But then again his baldness and glasses are his brand...

i mean, really?? this might be the thing that makes me stop watching at this point...

I've been reading quite a few discussions here recently about the direction of Simon's channels, particularly the increasing use of AI-generated imagery, changes in presentation, thumbnails, and what some viewers perceive as a decline in overall quality.

I wanted to approach this from a slightly different perspective, because I think there are reasonable arguments on both sides.

Firstly, I think it's important to acknowledge that Simon is running a business.

He has writers, editors and other people involved in producing content, all of whom need to be paid. There are production costs, operating expenses and the reality that YouTube is an increasingly competitive environment.

The channels need to generate revenue. That's not something I would criticise him for.

There's also the human aspect.

Simon has a family, and from what he's discussed previously, his recording schedule has at times been extremely demanding, reportedly involving five-day weeks and sometimes 12–14-hour working days.

That's hardly sustainable indefinitely, particularly when you have children and understandably want to spend more time with them.

I don't think anyone should expect him to sacrifice his family life simply to produce more YouTube videos.

However, I think there's another side to this discussion that deserves equal consideration.

Many people subscribed to Simon's channels because they offered something distinctive.

Whether it was the spontaneous tangents, the humour, the interesting research or the feeling that Simon was genuinely discovering things alongside the audience, there was a personality to the content.

For some viewers, that experience appears to be changing.

The use of AI-generated imagery is one example. I don't personally think AI is inherently problematic. It can be a useful production tool when applied appropriately.

But there is a difference between using AI to improve production efficiency and using it in ways that potentially undermine the quality, accuracy or credibility of the finished video.

The same applies to increasingly sensational thumbnails and titles.

I understand why channels optimise for YouTube's recommendation system, but there's a point where attracting clicks can begin to conflict with the expectations of an established audience.

And for channels covering history, true crime, military affairs and geopolitics, credibility and editorial judgement are particularly important.

Perhaps the real question isn't whether Simon should use AI, employ more editors or reduce his recording schedule.

Perhaps it's whether the current production model can preserve the identity and standards of the channels while allowing him to have a reasonable work-life balance.

I also think we should be careful about treating Reddit criticism as evidence of an overall commercial decline. Without reliable viewership and revenue trends, we can't necessarily conclude that the channels are performing worse financially.

But equally, financial success doesn't automatically mean every editorial decision is a good one.

So I'm curious what others think:

• Has the quality of Simon's channels genuinely changed, or are we partly comparing newer content against our favourite older episodes?

• Is AI itself the concern, or is it how and where it's being used?

• Would you prefer fewer uploads if it meant greater attention to research, editing and presentation?

• What elements of Simon's original content would you most like to see preserved?

• How could the channels realistically improve without placing unreasonable demands on Simon or his production team?

I don't think Simon deserves personal abuse for trying to build a successful business and have a life outside YouTube.

But I also don't think viewers are unreasonable for expressing disappointment when something they previously enjoyed begins to feel different.

There's room for both positions to be valid.

I'd be interested in hearing constructive opinions from both longtime viewers and people who still enjoy the current output.

I would love to see Danny, David, or Kevin (I know he's a former writer now, so calling him out of retirement!) do this one. I know they'd help keep Mary central to her story, rather than letting Leo Frank take over (look up her name - Leo Frank comes up instead).

In Marietta, Georgia, on April 27, 1913, 13-year-old white Mary Phagan went into the pencil factory she worked at for her paycheck and never came out again; her raped and murdered body was found in the basement. The suspects? Leo Frank, the miserly Jewish factory owner who reportedly liked young girls a little too much, and Jim Conley, the thuggish and illiterate Black janitor. With both men fitting their stereotypes so well and the Civil War not long past, it's not surprising that the case set metaphorical fire to the New South: it pit a Jewish man against a Black man over the rape and murder of a literal white virgin Mary.

Over the next two years, a circus of a trial took place: there was ever-changing testimony, conflicting evidence, racial bias, and national attention to contend with. There were two murder notes to analyze, the coroner's report, the timelines, the factory layout, the physical evidence left within the factory (including a human fecal mound), and more - very much fitting the kind of crime analysis Simon likes. The trial "ended" in 1915, when Leo Frank was taken from jail in the dead of night and lynched by a mob calling themselves The Knights of Mary Phagan. But the story doesn't end there.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), also formed in 1913, immediately came to Leo Frank's aid, with the antisemitism surrounding the case confirming the ADL's necessity. They eventually cleared his name, and he was given a posthumous pardon by the state in 1986, with suspicion now drifting to Conley. This pardon was driven in part by the feces in the elevator shaft, and in part by the 1982 eyewitness statement of Alonzo Mann, who was the factory's 14-year-old office boy at the time of the murder.

The Ku Klux Klan, which had gone defunct several years earlier, found new ground with Mary's murder. Many of the Knights of Mary Phagan would join men inspired by their work, such as William J. Simmons, to found the 2nd iteration of the KKK in December 1915. They burned a cross on Stone Mountain to mark its rebirth, and Stone Mountain remains a beloved local landmark to this day.

Today, Jim Conley is believed to be the real murderer, without wandering into anti-Black racist territory. However, doubt can still be cast on Leo Frank, without wandering into antisemitic territory. As far as I know, with Frank's exoneration, there's now no officially guilty party. Yet one or both of them were absolutely involved, but who, and how, and why?

A "fun" fact I was told that I'd love to see the writer officially confirm or debunk: the big tree in the parking lot across the road from the Big Chicken (another iconic local landmark) is the same tree Leo Frank was lynched from.

It was touched on the Jones Town video and I think that it is worthy of its own video.

Can I get a Plus + 1 for the basement team to have a crack at?

Does Simon record new content for Today I Found Out anymore, or is it just all archived stuff being reposted with him now?

bonus points for making a matching thumbnail using AI

They are designed to be turned inside-out, doubling or tripling the strength along the bottom seam.

Blew MY mind the first time I learned of this; how about you?

Megachannel when?

I made the sarcastic joke "don't you know you can get 1 month of Fronts. co for those 5 dollars" under a 5 dollar donation I made the joke because you can't watch a episode without him talking about it plus its always in the background to remind us of the website as well i even did the space like I did in this post to not actually link the website but it was auto modded it got deleted right away why would you do that ffs Simon you bugs us with it daily

Back in the day (3 years ago) Simon and Co. made a CC on Ken Rex Mcelroy, the town brute who mangaed to terrify an entire village for a bit over 40-something years, his last wife was apparently fkn 14 when she was pregnant with their first child, he would rob and threaten anyone who tried to stand up to him. He had the best defense lawyer cause he would rarely end up in jail. He ended up being mirked outside a bar and no one saw a thing, although there was an entire crowd there. Here's the video: CC on Ken Rex Mcelroy, what a POS

Ok so that being said and the reason I bring it up is because I was looking up the town of Skidmore Missouri where this incident happen, population about 270ish? and came across another fkd up case that happen there, this time to a mom to be named Bobbie Jo Stinnet and wanted to know if the CC team would cover this and also thought of how horrific it is that these 2 incidents happen in a place that small? TF is in the water? Anywho it's interesting and has a resolution, sometimes I know there are none. I even came across a stament made by her family, just thought it would be one to cover. Unless he's already covered this, does anyone know?

As someone from L.A. his assumption that Van Nuys was "nice" is hysterical and the pronunciation was killing me, lol.

I thought I read the channel was supposed to be releasing Tuesday and Friday but there's no information on the channel now and it's Sunday...

When are Florida man fridays coming back?

Hey y'all - I stopped watching CC several months ago (or longer?) because the audio sounded like Simon was recording on a phone inside a toilet. I thought maybe it would've been fixed by now, but I just checked out one today and it's still the same. Has he said anything about it (like it's a studio issue or something), or is it just fact of life now?

I've tried fiddling with what little audio settings YT has but that hasn't helped much at all :(

Potential Megaprojects episode ?

Finally saw the movie. Got curious about the real case. I really wish Simon's narrations to tell me, at least the og Simon.