New!! Updates to ThreatWire and Morse Code Patreon Pages! (Patreon)

Hey there! I have some major news. This post explains all the up to date info.

TLDR: I'm leaving ThreatWire in November, and Hak5 informed me that a new host will be taking over the show after I leave. This news is brand new, and I laid out the time table of how these events happened below. Because of that, the Patreon account for Threatwire will no longer be closed down like I'd originally planned. Hak5 will start managing that account, and I'll manage my own Patreon account (this page). I will no longer have access to the ThreatWire Patreon account, and I won't be posting there anymore. Morse Code (my channel) will start seeing more security/privacy news related videos, and I'll continue to bring you the perks you've known (like the q&a, early access to videos, etc), but now these perks will be for Morse Code instead of ThreatWire.




Here's the long version:

I posted this info over on the ThreatWire page, so you can skip this if you already saw it. But if you were only here to support ThreatWire then this pertains to you.

Per my agreement with Hak5, I was 100% responsible for ThreatWire's production ever since September of 2018... - so I created new perks, started using the Patreon platform to offer physical merch perks, and even purchased swag to giveaway to support the channel. Through the consistency of this show, we've seen the Hak5 channel grow by 400,000 subscribers since the beginning of 2019. That's huge, and I'm so proud of what I've built via this show!

Earlier this year, I had posted about experiencing burnout and deciding to work towards finding ways to remove extra work from my daily workload. One way was merging my two patreon pages so you could save some money and support my work on only one page.

But in May this year, Morse Code hit 100k subscribers and I started noticing that my workload for Morse Code alone was taking over 40+ hours per week, sometimes well into working nights or weekends to make sure I'm making videos about everything that I want to make. I brainstormed ways that I can focus on growing that channel even more, but that also means I have to make some serious choices in terms of how I spend my workdays. I've been extremely careful with my health this year and feared burning out again, so I've had to turn down a lot of opportunities just to make sure my consistency continued. Because of Patreon, I've been able to turn down sponsorships or ads that wouldn't benefit my viewers, and keep my channel consistent without having to "sell out" to a sponsor that didn't align with our values of privacy and security.

But after speaking with family this summer, I started considering leaving ThreatWire (!!!). Even though it is my most consistent show, it also didn't leave much room for personal growth as a host because it is such a formal, journalistic show. So I called Darren in September and told him the news: later this year, I'm going to leave ThreatWire. I'll be honest, I teared up! Hak5 has been a huge part of my career and I have all of my teammates at Hak5 to thank for the many years of collaboration and willingness to help each other. So it was a VERY HARD choice. But one that needed to happen if I am to really build my career as a host and producer.

I see this move as a graduation from the job I had for a decade and an opportunity. It was my choice to leave the show.

I'll continue bringing you security and privacy news and content on Morse Code, even moreso now since I won't be producing ThreatWire. And as such, the perks here will change slightly (i.e. they won't be called "ThreatWire" perks) but you'll be supporting new cybersecurity content on my main channel.

Now for some big news:
(This news may change as the ownership of ThreatWire is turned back over to Hak5)
ThreatWire isn't going away! In fact, Hak5 will be bringing in a new host. You'll see her on the channel soon. Please welcome her as you did with me. I want this to be a positive experience for her!

As for my previous plans to merge my patreon accounts: I'll no longer have ownership over the threat wire Patreon account. While my original intention in January 2023 was to improve my workload by offering ALL perks on ONE patreon page, those plans have obviously changed - You can continue to support my work on my Morse Code patreon page, or you can support ThreatWire's patreon back on the old page - which will no longer be included as a part of my business income, as this page will be controlled by Hak5 to support a new host.

As soon as Darren notified me during the first week of October during my trip to NYC for the Google Pixel Event that he intended to bring in a new host and support the show through Patreon, I started working on his plan to transition the page to Hak5 instead of sunsetting it.

The ThreatWire patreon page will change ownership NEXT MONTH in November back to Hak5.

Either way, if you choose to continue supporting Threatwire under new management, support my work on Morse Code, or support both shows, I'll be watching and cheerleading for Hak5's future. I'm certainly not the first person to leave Hak5 as we take control of our own futures, but I've been around the longest, and I look back on my time with Hak5 with positivity and appreciation for everything I was taught.

Again, with this updated news, you don't have to move your pledge. This is entirely up to you, but note that I cannot move your pledge for you, and the ThreatWire patreon page will move to new ownership in November.

Thank you for your support!!!
-Shannon Morse https://www.youtube.com/shannonmorse

PS: I totally understand that this is confusing and was not my original intention. The news about a new host was sudden for all of us but I know Hak5 is an incredibly successful business, and I know they'll take over ThreatWire well!