olivermoss | (no subject)

* The cryptobros are hype right now because they think reddit will save the NFT market with their new limited edition profile images that can be traded on the blockchain. They aren't even really NFTs in the traditional sense and they none are fully unique, the rarest are still runs of 200, but that will normalize NFTs and cause widespread adoption. (The Crybros phrased it differently, but I'll spare you those descriptors.) Also, having a rare not-actually-nft avatar will totally give people special powers in subs... because crypto bros will wish it into existence. I browse on an actual computer and can't see the details in people's custom Snoos. A free basic snoo has more of a visual impact than the bling ones do.

The icons are teeny even using the reddit app. They are very clear and sharp because I have a very spendy, recent phone. Not everyone has one of those. Still, unless I am specifically looking at the avatars for their own sake I am not going to take in much more than the silhouette. People having varying avatars does make it easier to skim conversations. I suspect over time that I'd come to recognize the icons of people I chat with regularly, but they make way less visual impact than an LJ/DW icon or a Discord one. For context, on Discord you can also make your user-image whatever you want.

While I can see this being a big thing in certain specific reddits, this looks to be not a big deal overall. Having a custom icon at all does make people stand out in comments, but the ones that cost money tend to be too visually complicated to work at the size greater than 95% of people see them at ... unless reddit does a redesign around the avatars. The free snoos are just better at being a profile image than the paid ones.

Also, while paid profile pics make reddit money, so do free ones. I have an Eddie Munson Snoo. It was part of the season 4 promo for people to be able to grab some free Stranger Things Snoos. So, going hard on paid profile pics would devalue another revenue stream the site has. Basically, it would kill a big source of ad revenue. I see these promos despite having ad-blocker.

Currently Destiny 2: The Witch King and Australian Footfall have free Snoos available. They usually have a few of these promos going and have for years.

So yeah, I don't think reddit is going to [censored] the [censored] into accepting NFTs as a part of life.

So anyway I made a 'Steve and his babies' icon because I can just do that. I can have anything I want, no one can stop me. I can even draw my own! Actually, I might make a better icon soon, I just wanted to make one for this post because it amused me.

* Also I really need a better Discord icon and need to change my name. Discord defaults to the name of my GW2 main because I first used it for gamer chat. I got a drawing of me done in hopes of not being confused for other people. Since I know some people IRL that I'm in discords with, I hoped still would make me less lost in the crowd during the pandemic. It didn't work and the icon actually isn't great as an icon. I need to fix stuff on that front, but not sure what/how.

I like the name 'Outcider' and use it a few places, but I feel weird using a name that means 'outsider' on a social platform. Feels idk either dramatic or standoffish. Maybe if it was 2001 and I was on LJ that would be a great name. I like it for tumblr and letterbox'd and stuff, but not there.