Gather is a cloud computing platform that provides content creators with a means of monetizing content without the need for advertisers, by allowing site visitors to monetize their spare processing power.
For a considerable time the blockchain industry has been the kicking boy of online censors. The trend was particularly pronounced in 2018, the year in which both Facebook and Google banned crypto-related adverts. Both platforms later rolled back on their outright bans, but the climate for blockchain projects on the biggest social media platforms is still far from friendly.
Blockchain-related content creators on YouTube are among the groups who have found that their presence is less than welcome on the platform. There have been a number of complaints leveled at the internet’s most popular video-sharing platform. 5 billion videos are watched on the platform every day, but those who create crypto content face a more difficult path to reaching viewers than most. With blockchain advocates finding themselves unfairly punished any potential alternative or means of finding a way out merits exploration.
Content Creators Punished
In 2020 speculation began to mount that crypto-related content is being unfairly treated on YouTube, and the prime suspect is the website’s content algorithm. In March the platform announced that “..automated systems will start removing some content without human review, so we can continue to act quickly to remove violative content and protect our ecosystem, while we have workplace protections in place.”
Whether by design or by accident, content creators connected to blockchain and cryptocurrency suffered lost content and channels suspended. One solution for content creators is to host their videos elsewhere, but what about monetizing them and finding advertisers? That seems like a bit of a stretch.
One blockchain company may already have discovered the solution. Gather is a cloud computing platform that provides content creators with a means of monetizing content without the need for advertisers, by allowing site visitors to monetize their spare processing power. When visiting a Gather-enabled website, a visitor is asked whether they wish to offer this processing power to cloud computing services.
When approved and enabled, Gather works in the background while the visitor enjoys whatever content they are watching. What is better still is that Gather rewards both the owner of the site and the visitor too. It is, quite simply, an ecosystem in which all participants win. If visitors don’t wish to participate they can choose not to and still watch the content provided.
As you’d expect from a system incorporating blockchain technology, the Gather system doesn’t discriminate against cryptocurrency either. The whole system presumes against censorship, with Gather taking an “if it’s legal, then it’s ok” approach to content and the websites it supports. The trick for content creators now is creating content that is compelling enough to attract users away from the big platforms. Content creators do not have to rely on the revenue schemes enforced by these platforms which have too many revenue shares enforced between the big platforms. Under this new system, the middle-man is eliminated.
Advertising Goes Elsewhere
For those blockchain companies more concerned with ways to advertise their products and services, there are other means of getting their message out there. Brave browser has pioneered a “paid-to-view” advertising model in which users are paid in their native token to view adverts. For blockchain advertisers who have experienced the vagaries of other media and sites, that is a huge plus.
Although some of the big internet firms have been less than crypto-friendly, there are signs that the tide is turning. Blockchain is one of the most innovative sectors in tech, and if the big players don’t get behind it, blockchain will find a way around them.
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