Well friends, you’ve probably noticed I haven’t done a Saturday Social in a few weeks…it wasn’t intended to be a weekly post – like Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Fridays – as there isn’t always something to write about. This week, however, I do have something to write about.
Since leaving YouTube (as well as other google-related sites) last year it has been an issue finding something to take its place – minus the google connection of course. As you know Gab is one of my top two favorite platforms out there so when GabTV started up and running it was a no-brainer! I’ve been happily uploading videos ever since, and getting more “hits” on my videos than anywhere else too (even though I’m linking my vlogs here to a different platform)!
However last month I started having issues with being able to reply to people’s comments – as in, totally unable to! And nothing helpful was forthcoming. Then recently I became unable to comment on other people’s videos as well! This makes the community aspect impossible to maintain. My disappointment was huge. In fact, I found out about this second issue within a couple of days of extending my membership to Gab by 5 years – yes, FIVE YEARS! I agree with what they stand for, I like what Andrew Torba is doing, and I had faith in my ability to use it and be an active participant – including, or maybe especially, GabTV. (There are some fantastic videos that other members put up and I LOVE watching them, but what’s the point if I can’t comment or reply?)
But I’m not getting any help with the issue, and now I have almost as much frustration as disappointment. I’ve been a cheerleader for all things Gab but my love of the platform is taking a big hit, I don’t mind telling you…
Meanwhile posting is going fine at Rumble, no problems, my vlogs link to my blog without issue and I’ve gotten no complaints about problems from those who view them. I’m not a huge fan of Rumble but for the time-being it’s working even though I don’t get hits from other Rumble users and have about 20% of the views as I have had on GabTV.
I did enjoy peer.tube while I was on it. However being removed from my chosen instance without comment – which is, of course, the instance owner’s right – left me high and dry for a time and I’m not willing to risk that again. In addition, our internet signal is so slow and weak that I realize I’m not keeping up my part of the bargain in the P2P scheme of things there…
I had joined Pocketnet and experienced a glimmer of hope when they began video hosting there…then I saw that the requirements for being allowed to post videos there are a lot higher than I’d attain in a year. Social media is not my full-time job after all!
Lastly, I could always self-host. Keeping a copy of my vlogs on my own server is a possibility. I’d embed the video into my blog page just as I do now and you will never know the difference. I use a lower resolution on my videos as it is to keep within my allotted bandwidth (this blog is self-hosted, meaning that I use WordPress tools but all of the files are on my owly.net server), and if I made my videos the size of a postage stamp it shouldn’t be too costly re: server space or bandwidth…unless I want to invest even more heavily in these things. Which…well, that’s a last resort option…
So that’s where I stand at the moment, guys. My vlogs will still be here and on Rumble. Big Tech is not now nor will be an option therefore YouTube will never be an option. I will continue as I am now for the time being. And every so often I will test GabTV again to see if anything has changed there…but I’m not holding my breath.
How disappointing about Gab!!!!!
DingDash, MeWe, USA.Life, Mastodon, Gab, Rumble, GabTV, PeerTube.stream, and maybe more. I can’t keep up with all them. I barely check my emails once every two weeks. Yes, part of the problem is the way the wifi has been lately. Not sure what I should keep and what I should cut and run.