I hope he has finally been able to rest. Please don’t feel that pressure. I’d be happy with a simple show and tell, no formula, heck, I was happy when you were talking about pencils! My buddy thinks art is very intimate. So he never shares his art with anyone not even the gallery’s that beg him. It is whatever you put into it and we are here because we like everything you decide to share with us, whatever it is. Just have fun!

128k! Awesomely cool! 🙂👍

You fill the Fran-sized hole in the universe that would draw all energy, matter, and all things interesting into it to be lost forever. Without you we would never experience the great things you have shared with us because no one else does what you do in the way that you do. For instance, you did a video on old drafting compasses that I recently watched and you demonstrated compasses that were very similar to a set that I recently inherited from my father in law. I had no idea what they were because they predated my birth. You brought this part of a man I admire to life for me. I can’t think of a show that gives me what Fran Lab gives me. You bring life to many things that would otherwise be lost in time. Thank you.

That would be disturbing!

Fran Blanche

You have an excellent grasp of the concept of “enough,” which I credit to Native Americans. The culture of “more is better” strikes me as essentially being a form of illness. As an example, the Walton family - billionaires all - can’t seem to pay their “associates “ enough to keep them off of public assistance. Naked greed at its worst. Congratulations on having a good sense of what is enough.

Larry Taylor

Don't want to another 128k expansion ROM full of subscribers? I'm sure there is an empty socket in there waiting for you ;-) . Congrats on reaching this milestone! Don't shy away from putting a few adds in your videos, we know making videos is not free!

CuriousMarc

So what you're saying is that unlike Techmoan, there will not be a merch store with Fran Blanche puppets? Dang-it!

Robin Clizbe

In time we may look back and be musing, "Who was it that once said no one needs more than 128K of subscribers " :-)

Leigh

10 poke 646,1 20 poke 53280,0 30 poke 53281,0 40 print "FRAN ROCKS!" 50 goto 40

I watch because I like you and and what you do. Not going anywhere.

William Alsing

I was thinking the opposite of Karl, use higher bases to make the numbers look smaller, but it doesn't work because letters have to be used for numbers above 9, which makes the resulting number look weird.

David Peaker

I dunno, it sounds like you're cutting it close to the bone at this level. What about letting it get up to 531441 subscribers? That's a nice round number in base 3! (1000000000000)

Karl Bunker

The personal feel is part of the reason why I subscribe to your channel and I can see exactly why you like it the size it is. 😊

Robin Cooper

Congrats 'Demostenos' Fran - lol

Congratulations Fran on reaching 128K. I think if it wasn't for pushy or smarmy comments, the whole process would be a bit easier for you. I think the majority of us just want to support you all the way. All that matters is that you're still happy immersing yourself in electronics and collections for us to enjoy aswell. 128K is still cosy....ish 😊

We like it the way it is, too. We like your tone Fran ;-)

128K is a nice number as it reminds me of my first serious computer, a Macintosh 128K. You mention speech impediments Fran, but I’ve been watching your videos for years and I’ve never noticed anything wrong with your speech. You’re just a unique and fabulous person.

May I suggest a slight change of perspective? Rather than think of your channel as "you and us", why not think of it as a community of which you are the founder, and to which you contribute videos, but of which you also are "just" a member? You mentioned EEVblog Dave. A huge part of his community is in the EEVblog Forum. I like hanging there not just because I like Dave, but far more because I like and enjoy the members of the community he has fostered. Even in threads to which Dave doesn't contribute! I would suggest that the FranLab "size" issue is because your nest is too small. Let it grow! Start by giving it a place to grow beyond the YT/Patreon comments. I believe it will be a place you'll enjoy visiting. Here's another way to think of it: Your FranLab family is growing, it worries you, yet you adamantly refuse to stop fostering it. Do you hope that keeping the entire family in one room will limit growth? Nope, not gonna happen. Give the family some room to grow into!

BobC

It is kind of a conundrum... How do you keep something small on an open platform. When something has value it tends to take off, even if it takes time to get there.

Gilbert Pfaff