Framasoft has released their plans for PeerTube for 2024, and I hosted the livestreamed AMA to learn more. Framasoft talks about apps, being an alternative, new features, and so much more. Let’s dive right in.
Being an alternative
Framasoft explains that PeerTube is an alternative to YouTube and Twitch, and not a rival. The size of the Big Tech platforms cannot be seen independently from the values that are embedded into the software. To be a rival that can compete in size with YouTube and Twitch would mean abandoning the values of PeerTube. In the blog post they describe how their values such as transparency and autonomy directly influence the features and design of PeerTube.
The massive size difference between the Big Tech platforms and Framasoft is also visible in the size of the teams that work on the products. Up until now, most of the work on PeerTube is done by one paid developer. For the next year, Framasoft is proud to have a second person join the team. It is clear that this means a lot to the team, as they try to balance all PeerTube’s needs with the culture of a small organisation.
During the AMA, Pouhiou talks about the size and growth of PeerTube, and mentions that a sudden burst of growth and attention can be a great risk as well, especially for a platform where not all moderation features are completed. The consistent growth, without moments of intense virality, is a positive for Pouhiou.
New features that got released for PeerTube in the latest update, such as password protection, also benefit the the small groups and creators that Framasoft sees as their audience. During the AMA, Pouhiou said that the team did not realise how impactful the password protection feature can be to creators, until creators told them how important the feature was. This is an indication that PeerTube still has work to do in really growing into the role of being their own product that has their own specific audience.
Plans for 2024
PeerTube will build a Mobile App, as mobile has become the main way of watching videos. While there are unofficial apps, having an official app can be helpful for adoption of the platform. The plan is to publish the app for both iOS and Android, with AndroidTV as an extended goal. As Owncast however has found out recently, Apple can be restrictive on publishing apps on iOS. How this works out for PeerTube remains to be seen.
Content moderation is getting another look in 2024. PeerTube will work on a comment moderation system for both instance admins, and video uploaders. Another aspect is the ability for instance admins to scan all video metadata for specific keywords, that present a list that the admins can than decide on whether and how to take action on. Framasoft will also work with designers to rethink the NSFW/SFW labels into more specific tags for sensitive content.
Framasoft is also putting a big focus on the user experience. As the software has grown and developed over the years, features are not always in logical places anymore. They’ll work with designers to rethink the interface from the ground up.
Framasoft is a non-profit organisation funded by donations. You can find out more about their yearly donation drive, and how to support PeerTube, here.
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