Within two days, Ratheesh R. Menon’s post on the perils of spreading fake news on Whatsapp garnered over 65,000 views on YouTube and counting. His video, posted on July 14, detailing ‘precautions to be taken while using YouTube’ racked up over 9,07,000 views. Ratheesh’s verified eponymous YouTube channel reveals he has more than 4,38,000 subscribers and his official Facebook page boasts well over 1 million followers.
For over four years now, Ratheesh, who hails from North Paravur in Ernakulam, has been happy playing a patient tech guru to thousands looking for tips, advice and directions on pretty much anything about modern electronics and web-based technology, be it an informed review of a new smartphone in the market or how to avoid receiving spam mails or the simple tricks of safely retrieving mobile phone data after deletion — all, of course, for free.
“The idea is to reach out to the public to clarify any queries or demystify any technological feature or bust any myths about anything tech-driven or web-based that has a bearing on our day-to-day life,” says Ratheesh over phone from his hometown, where he is already busy with the “production” of his next explainer.
Ratheesh R. Menon at his workspace in Ernakulam
Having produced about 1,040 videos so far, all of which are available on his YouTube channel, the soft-spoken tech expert has explored a wide range of topics covering mobile phones, computer, camera, home automation devices and remote-controlled devices apart from offering tips on matters of public importance that require technological assistance. “I don’t restrict myself to only tech-related topics and put out videos on anything related to usage of the web that’ll be of use to the public, like how to apply for a passport, how to change your address in your Aadhaar card and so on,” says Ratheesh, a web designer.
Ratheesh R. Menon
Ratheesh, who likes to be called ‘a Facebook activist’ fighting for awareness among users about expanding technology and its pros and cons, says he keeps abreast of the latest technological developments by staying “wired in” day in day out. “I constantly keep searching for updates. With hyperlinks, you inevitably get directed to something new all the time while you browse and the knowledge chain goes on. I also try to keep in touch with users who are part of tech pages and websites and I follow a lot of Facebook pages and open discussion platforms on technology. If you check my Facebook newsfeed, you’ll find it awash with posts only on tech,” he says with a chuckle. He makes good use of independent open forums and online communities on technology such as Digital Point and Stack Overflow. “Sometimes, websites as generic as the question-and-answer site Quora comes to your aid,” he says, adding that he can verify the authenticity of such information depending on the “popularity” of the user.
It all began during the days of now-defunct Orkut. As its user interface came with limitations in providing a platform for open discussions, Ratheesh bought a free domain and started a website with some friends. “The website was rudimentary and contained information on technology mostly in the form of graphics. Later, I started a social networking site in Malayalam called suhrthu.com . But I realised that such sites were used mainly for promotion of blogs or literature. I wanted a platform solely for technology,” he remembers.
With Facebook and Whatsapp taking over, Ratheesh understood that the attention span of users was going South and realised the easiest way to catch someone’s eye was through moving images. “I did some silent videos with graphics and explanations. I was very camera-shy back then and didn’t want to show my face (laughs). However, much to my surprise, the response from viewers was overwhelming and many requested me to put up my video instead as it would be more interactive and engaging. Initially, I started posting videos about electronic gadgets and slowly moved on to software as well. The main focus now is mobile phones as they have become the most ubiquitous gadget,” he points out.
Ratheesh R. Menon
Today, Ratheesh commands a global viewership. Though his videos are in Malayalam, he attaches a text link in English of his reviews on applications and software to reach out to a wider audience. Lately, he has ventured into Instagram as well after the service rolled out its video-sharing feature. If some of his videos on YouTube are quick two-minute explainers, there are others like the one about ‘360 live camera’ that runs on for about 50 minutes. Some of his live videos on Facebook are about three hours. Ratheesh doesn’t like to keep scripts and currently uses a Canon EOS 80 D to shoot videos.
He, however, admits that due to time constraints and the sheer number of queries flooding in, he may not be in a position to reply to them all. “If the answer to a question is already in my database, I attach the link with the reply. At the most, I may be able to respond to about 50 queries a day, but it depends.” He works on his own and is reluctant to put in place a team as “everyone may not sustain the same enthusiasm as there’s not much money involved.”
Home page of Ratheesh’s YouTube channel
So what happens if he’s not able to provide a solution? “Nine times out of ten, there will be an error message for any error. The easiest solution is to simply Google for it and you will most certainly find an answer in some tech forum. I believe there’s no question on technology that doesn’t have an answer as everything is coded with a logical explanation. Most people do not have the patience to find out or are simply not interested,” says Ratheesh.
Being a tech freak, it only sounds credible that he is surrounded by gadgets. “I currently have about 15 mobile phones but I use only three or four high-end ones on a regular basis. Some of them were given to me by companies for reviews and the others I had to purchase to understand software advancements, especially android-based ones.” He owns two laptops and two desktops to ensure “enough back-up systems for experiments.”
Ratheesh says he wants to bust the myth that technology is an esoteric field meant only for the jargon-savvy. “Only if you tried, you would understand how simple, logical and beautiful technology is on a basic level. You don’t need degrees in technical courses to discern the nuts and bolts, to know the bells and whistles of a device.” So, next time you tangle up over a new feature in Whatsapp or want to find out why your smartphone is acting up with an error message, don’t fuss. Simply post a query to this tech wizard.
Contact Ratheesh at me@ratheeshrmenon.com
