Thumbstick Mafia

Sharkyshood and Chasinglux here! Yes, your eyes are working. It’s an official episode of the Thumbstick Mafia Podcast – welcome back to Season 3!

In today’s episode, we discuss the recently released Mixer Platform Updates. Mixer continues to take the lead when it comes to creating the tools, and the relationships, for streamers and communities to succeed. It’s always a pleasure to see how they are working behind the scenes to improve things.

Mixer Announcements: Our Commitment to You

https://blog.mixer.com/2019/07/23/our-commitment-to-you/

Digital Safety and Streamer Success Q&A https://watchbeam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360031202131

Can you believe it’s been 2 years?! The Focus is Security, Moderation and Community Building.

Mixer as always, excels at putting the needs of the community first. They announced the following this past week;

* 7 new programs and tools aimed at maintaining the Community* Made it easier to report abuse from the player window. * Updated Rules of Conduct to expressly prohibit terrorist and violent content.* Streamer Review System (Aug 29th soft launch) – 24 hours hour waiting period until you can stream with cam.  Links to your Microsoft account. * Toxicity screen coming later on in the year. New filtering option to give you control over chat participation, more auto moderation tools and chat modes. * Moderator Program * Updating software and app capabilities for Moderators so that they can review broadcasts, chat and activity – for better community health over all. * Renewed commitment to digital safety in the live streaming industry. * 4 new initiatives to support streamer success* All streamers will be able participate in monetization – unlocking Mixer Embers and then following with Channel Subscriptions and additional monetization over time. * Overhauled Streaming Analytics* Streamer Progression Dashboard – outlining clear steps and goals toward streamer perks, monetization and support on mixer as well as additional promotion. * Mixer Academy: to help you grow  in soft skills like audience engagement, networking, moderation etc.

LevelUp Cast – Our commitment to you and updates | 7/26/19 Josh Stein  + Andy Salisbury – Community Managers Guest: Mixer’s GM – Chad GibsonSara Cooperstein – Operations Manager: Mixer Trust and Safety

Funny enough, we recorded this podcast episode today and made reference to a certain content creator as the face of Twitch noting, it might be different if he was the face of Mixer instead. About an hour later, he announced he was the new face of Mixer.

Hey Family!

It’s been great to be back, we hope you all have been enjoying the relaunch of the website. While our mission and vision remains the same, we have changed our execution to reflect our growth and the growth of the community.

With that said, I’m proud to share our latest with you. I was lucky to have a quick sit down with Cuddle Core to chat about the Super Special episode of the Cud Cast she did, which was a very focused and open conversation with her Mom. We found it to be such a beautiful example of fellowship.

We wanted to highlight and delve into what moved her to share such a vulnerable, real moment with her Community.

In addition, we talk about the responsibility of being a Black Woman in esports, how she navigates that space and what advice she has for those who are trying to find where they fit in.

I want to thank Cuddle Core for taking the time to speak with us and for allowing us a glimpse into her life and family dynamic in this very intimate way.

Stay Up To Date With Cuddle Core

You can find Cuddle_Core on Twitch, Caffeine, YouTube and on her Website. She’ll be competing next at Evo on August 2-4th, 2019Recently Competed at CEO 2019 in Tekken – Placed 13th

Got 2nd place @norcalss. Our team with @Joey_Fury and @Dimeback_ went hard in every single fight! It was so amazing having @EQNXGaming together, cheering nonstop! The competition was insanely tough. But, we showed we were just as formidable. 🌻 pic.twitter.com/lVyW4tzxvk— EQNX | Cuddle_Core 🔜 STRONGSTYLE (@cuddle_core) July 16, 2019

Every Season, we go over the latest platform updates for the top streaming and content creating platforms to keep you in the loop and following the terms of service.  Being informed of the rules of the platform(s) you use to share and create your content is not only smart, it’s one of the best ways to protect your brand and the first step in making sure you community is moderated efficiently.

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This is S3, E2 – We are your hosts Seekr and Sharkyshood and here’s what you need to know:  

Mixer: Has been very strong on their policies that center on creating safe communities. Here are some of their policies.

* No Hate Speech

* No Bullying – Specific examples given

* Nudity + Attire + Mature Content

* Mixer Light Stream Studio Partnership

* Light Stream Mixer Integration

 Twitch:  In February of this year, Twitch announced updates to it’s terms of Service that were due to go into effect in March. Noted Changes: 

* Streamers being responsible for off platform conduct

* Nudity and Attire

* Sexual content – included emotes + twitch creative

 YouTube: Has made some major changes to their partnership program which has affected tons of smaller creators.

* 1,000 subscribers

* 4,000 watch time hours within the past 12 month

Added new features to their live-stream service:

* Chat replay

* English automatic captions to livestreams (HUGE!)

* Made it easier to go live with webcam (no encoding software)

* Also working on making direct streaming from phone easier

* Here comes YouTube studio

Did you Miss us?! We are back with a new Season for The Thumbstick Mafia Podcast and we have a few guests with us!

Fave of the show and gem in the community: Missy/MissDoItBig. You may have recently seen her on the front page after her BHM Twitch feature or bussin shots in Fortnite. She has been streaming for 5 years and has been the moderator for channels such as CDNThe3rd, High Distortion, Grimmmz and formerly, Dr. Disrespect.

We also have another one of our favorites, the person that elevated your Sim melanin game so your Sims wouldn’t be out here looking ashy. The person that created the largest and fasting growing Sim Forum for black simmers. She was also featured on Twitch’s BHM and their Women’s history month. The one and only Xmiramira.

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For our return, we wrap up the #ModMarch conversation we started on twitter by discussing Moderating Online Communities and Stream Chats. Your community reflects your vision, so managing and moderating is a necessary evil. Missy and Mira break down what they’ve learned while managing large online communities; streams and forums as well as how that knowledge shaped their own brands and channels.

You can catch up on your #ModMarch discussion HERE.

Tools To Help With Chat Moderation

Because we love you, we also have a few resources to share with you to help.

* FrankenFaceZ – A chat management tool that allows you to “stop” the flow to moderate, add emotes, custom keyword highlighting etc

* CBenni – Moderation log storage – your receipts will always be crisp and accurate because you’ll be able to search a user for interaction on your channel.

* Twitch Moderation Command Page

* Mixer Moderation Command Page

* Youtube Moderation Page

* Coral Project – A how-to guide all about Moderation.

Join the conversation by tweeting your thoughts using the #TMPOD.

Thank you to our awesome guests:MissDoItBig | Twitter | Twitch | YouTubeXmiramira |

Back again with another bonus episode. If you are content creator on YouTube, or a regularly YouTube watcher, then you probably heard of the dreaded Adpocalypse. If not then here is a quick rundown:

Companies found out a few ads were placed on content that was offensive.

Big name companies started remove their ad dollars from YouTube.

YouTube made changes to their monetization guidelines to ease advertisers concerns that this would never happen again.

With the new changes some creators noticed a good chunk of their videos were being demonetized.

Since YouTube guidelines are pretty vague, creators are pretty much left in the dark on what is and isn’t considered “advertiser-friendly” content.    

In this Episode, Sharky shares her thoughts on the changes YouTube is making and how we need to consider expanding criticism of the fallout from YouTube’s Adpocalypse.

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Keep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTube

Articles referenced:Google uncovers that Russian-bought ads were found on YouTube, Gmail and other platforms.

YouTube creators seek an explanation on why their videos on the Las Nevada tragedy were demonetized and yet the YouTube channel for the Jimmy Kimmel Show w...

Break? What break? Ya’ll gon’ take this new content g. Sharkyshood and Seek3r here with a special episode for ya’ll: Study Your Craft. We were inspired to do this episode after we watched 30 for 30: XFL and saw the rise and fall of a good idea and how failure doesn’t mean that you didn’t have an impact.  Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | RSSWhy is studying your craft important? Studying your craft means looking at the larger picture and paying attention to the culture of the platforms you use as well as the news and announcements and having a good handle on the resources you have at your disposal and how you can use them – this is also not limited to learning in your area of expertise  as what you consume will start to inform what you do.Without study, your growth and improvement will be limited. Important to Note: * Things my fluctuate in experimental phases but that doesn’t mean failure – growing pains are natural and necessary. * Get ahead of the trends so you can figure out a way that makes them work for you. It’s important for you to find and continue define your style as you continue to grow in vision.* Every business has a customer service element, what is yours? How do you navigate that?Plus: Why we thought it was important to discuss Disney XD’s programming block and what it means and can mean for the culture, limiting your potential and setting up your google alerts. Show Notes – Here are the shows we watched / discussed:30 for 30: XFL | Documentary on the XFL, a short lived alternate Football League, spearheaded by Vince McMahon of WWE fame. Parker’s Plays | Let’s Play | 30 mins | Sketch Comedy,Game playSolaris | Variety Game Show | 30 mins | ComedyThe Attack | Variety Game Show | 30 mins | Comedy, NewsThe IGN Show | News + Culture Round up |  30 mins | Comedy, News, E-sportsQuick Announcement: Our Patreon is Live! Patreon.com/thumbstickmafiaKeep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTubeThanks for listening!  

Welcome back to another episode of the Thumbstick Mafia Podcast! In Season 2, Episode 9 we wrap up our conversation with Simply Undrea by talking about creating a space for your Team and what accountability looks like in that space. We also discuss the difference between comparison and inspiration and why it’s important to know the difference.

We would like to take the time to thank Simply Undrea for hanging with us during this extended mini series on Community and Team Building as a content creator. You can keep up with her: SimplyUndrea | twitch.tv/simplyundrea | youtube.com/simplyundrea

In this Episode, we also discuss breaking news in the esports and tech world as well as announce our Mid-Season break and what that means.

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Keep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTubeArticles Referenced:

Twitch announces Twitch Extensions: Integrated features that allow you to make your stream interactive. Some features are basic UI customization changes like Overlays and Game Wisp integrations while others are game specific like Destiny Tracker, Overwatch stats and the ability to see your deck in Hearthstone. Check out the link for a full list of features.

Taking a page from Mixer’s Book, Twitch also announced a Developer Trello Roadmap so you can keep track of upcoming plans and implementation.

Mixer also had news; Announcing Interactive 2.0 – A lot of the changes are backend focused. We get the idea that Mixer is attempting to set themselves apart with the interactive aspect of the platform by allowing high levels of customization. This will allow the coders and techies to really flex their abilities. Their example of this is the integration with Killing Floor 2.

Discord also had some news for the hat; they are announcing the roll out of video chat and screen sharing. Discord is quickly becoming a one stop shop for gamers – with this integration of video chat, we won’t have much use for skype or gchat except if we’re talking to non-gamers of course.

E-sports news has been trending – keep an eye on t...

We are joined by Special Guest; Undrea of Simply Undrea | an experienced streamer and content creator as well as Brand Ambassador and Community Manager.

Listen Here:Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS

Building Your Brand Off Your Main PlatformWhat happens to your brand if your mainstream streaming platform discontinues service for some reason. Will your community be able to still find you? In addition, if you need off stream help do you have a group of reliable supporters to be there for you.

Setting Boundaries and IRL streaming on TwitchWith IRL streaming being fairly new, on Twitch, a lot of streamers are hopping on board to help grow their following with no real thought to the level of access they are providing. Establishing boundaries helps to protect you and your community.  

Building Your TeamThere is a huge differences between your followers, your team and your friends. Just because someone is in your stream all the time that does not mean they will be a good member of your team. Establishing boundaries means the type of relationships you build in this industry will vary and that is ok. Your team is there to check in on you and to help you strengthen your weak points.

Evaluating Strengths and WeaknessesYour team members should complement you. Having a team with members that are all good at the same things is not the best move.  Undrea talks about the process she went through to find her current team and how you should plan for the long run when it comes to team building.

It’s Ok To Say “No” to Nice ThingsSetting boundaries when it comes to the tasks you are willing to take is just as important as setting boundaries with people. Undrea talks about how taking on too many tasks started to have a negative impact on her health. Undrea’s message is similar to the message Myleik Teele of “My Taught You” talked about her “My Birthday Podcast” episode.

Thank you for listening!Again we would like to thank our special guest Simply Undrea for joining us. She can be found on the following:Website | Twitter | Youtube | Twitch | Instagram

Keep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTube

#TMPod tag is still the official hashtag for the show! If you have comments, questions,

We are joined again by Special Guest; Undrea of Simply Undrea | an experienced streamer and content creator as well as Brand Ambassador and Community Manager as we continue the conversation on Community + Team Building and lead into Polling, Statistics and Networking.

Listen here: Podcast:     Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS

#SupportSmallerStreamers and Lying PollstersOn Twitter, Seek3r created a Twitter poll asking if streamers if they used #supportsmallerstreamers and how they used it. The results from the poll were as followed:

We share our thoughts on the hashtag and why we think some folks aren’t being honest with their answers. How can we get better if you lyin’? In addition, we talk about how we found each other and other streamers.

How to Grow Your Twitch Channel?Undrea reveals the nitty-gritty on growing your Twitch Channel.

Charting GrowthTracking your growth is very important. Checking all of your numbers can help you figure out if the marketing strategies you are implementing  work or not. Undrea advises on how to brand your bitly links and Sharky talks about how she was team Fuck Facebook and how that bit her in the butt when it came to Instagram analytics.

Branding and Re-BrandingOften we hear how important your brand is. When it comes to streaming, most are only aware of the visual aspects of branding, i.e. making sure your logo, panels and overlays match. In reality, proper branding is more than the visual and we discuss how your vision should impact branding which will impact your sponsors.

Proper Way to Network In the Gaming IndustryUndrea shares how she networks on Twitch and  within the gaming industry. Hint: It’s more than just going to an event and passing out your business cards to everyone. Connections matter so making authentic connections with those you feel good about is a major key. Also, we talk about elevator pitches and why you should have one for your Twitch channel.

Again we would like to thank you guest Simply Undrea for joining us. She can be found on the following: Website | Twitter | Youtube | Twitch | Instagram

Keep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTube

#TMPod tag is still the official hashtag for the show! If you have comments, questions, would like to suggest a guest or a topic – please use the hashtag so we can keep track ...

On S2E5 we discussed vision. This leads right into developing your vision into a community and the importance of Team and Community Building.  We are joined by Special Guest; Undrea of Simply Undrea | an experienced streamer and content creator as well as Brand Ambassador and Community Manager.

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Community: What you are building?Team: Who you are building it with?

It’s wise to know WHAT you are trying to build before you start including others in your vision.  Ensuring that the folks that are your support system not only understand, but support and complement your vision is important.

Understand that your vision will change and grow as you do but vision and intention are essential to continued success.

How do we build a community?

* Good Content

* Engagement

* Outreach

* Retention

Maintain it? How do you select your team members? These are the questions we want you to ask  yourself and hopefully our discussion will lead you in the direction of those answers.

Again we would like to thank you guest Simply Undrea for joining us. She can be found on the following:Website | Twitter | Youtube | Twitch | Instagram

Keep up with your hosts:Sharkyshood | Twitter | YouTubeChasinglux | Twitter | Twitch | YouTube

#TMPod tag is still the official hashtag for the show! If you have comments, questions, would like to suggest a guest or a topic – please use the hashtag so we can keep track or you can email us: [email protected]

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