Mr Funk E Dude 🤡

Let me run through my thinking process and someone else tell me where I've gone wrong...

I have a small instance with limited storage, but I can always raise it if needed and funds are available.

Because of the small storage, I want it's cost to equal its value, so I insist that the content of the videos be intentional. No random videos of weddings or concerts. Nothing you'd find on a lost SD card.

To let people know about this, I created an announcement page that explains what my instance is looking for, how much memory they will be given, and an approximation of how many videos you can make with the storage allotment. There is a link to this page in a bright blue box at the top of every page on the instance. You can't miss it.

At the bottom of this page I write "If you request an account but do not say the type of content you intend to make, you will be rejected immediately."

The result is that I mostly get people requesting accounts that missed the link somehow, or they read it, say the type of content they want to make, and it's just random shit. The one thing I said that I didn't want on the instance.

Then I see big Instances that have storage shooting out of their asses offering "Unlimited" storage (which the instance owners know is a gimmick. Most accounts will probably never go over 10 gigs.) which, when compared to my limited storage, feels safer to the creator. So video creators lean towards the larger instances.

So the question is, how do I get video creators with intention to use my instance rather then one of the giant instances?

The only thing that I can offer is that it's managed hosting, which means likely shorter down times, and a moderator that's always looking out for them. Two things I doubt anyone cares about.

What would YOU do in my situation? (and no, raising the storage to be as much as the bigger instances isn't an option.)

#PeerTube #advicewanted

Jun 6 at 6:05pmWeb
Show threadcrabbypup5d ago

@Mrfunkedude

You've set your instance up to attract people who create with intention - not everyone does, and that's fine, but that's your niche.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

For the folks who are creating with intention, but would like to use more storage than the default, is there a way to have like a Patreon (or OpenCollective) for the instance so that creators can contribute at different levels according to their storage use?

Show threadMr Funk E Dude 🤡5d ago

@crabbypup You've just nailed part of the problem.

I offer 2 gigs less then the average PeerTuber uses over all, but the user never knows that because they see the word "unlimited" and think "Well the last video I made was 1 gig so I'll be safer with a bigger instance where I don't have to think about storage size." not realizing that the 1 gig video they made will get reduced to 200 megs after encoding. (if the instance owner is smart)

So it's more of a perception problem than anything else. They think that the amount I offer is low, not realizing that they wont be hitting that limit anytime soon unless they are making videos that go over 2 hours consistently. (The only people who I see hit this are live streamers who put their replays up thinking that people will watch them, but people rarely do.)

Show threadInternet Rando5d ago

@Mrfunkedude Opening any site to randos will only attract randos.

My humble opinion remains; curate your usership like you would your own friends list. All user registrations in fedi should be someone you know or part of a friend/acquaintance network.

Letting everyone from hither and thither in is how VC operates. VC is a giant burning money pile. Real relationships, real social networks aren't. It's not how fedi grows. Vet all your users, get better videos.

Show threadPhosphenes5d ago

@mousey @Mrfunkedude

What are some examples of created with intention? I'm not sure what that means.

If I was running, say, a ceramics only instance I would heavily haunt ceramics forums, get to know people, and pass the word around. After a while the audience - artist feedback loop would draw in the right people organically.

Show threadMr Funk E Dude 🤡5d ago

@Phosphenes @mousey I mean videos that have a subject that is expounded upon by the creator. An example would be a cooking video, or a video about keeping bees.

What I don't want are videos of this nice playground, or the concert someone went to, or anything that didn't involve some sort of editing or narrative.