myrmepropagandist*whispers*
uh... guys? what are "vtubers" ? They seem nice enough, I think like a whole bunch just showed up around here.
moved servers ➡ @@futurebird I am also old, I've watched some of these streams but didn't know this word...
Serenity@futurebird Virtual youtubers I think. (Anime characters animated with motion capture and a real person behind in real time I believe, I am not an expert.)
I get it now! thank you!
@futurebird Also, I only heard about them like two weeks ago on a french channel specifically focused on japanese trends, I don't think they're that famous in Europe for example, so you are not necessarily confused or old. If they lost all their viewers and traffic overnight because of the birdsite snafu, they're probably trying to rebuild something here.
David Hull 胡大衛@futurebird Oh yeah. I taught an East Asian Pop Culture class last year and we did a small section on VTubers. And that is to say that I don't think I am able to answer your question. :)
Most of my students weren't really into them, but it led to some really good conversations about presented identity, "sex sells," and all sort of other topics.
Bryan Wright@futurebird
People who drive for Uber in Vermont?
People who drive for Uber in Vermont?
That must be it. Well ... totally I support the Vermont Uber drivers forming a union! 😃
Demon Queen Lucretia@futurebird generally it's streamers or youtubers who instead of presenting themselves on screen using a webcam will use an animated character and sometimes altered voice to present their on screen persona. Typically the animated character will move in ways synchronised with that of the user via motion tracking, for greater verisimilitude.
I follow very few of them but found the trend curious enough to look into when they first started popping up.
It's a neat way of being able to have a consistent screen presence without having to expose your actual physical form. It also makes it easier to produce videos in a familiar and consistent format without needing physical space, green screen, makeup, etc.
I follow very few of them but found the trend curious enough to look into when they first started popping up.
It's a neat way of being able to have a consistent screen presence without having to expose your actual physical form. It also makes it easier to produce videos in a familiar and consistent format without needing physical space, green screen, makeup, etc.
It's not a bad idea. I've seen some videos like that. They don't exactly do a lot on ants or political commentary I suppose... but I have seen it!
Janne Moren@futurebird @rezzyreksya
There doesn't seem to be any real limits on the content. One of the main people creating new graphics drivers for Linux on the Apple M CPUs is a vtuber working on it during livestreams.
The whole anime part is almost irrelevant. I know a lot of people in Japan are loathe to show their face online, and an avatar is more fun and more expressive than a mask.
Both ants and political commentary is definitely possible!
✧ Charmi 🌟 TOTK ERA ☁️@rezzyreksya @futurebird couldn't have explained it better !!
VHaschThat sounds perfect for people who banish mirrors and run from cameras... like me.
OkazuYuri@futurebird They are people who talk with their YT audiences, using avatars of anime-style girls (mostly), with some movement to heighten the feel of engagement with a real anime style girl. They become really popular.
Overall, I don't really get them, but I'm not into celebrity.
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez (MOVED)@EricaFriedman @futurebird Imaginary Worlds has a good episode on them, was the first time I'd heard of it. https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/episodes/generation-vtube
Episode 209: Generation VTube — Imaginary Worlds
There is a booming culture of VTubers – people who create content online, but their fans rarely see their real faces or know their names. VTubers use motion-capture technology to appear as animated characters they designed, and many of these characters are otherworldly from robots to aliens to demon
@glecharles They are relatively popular in the anime/manga world I inhabit. I find them kind of uninteresting myself.
Dr. Fyzziks@futurebird they're either a kind of root vegetable like a sweet potato, or somebody who makes videos using a virtual avatar of themselves rather than an actual unaltered live video feed.
Personally, I'm leaning towards the sweet potatoes explanation.
Ben Rosengart@futurebird virtual potatoes?
Alan@futurebird They are actors who take on an anime persona who play video games, draw, sing, etc. Typical streamer stuff.
Jason MadridThey're YouTubers who all happen to dress up as that guy in the Guy Fawkes mask from "V for Vendetta."
(Oddly enough, they're not affiliated with Anonymous, AFAIK.)
Ryan 
@futurebird I believe vtubers is short for "virtual tubers" - like a cross between Bitcoin and potatoes. I don't know what you're supposed to do with them 🙂
Eric McCorkle@futurebird As I understand, they're youtube hosts and/or streamers who use virtual avatars (the 'v' in "vtuber"), that somehow mimic their facial movements. It's often used to maintain pseudo-anonymity.
mcc@futurebird I think the best way to think about it is computer-automated puppetry.
(But also the tech makes it pretty easy to puppet an actual literal drawing, which is great if you can draw)
Linebyline→mastoart.social@futurebird Well you've gotten the mundane "real" answer so here's the *actuall* answer:
It's a "root" vegetable (actually a stem) that forms an acute angle. I've seen a picture but I can't find it now.
Megapenguinx@futurebird vtuber or virtual YouTubers use virtual 3D avatars similar to the kind you see on VRChat to host video content like let’s plays and pop culture shows. They are more popular in Asia but are growing in popularity here on platforms like Twitch
Jean Hominal@futurebird vtubers are people who post videos using a virtual avatar of themselves.
In my view, that is closer to what the actual metaverse will look like than anything Facebook has done.
In my view, that is closer to what the actual metaverse will look like than anything Facebook has done.