If you've been following any of my work for the last couple of years, you know that I also have done some video production on various subjects – not the least being some actual real play of tabletop RPGs and wargames with my old group. All of that was put on YouTube in real time or the following day. (Mainly because we started working on such things before there was live streaming on YouTube. Obviously, a while ago.)
Unfortunately, the policies of YouTube have become more draconian as the years have rolled on. That in itself wouldn't have been a real problem but they have become less predictable, more erratic, more whimsical (in the negative sense), and that increases the need for more options which have less available threat surface.
Along the way, in the intervening years, the Steem blockchain has given rise to their own crop of video hosting/streaming platforms like DLive and 3speak.Online, but each of them have their own problems ranging from spotty hosting, interface awkwardness, and sometimes just unpleasant neighbors. That's not to say that they don't have their own appeal but they weren't the right fit for me.
What I wanted was an easy, efficient place to host content with an interface that was straightforward and easy to understand for both creation and consumption. If it would conveniently allow me to migrate much of my YouTube content into it, so much the better. That lets me keep control of the presentation while adding on to the distributed accessibility.
I believe that LBRY is at least part of the tool that I'm looking for. It supports distributed hosting, the interface is simple, the video looks fantastic, and it has most of the features that I'm looking for.
(I'm still looking for my perfect streaming service for doing live content, and I suspect I'll be stuck with YouTube for that for the foreseeable future simply because that's where the people are. Alternatively, Twitch. Neither one is perfect but they both serve as better streaming platforms than archival platforms.)
LBRY is supported by a blockchain architecture under the hood, which isn't necessarily ideal in my world, but the distribution technology for the actual blocks of video is much more closely related to BitTorrent than blockchain. Instead, the token economy is more focused on providing access to the namespace available for videos, letting you bid and hold more custom URLs. In addition, the LBRY token is used for tipping creators in a micro-payment mechanism. In my mind, that is one of the best applications of the system available.
Unlike the Steem blockchain, LBRY doesn't have (at this point) likes, votes, or similar mechanisms. You signal your approval and appreciation of content by either sending a tip to the creator or supporting the naming hold of the video directly with tokens. It's a case of really putting your money where your mouth is and I really appreciate it.
You might wonder if it's possible to earn LBRY inside the architecture, providing an entry point for users who don't want to put fiat currency or other cryptocommodity into the platform because it provides unacceptable risk.
You can. The system has a series of Rewards which you can unlock by simply using the platform. Follow people, watch videos, comment on videos, create content and have people watch it – simple and straightforward interaction with the platform will provide a reasonable trickle of rewards. Those rewards can be turned around and used to reward creators.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not. There is no system on earth that a human mind can devise that cannot be exploited by another human mind. Is it an interesting alternative in a marketplace of ideas where there is uncertainty about whether or not a system can be completely co-opted by someone with enough money? I say it is.
At this moment, LBRY is migrating my YouTube content into their system. I also have a second channel which has yet to receive content but which I intend to use more specifically for new game content. They make it very easy to manage multiple channels and I would be a fool not to make use of that fact.
If you would be interested in trying LBRY for yourself, I encourage you to join using this link: https://lbry.tv/$/invite/@squidlord:4
Even if all you do is pop in, look around, and see what kind of content is on the platform, maybe you'll find something you enjoy.
I have really enjoyed the work of Brian Roemmele and his collection of old films about their view of the future of technology.
https://open.lbry.com/@BrianRoemmele:7?r=FE9CbhqxgCUs23o2HvnPkMwZi9qVGNsD
Come on by, check things out, and I hope that, like me, you see the possibilities available both as a content creator and as a content consumer.
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