‘They have to shake hands’: How a fax machine works

by Robert Popper on January 19, 2010 · Comments

OK, I know I have posted this guy before. Yes, I am slightly obsessed with him. But watch how he tries to explain how a fax machine – his line of business – works. And just can’t. The timing in this clip is so perfect: listen out for when the machine turns itself on.

Also, how did Expert Village agree to stick this on their site? Didn’t they sort of say, ‘OK, could you try doing that again, but this time can you actually explain how a fax machine works?’

  • omg666
    and there was me thinkin it was a transfer of data down a wired phone network
  • He's SO cool!
    He doesn't even need that white blazer to be cool, not really. That's just back up cool.

    No, wait! Don't take the toner out! It won't work then!
    Thank god, he put it back in again. He's no fool.

    Damn, but he's cool. I have absolutely do nothing.
  • Abel King
    At least this man tried to explain how something works, rather than simply standing back and making silly jokes about how things don't work.
  • Reggie
    I can't get over how he's dressed. On the one hand he's dressed really well... and in general the video is really well produced, given the extremely low content quality.

    But..

    Why is he dressed like that? Those aren't exactly office supply company work clothes, or "tech TV presenter" work clothes. What is the job that goes with those clothes? I can't figure it out.. it would make sense if he were promoting a plastic surgery business, or selling the secret to some earn-zillions-from-home-with-no-work real estate investment system.
  • I think Robin Cooper should do some videos for "Demand Media". I think his unique communication ability would be highly educational.
  • higgypop
    Forget the hand shaking, that's not how a laser-jet works. The laser creates a static charge in the paper so that the toner sticks to it in the right places and then it is baked on (not by laser).

    Amazingly rubbish, good post!
  • Chris L
    I got somewhat obsessed with these videos. There's a Wired article on how this company works.
    http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_demand...
  • Do Expert Village make you do every video in one take (and without much editing)?
    If he could start again, I think he'd probably think about what he was going to say, before he did it - rather than in the middle of the video.

    I mean this woman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj_vI_vJFk8 says she's going to talk about what degrees you need to work as a designer and detail them, but then just tells you her entire life story and all the awards she got while at college.
  • Thanks for this - I just had a massive laugh as I watched him explain exactly the same process on how to send faxes to Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Switzerland and Panama, in five separate videos. I seriously hope he does more for all of the other countries, otherwise if I want to send a fax to France, how will I know what to do?!
  • Rob
    That is pure 'Brule's Rules'. For your health!
blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous post: Me and Tim do another call: ‘Sandblasted’

Next post: Pardon Me?