To the consumer-our audience-Twitch has been an alternative to traditional media. Essentially the plan for the future is active viewer interaction-Traditional media has audience has a passive role while consuming media.
Have we been so focus on media/content creators that we have forgotten this audience?
I notice that Twitch, as a platform, has a public perception that it is a platform for content creators.
Media companies essentially compete with each other for a viewer’s attention. Currently consumers see Twitch (and Youtube as well) as an alternative to the bigger media outlets such as network tv, cable, Netflix, Ruku ect.
Perhaps, years from now, I am making a big assumption but the bigger media outlets can compete very well in luring back this audience in which Twitch worked hard to attract.
There is the typical news about how Twitch bans a content creator or protect others. The elephant in the room is lack of focus on viewer and a focus on the content creator.
Twitch is a first mover in active viewer interaction. In the future-we will see even more involvement with VR. I really do not see Twitch becoming a leader in the future- correct me if I am wrong.
One of the ways we can become a legitimate alternative for the general consumer understanding the audiences preferences to interactive media.
Can I make a few?
-Agility and courage to experiment with the current audience. Brainstorm up the in management- make surveys, gather viewer data, open forums for viewer feedback. Many of the issues reported by content creators are handled by terms of use. This is not good-essentially we are preserving the status quo - not seeing the stagnation it is causing. Lets try to get the viewers active involvement through the impartial use of forums and social media such as Twitter.
I have a good feeling that content creators will lead the way themselves by listening to this feedback. Twitch has been compare to a “babysitter” or “big brother”-this implies a distrust.
Spam- currently the big content creators chat is much to congested. One of the ways the audience is participating is the interaction between chat and the personality. Instead of blocking can chat have a way in which the can filter this congestion - Not through traditional means such as blocking or spam filtering. Instead a beneficial and more pleasant innovation. Viewers can choose not only who to watch but who they want to read in chat- not in a friends list/ rather through a type of viewer profile. Lets say I want a chat environment consisting of family friendly type of viewers. Lets say I want to include toxic viewers. Lets say I want viewers who have a recommended by twitch reputation. Lets say I am a male but I want only females. let me distinguish this from chatrooms by presenting the idea this is the same chat room. The audience can actively choose the type of chatters during a stream. It will be interesting how other chatters change behavior based upon reputation or category.
That is what I hope Twitch can become. A place for the audience to interact with both the content creator as well as other strangers in chat. Twitch does need to be less of a regulator of content and more of an active media for the true consumers- the content creators will follow
Many of the things you suggest are already here
Viewers can suggest idea, debate & vote about them here : https://twitch.uservoice.com
You can also participate in survey when Twitch wants to ask question to the community here : https://rpg.twitch.tv
Soemthing funny, if you start profiling everyone, you will get complains about twitch being intrusive and looking at our private life. So being able to filter other users? There is really no need for it. Just find communities that you enjoy talking with.
Futhermore, this subject should not be posted here but on uservoice. This forum is aimed at 3rd party developer support
(Note to you, Now the following reply may sound like Im correcting or talking over you or criticizing you. Really the following is just a rant - a response to your reply that was pretty thought provoking. Im not going to play tit for tat to see who is right bc as far as I know, you at least gave me a reply! So here goes my rant and what went through my malfunctioning brain. forgive my misspeling and the grammatical errors. I wanted to get this out quickly)
Yes, this is what Im talking about. The status quo. Everyone has a customer service feedback. Even if I heard about it, it is mainly another way to contact customer service. This is definitely not the interaction that I am trying to communicate. So, we have Twitter-currently its more than a chatroom. Technically it is a chatroom but we can go to forums for the same thing. Therefore, Twitter becomes a platform. Also, facebook when it started, not only did we have email and phones ect but there were similar services such as myspace- Facebook was classified as those but it is far more than those things-otherwise we can use the old fashioned approach. Facebook’s product is a social network. (theyre are many types of networks, LAN ect but this is a social party everyone!)
So, if we think about it for a moment- instead of thinking how something is equivalent, such as classes and objects, I strive to imagine what if’s. In other words, we can’t advance for the futuer if we continue to see things the traditional way. More importantly, how can we advance as a company and as a foreward thinking community. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. I have to consciously switch my programming/logic brain off and connect with my artistic, organic, imaginary brain.
One more- there is a diference between classifying similar ideas and designing new ideas. Again, both are good in their own departments- development vs marketing. So in this case, youre drawing in your mind how it will be if we invade their privacy. Correct me if Im wrong but you put yourself in the shoes of a user who’s privacy is being invaded.
Feel me when Im presenting the idea. You’ll have to both think horizontally, vertically and zig zag and curvy or whatever. But the idea is way different than privacy intrusion. Of course, you may see the work profiling and think of it in polictical terms (at least thats whats Im wondering). In fact, I dont remember using the verb profiling bc I know it has a meaning. I may have wrote it but it miswrote. I refer to the noun-profile. They are spelled almost the same but are very different in meaning. (I wish I knew German because I hear words are very distinct in their meaning which is pretty cool). Anyways, it is far different than the act of profiling a person. A profile is an avatar. Proof in the pudding-what do you click when you want to find out more about a streamer? You click on the PROFILE!. Whereas profiling is a old word with modern connotations and even wordsmith nazis can agree the difference between profiling someone and profiling someone. Jokes aside, we look at their streamers profile as a way we get to know more of them from what they tell us.
So, complains, being intrustive, private life- thats the role of the FBI not twitch. The user has a profile. A good, honest, upfront, communtity vetted, virtual profile of this person. Why do I say all these things?
To try to think of how Twitch as a media company can become in the future. What is the product Twitch gives- the “product” is not tangible or measureable. In marketing, a product serves a need - it can be measureable of course it can be a service but in marketing departments they go way farther than that. A product for them isnt what they present to you. The product is the motivation or idea important to a consumer. I dont expect you to be an expert in this. It was taught this in college just like any other discipline. Of course, if I were to give someone a multiple choice, what I say can be regurgitated but if that is all you can do, then you have miles to go bc its difficult to apply. Im not a very good marketer yet I understand good marketing when I see it because I was taught how to critically and correctly analyze it
So, that reply is a great example of the status quo thinking. No offense. I can give inappropiate answers in real life as well and not know it.
Btw, I thought this was the correct forum as we as developers do create a product and this is aimed at our side. Not the user.Those are my thoughts, I know you dont have the same thoughts but you cant argue with someone who is presenting an opinion. People need to learn how to imagine an ideal world and strive for it.
No we as developers on this forum are third party developers.
We (the members of this forum) do not build Twitch itself
Please visit the uservoice to present ideas to Twitch