I have an idea that I've been exploring, to the point where I'm about to teach myself the basic scripting languages (HTML5/CSS/JS & PHP):
There's a company called ClipBucket that offers an open-source "community edition" script for a Youtube clone Site: http://clipbucket.com/
They make their living by selling upgrade plugins,plus installation services. Their script is something like the paid script that BitTube uses.
How about I set up the open-source version of ClipBucket? Since the Community Edition code is open-source, it certainly can be forked & modified to accept STEEM as a tip currency or even as the currency for something like Patreon functionality.
Now...here's the downside. If you looked at the front page of BitTube, you'll get a good idea of what kind of folks have the greatest interest in a censorship-resistant video solution. Moreso, one with a STEEM- or cryptocurrency-based compensation or tipping scheme.
It's like the dark-market phenomenon. Just like the natural demand for transactional cryptocurrency comes from dark markets selling illegal goods, the natural demand for censorship-resistant compensation comes from people pushing "dark ideas." Ideas that normies would find offensive or even disturbing: the kind of ideas that would be likely downvoted and/or flagged by normies.
It wouldn't be good strategy to invite these people in, promising "Censorship-Resistant Compensation!!", only to see that the folks invited in get downvoted, flagged, or run out on a rail.
I'm willing to go ahead on this idea alone, with the Community edition of ClipBucket initially, and pay for the hosting and/or upgrades on my own. I can chalk up the cost as a hobby expense: my little bit to help out free expression. Since I've spent some time looking into this, I know what I'm in for.
But it's a different matter if I deliberately link it up to STEEM rather than to cryptocurrency: I'd involve you guys too.
I firmly believe that this way forward is a good idea, but we should think long and hard about the downside: the "dark ideas" downside. It's a viable business model - look at what being the "cesspool of the Internet" has done for 4Chan! - but it's a dirty business model too. Just like dark markets, from the perspective of a different kind of normie.
Feel free to comment on the above.
Thanks. It's a difficult issue and something for the community to decide. The question for me comes down to whether the content is illegal.
Anything that breaks laws is not only going to create bad PR but is likely to get the authorities cracking down on it and any prominent members of the community. The involvement of payments makes it even more likely.
We have already had DMCA issues and I suspect that such a platform will attract a lot of copyright infringement. Let us see what other community members think.
Good point about the DMCA issues. One of the drawbacks of a censorship-resistant platform is that it's difficult to "censor" when you're obliged to....
Exactly and the problem is that the authorities aren't very understanding of that fact!
Come with the techno-libertarian model of technology outpacing governments, I'm afraid. :)