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Comment by patio11 | Hacker News Reader

Will you officially support content creators who might want to make something like a Let's Play of Starfighter?

Heck yes. Existence of many Let's Plays is necessary (but not sufficient) to prove we're actually doing our job.

I'm peripherally aware of the mechanics of what I have to do to get Big Daddy G to be OK with this, and it's on my checklist. (Not asked, but the answer to "Are you OK with people monetizing those videos?" is "We have no objection to it but if you are both capable of programming and motivated by Youtube CPMs please let Patrick buy you dinner and explain how many astoundingly better options there are in life.")

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Thanks for the reply. The unasked part is exactly where I was going with my question. I should have just stated it explicitly.

> if you are both capable of programming and motivated by Youtube CPMs please let Patrick buy you dinner and explain how many astoundingly better options there are in life.

Ha. I understand your sentiment, but what you've said is pretty condescending. I would agree that creating content for the sole purpose of making "YouTube money" is silly. I would argue that, to the vast majority of YouTubers, it's simply an enjoyable hobby with RPMs as a potential bonus. The RPMs are intrinsically motivating. There is nothing wrong with being honest with yourself and admitting that they play a factor in the motivation needed to create vs. do something else.

Anyways, my point is, if a capable programmer enjoys making monetized videos on the side, the fact that there are "astoundingly better options in life" is irrelevant.

"¿Por que no los dos?" I think the spirit of Patrick's response is "Knock yourself out." And I get the feeling, having followed what he's had to say about how programmers typically negotiate salaries and consulting opportunities, that he's encountered MANY who truthfully don't know the market value of their skills and are subsequently under-paid. I suspect the condescending tone you're picking up is really just him just trying to shed light on a place he's seen members of the community routinely overlook. There's definitely nothing wrong with earning money making videos. But there exists a group of programmers who honestly don't know how much more they could be making, and I think all he's trying to do is let them know.

Please also consider pushing Twitch "Let's Plays" as well. We have a lot of programmers watching!

I agree with what you're saying about video advertising CPMs, though it is quite possible to make a living on Twitch once you add in subscriptions at $5/mo.

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