Community or marketable?

One question ask myself often with how much I share is: where is the money?

And thankfully started on web over 20 years ago trying to solve famous math problems. Seemed like a good idea at the time. And you don't do that for the money, but at first said I did and was convinced was a decent strategy, but no. Doesn't work that way.

Eventually realized mathematics is a community good, and I enjoyed searching for my own mathematical discoveries and talking that process out on the web.

Importantly my experience was better for sharing and there was no gain from not sharing. Learned more faster. Great lesson learned.

But spend a lot of time with web things and wonder, when can I expect to make money with something?

Have talked much on that subject across more than one blog, but here will simply note that a marketable product is needed to make money, and you sell that product--at a market.

Oh. So need a marketplace and good marketplaces have rules and prefer, or should prefer, to have products that are top quality. If not, how do you feel? Like if walking through a grungy store with sketchy things for sale? We even want the store to be...well most people do want a clean store, right?

Ok. Can do quality. But where are marketplaces where I might sell things I make?

Which is where am stuck. Good news is, have focused on community things like math, an open source product, and other idea things meant to be free like my science of entertainment.

So am good. Community focus got me global.

Being global is great and web enables that option for someone like me, and have learned a lot.

But yeah, wouldn't mind making a marketable product, like have considered writing fiction. But old 20th Century systems for publishing? Am NOT interested.

And oh yeah, money people scare me. So am like get an agent ever? Hell no. So yeah.

Web marketplaces are still the future. And that future is coming folks, but is sadly not here, yet.

Mood and YouTube revisited

Years ago when my functional definition of entertainment was still new to me, was testing the ideas and gave a deliberately comic attempt at applying it to YouTube.

But now am like: is actually correct analysis and with my social distancing because of the pandemic, spend more time on YouTube. So thought I'd emphasize and point out a few things.

Like yes, mood is key to size of your audience if have an entertaining channel. 

Entertainment is a SAFE mood control tool for us human beings. Holding a clear mood I call maintaining the mood line. 

If you succeed you get views roughly 50% or higher of your subscriber count.

You are ok with at least 10%. But less? Then most people are ignoring your videos. 

And we, the audience, are not wrong. My recommendation: if views are less than 10% of your subscriber count? Set aside a block of time and watch your last 5 videos in a row. 

Should admit--comedy is how could laser in on mood focus. Like if going to a comedy show and get bursts of funny mixed with sobbing about being broke, single and lonely that breaks the mood? Yeah. (Editing to add: if is part of comedy routine though? Of course that's different--preserves comedy mood.)

So what if cannot figure out mood? I think can learn but am an optimist about practicing to develop skills. Regardless at least can understand why those views vary as they do: audience knows.

So yeah, easy check is--watch a block of your own videos. If you squirm and get moody and hostile or cannot make yourself do it? Then you finally know--how your audience would feel. So they do not watch much. Simple. Have lots of posts on entertainment including at least one on mood line. If you care, you can find.

World got weirder

Not one to feel pressured to post on my blogs but have wondered when a new one would arrive. So one arrives today on here. Ok.

Of course there is now a pandemic and will not talk now but should acknowledge. Our world is so much weirder to me now, hence the title.

So much press and press in US still talks intense financial pressure, while of course there is much greater demand for news! Showing a problem in my opinion with press business model.

But found myself pondering with myself. Ended up in local news for getting gifted a car as a needy veteran. And got interviewed quite a bit in a burst! Where found I preferred the video from Macon Telegraph, a local newspaper. But DID like video from 13Wmaz a local TV station where also noticed they had a print article at their website.

So now we simply have news organizations because of the web.

But I think they talk like are still a newspaper or a television station as where made their money in the past.

Web now dominates and how to grow revenue here? I need to know too. Web is the future and that future is here. But business models for that future? Not so much.

Office worker have been I

Trying to turn a 49 year old long-term office worker into a heating and air conditioning repair technician? When I also have a work history in IT including coding and have an open source software product with downloads from over 150 countries? Seems odd to me.

Went along with for a bit as was convinced for a bit was a way to get back on my feet financially. But realize there may be grim things involved and talk on Lost in Commentary where also discuss, after American slavery.

Was fun riding around in a service truck for a bit, will admit.

Of course now also still working on how to make money. But also learned, be more careful in finding help.

They smiled so nicely too.

Now 50 do not have time for anything but help that really helps. Have reached half a century. Deserve to take better care of myself and should know better.

Will aim to do better.


James Harris