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I Stopped “Creating Content”

refactoringenglish.com

211–220 of 249 posts

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#211

I actually really like the term content creator , because it removes the artificial boundaries that come with being a writer, photographer, filmmaker, etc. and just lets you make stuff. The medium doesn't matter if you're a content creator, to a large extent. The alternative is "art" but that comes with a lot of other baggage that often sounds unintentionally pretentious, especially if you aren't actually creating pa…

As an artist (former, really[0]), I can confirm that the medium really, really matters. It can inform the creation, as much as the creator. There are top-shelf authors that insist on writing everything in cursive, in legal pads (God help the poor schlubs that have to transcribe it, though). They insist that they can’t be creative, otherwise. There are musicians (like Rhiannon Giddens), that always perform barefoot. M…

You wrote all that without mentioning Marshall McLuhan? ;)

Also, I really like your artwork! I've bookmarked that link.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with everything except the last sentence. Humans are not rational agents, doubly so when it comes to money and spending. There are many communities where charging even a nominal fee for your work leads to backlash due to built up expectations of free contribution.

I'm not sure if they're irrational. Payment/subscription fatigue is a thing. Today it seems like you have to pay to breathe. It's suffocating. I often go through periods where I reject every money ask compulsively, the same way as I would "disconnect". It's quite interesting how quality of life gets inverted in non intuitive ways. If you travel to a "developing country" you notice you are no longer bombarded with ads…

If it costs the audience something, they're demonstrating their sincerity. So one problem with giving stuff away for free is that you might doubt how much your fans really mean it. Maybe they're just taking free stuff on principle, maybe they're praising you for the pleasure of giving praise, if they don't put their money where their mouth is. Maybe I don't sincerely care about a lot of the free stuff I say I enjoy, it's hard to tell when there's no test of what it's worth to me.

Then again I suppose there's also an opposite sunk-cost effect where a fan feels obliged to insincerely say how great the thing is, because of being literally invested in it.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you. I would prefer to be known as a "content creator" rather than a "woodworker" or "game developer" or "illustrator" or "writer" or "musician". Especially because all of that work tends to overlap all of the time. It feels so limiting to be described by a singular part of what I do. And I'm neurotic enough to want a 'comprehensive' word, rather than to slash myself to death in a description. I don't partic…

I perfer the term maker because its descriptive without the commercial aspect.

I'm also a fan of maker! Good shout. Though, I will say, I tend to see "maker" and "creator" as pretty interchangeable. Right up until the point of saying "content maker". That...doesn't feel right.

If nothing else, this blog post certainly invites scrutiny over how much feelings affect what classifications feel comfortable.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate this clarrification comment: had originally read this as option B and was wondering "why would they say this?"

I always read it as option b as well. I figured it meant they wanted to avoid the "too many cooks" problems that plagues all popular languages, and especially avoid extreme pressure from powerful "clients" to make specific changes. IE, was about control. But ya, now that I see nine_k's comment, option makes a lot of sense.

Me too, but I think it means to avoid being constrained by success, like Python 2.

Elm took this a little to far.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#216
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mine is "thought leader" - I've yet to meet someone who calls themselves that who's had a useful thought.

I know a few people who unironically call themselves that. They sound awesome, but scratch beneath the surface of what they say... there's nothing there.

I'm a thought leader. I thought I should lead.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#217
> The first time I saw Michelangelo’s David in person, I wept. Never in my life have I witnessed a more beautiful piece of content.

I stopped reading at this sentence and couldn't take the rest of the article seriously. It felt .... pretentious and self centered.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#218

You “create content” if what you’re after is just money, and “content” is this malleable goo you have to produce and shove it down the algorithm so that it gets “traffic”, another form of goo that gets “funneled” and “converted” into money. In other words, it loses all (human) meaning. So yes, if you care at all, you shouldn’t “create content”. You should be writing essays, recording tutorials, training, music, conve…

I agree with everything except the last sentence. Humans are not rational agents, doubly so when it comes to money and spending. There are many communities where charging even a nominal fee for your work leads to backlash due to built up expectations of free contribution.

For the producer, a nominal (at cost) fee is worse than an exorbitant one. better to have a few high paying customers first then drop the price inviting more than the other way around of charging nothing first then going up

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#219

You “create content” if what you’re after is just money, and “content” is this malleable goo you have to produce and shove it down the algorithm so that it gets “traffic”, another form of goo that gets “funneled” and “converted” into money. In other words, it loses all (human) meaning. So yes, if you care at all, you shouldn’t “create content”. You should be writing essays, recording tutorials, training, music, conve…

To that end, I don't like creating that corpus of work _for social media_. As a musician, I don't think it converts to ticket sales. At a certain level it's required to keep a musician's name in the conversation if you're, say, a big EDM artist, but at that level it's nothing more than just a "dumb piece of content" without any of the labor of love you mentioned.

So then where as a musician does the content go on the internet if it doesn't convert? I feel I'd be better off putting up posters outside venues or some of those roller glue posters on boards in the artsy part of town.

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