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I don't remember when I first heard of Techno, but he was a threat everyone knew. Everyone was afraid of Techno, what with his prowess in combat and single-minded determination.
I distinctly remember when I learned Techno had passed. I had just finished playing videogames with my friends and went to watch some youtube before bed. I got a notification from Techno with a black thumbnail and the title: So Long Nerds.
I knew it was an update, as Techno's cancer updates also had a black screen. With the title, my first thought was, 'Oh, Techno's going to take a break from youtube to heal. That's a shame 'cause I'll miss his content, but I can respect it.
Then the video opened to a man sitting alone in a white room with Techno's dog running up to him. I instantly realized what this meant, that Techno had passed. As Technodad started talking, I began to tear up. I watched the video, hoping in vain Techno would pop out at the end and make fun of us for believing he could die, but I knew that it wouldn't happen.
I think I speak for most of the community when I say it felt like it came out of nowhere. In his previous video, Techno was using VR minecraft as physical therapy to recover from his cancer (even more tragically, the last words Techno said on his channel was, 'See you next time guys').
I sat in my room alone, crying for about an hour. After I finished crying, I watched some old Techno videos and started crying again. I remember Phil doing a silent livestream building a statue in remembrance of Techno, and all the click bait videos that were like, 'TeChNo FaKeD HiS DeATh!1!!11'. I dislike very few people, but the people who made those videos deserve nothing but the worst. I hope their pillow is always warm, their toilet paper breaks when wiping, and their internet connection is slow.
Techno was and still is an absolute legend, sitting at over 16 million subscribers as of writing this, and having raised over $300,000 in four hours, and inspiring many, many more youtubers to start fundraisers of their own.
I may not have ever commented or chatted, but I feel like a voice. We, Techno's fans, are all voices no matter how vocal we are. If every Techno fan were to gather, we would outnumber the full US military, one that pulled in all reserves, by 8 to 1.
Even now, a year after his passing, Techno continues to inspire people to go outside of their comfort zone and becoming the best version of themselves.