John Wells

YouTube revenue is at an all-time low, in part due to the recent departure of several major advertisers over concerns about their products being associated with hate speech. Many on YouTube now rely on services like Patreon for income as much or more so than their YouTube partnerships. That said, Patreon is typically only successful for content creators that have already built a brand and a following. Is this the beginning of the end for YouTube as a cottage industry? Is there room for scrappy newcomers to make a living anymore?

This is an interesting question. You'd probably have to decide on an angle from which to address Youtubers, either as celebrities or small business entrepreneurs or a combination of the two, as it's a pretty unique career and there is no clear historical equivalent to compare it to. It would be important to acknowledge that youtube is only one element in a broader career for many youtubers - Troye Sivan and several other musicians attribute a degree of their success to it, but it would be a stretch to say they'd be nothing without it. Even in the case of beauty youtubers, who often get the short end of the reputation stick, many of them are industry professionals (Glam&Gore is an LA-based special effects makeup artist, pixiwoo are celebrity makeup artists, etc). This is not to say that this is the story for most Youtubers, but just something to bear in mind. Beyond Patreon, you would also have to consider one-off and also contract sponsorships, as well as business opportunities external to youtube. Other video-hosting apps and sites (RIP Vine) experience crossover with youtube so you'd want to touch on that as well. OK textblock over. – Cat 7 years ago
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As its been since Roman walls, hate speech, so thoughtfully scrubbed now that the sopranos is off the air, is any speech that Augustus dent want to hear. But not every wall is controlled by GE and the NBA and the lords of middlebrow decency, or the Jews theyve married,...ah, my credo, all graffiti says the same thing, This is not my wall. a roman aphorism. – Antonius865 7 years ago
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This would be interesting to look at from a variety of perspectives: beauty, gaming, lifestyle youtubers- I think it is different in each one. I've heard from a lot of the 'smaller but still popular' youtubers that the new advertising rules have ruined a lot of their income, so it really depends ob what type of personality/ look you are portaying. One thing that annoys me is that content aimed at young adults/ children is becoming more popular because advertisers feel comfortable working with those youtubers. It's starting to annoy me for example, that a lot of beauty youtubers have changed their personality/ content to become more kid-friendly, and have began making more videos about topics such as making friends at school or revision techniques, etc. – kwoodhead1 7 years ago
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games

Fandom

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Ruined by the Fandom - How our interaction with fans affects our view of media.

Investigate the seemingly modern phenomenon of media being "ruined" by it's fandom. Works like Steven Universe, Undertale, and Minecraft all have encountered problems with people being reticent to engage with them despite merit of the works themselves due to preconceived notions of what kind of people engage with those works. In some cases, particularly Steven Universe, high profile twitter users have expressed fear of discussing the show for worry of how the fandom may lash out at them. How new is this phenomenon? Is critiquing a work based on it's fans valid? How can creators avoid this stigma? Should they have to?

This is often a huge problem with media (particularly large fandoms), particularly in regards to the 'extreme' fans, who discriminate against 'fake fans' and become overly obsessed in shows, turning off those who are more casual fans. Looking at the fandom before the show is becoming the new first step to becoming interested in something, and it can indeed damage the popularity of a show, even changing the entire target audience (take My Little Ponies, for example, where the growing fandom of 'Bronies' has turned most parents away from introducing the show to their children, lest a middle aged man in a unicorn onesie starts stalking them on the internet - a common idea people associate with the new fanbase). – SophIsticated 7 years ago
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Some fandoms can also get really out of control, especially if little kids that can't take others different opinions make up the majority of it. This can become an issue on social platforms where the fandom in question is being discussed etc. – airyfrairy 7 years ago
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Agreed, very much. I loved Once Upon a Time when I first started watching it, for example. I still do. But the negativity of the fandom has left me feeling pressured to say, write, or think negative things I don't necessarily agree with. The same is true for other shows I've enjoyed. Once the fandom gets too vocal, I tend to go "into the closet," for fear that being associated with the show will cause backlash. And let's face it: I often closet myself because I'm just sick of hearing fandom blather. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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games

Fighting Games

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Gentrification and the Fighting Game Community

Analyze the path the Fighting Game Community has taken and how its path towards more mainstream "Esports" appeal may be pulling it further from its roots. Look at how the origins of Fighting Games, which until about 2009 were competitively played primarily in arcades, separated them from other competitive fighting games primarily played online. Look at how the economic factors required to play online games in the early 2000s vs the quarters required to play in an arcade created two separate groups. Look at how attempts to court sponsors to major FGC events could be seen as disrespectful to its roots. The racial undertones of Evo's "No Thuggery" rule.

Great concept! You might have this already in mind, but I'd recommend highlighting the tipping point where fast online connections turned regional gaming competitions into world competitions, perhaps where people from foreign cultures finally had access to sponsored gaming competitions in the US. That moment when gaming blows up on a global scale is an exciting moment for the origin of fighting games. – Nate Océan 8 years ago
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Latest Comments

Apr 20, 2017 John Wells I feel like this article is conflating abstract and non-representative art into a single meaning while talking about non-representational art.	Understanding Abstract Art
Mar 10, 2017 John Wells I feel like sometimes the player’s desire for narratives in which their choices have concrete consequences and impact comes into conflict both with the designer’s desire to tell a given story and, even moreso, the rapidly exponential cost that comes about when having to design around an ever growing matrix of decisions and outcomes.	Video Games and Morality: The Question of Choice
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