As has often been the case in my writing career, I have a draft that needs completing, but I am starting a draft. I use “career” here intentionally, since for a while that really was my job running Netizen Empowerment Federation. Also though, this is true of my writing projects for the day job.

Netizen Empowerment Federation was a media organization. It was for bloggers and podcasters, and I did a lot of those blogs and podcasts. As such, I have a very keen sense that focusing on getting out media can keep me from actually running an organization.

Still, I think looking at our numbers can be valuable.

I am only going to assess the Friends of CC Music official YouTube channel because doing anything else is complicated and reflects a reality that no longer exists. That is, except for the PeerTube. The PeerTube though does not get a lot of views. It has exist 4 videos with double digit views.

Those are:

The Free Culture Show which I have thought about deleting due to audio issues. It was intended as a pilot.

Jibber Jabber Jambalaya with Omar of Netlabel Day

Jibber Jabber Jambalaya on The History of Copyright

Jibber Jabber Jambalaya on a summer project that really didn’t amount to much.

Of course, PeerTube also has viewer videos.

Jibber Jabber Jambalaya first comes in on YouTube at 6 with the interview with PUCK Crew. No other series we have done comes any higher other than the first and only season that Donnie and I did and then I did for a while of the CC Listening Party. Interviews with Eddie Palmer and Nicholas Burgess are higher, and then the CC CMA Winner Show #2. Obsidian rolls in with 8, 10 and 11. Another JJJ comes in at 17. That is out of about 280 videos.

But what is interesting is that the recently monthly meeting with Ben Pate of Bandwagon.fm is now our third most popular video. It shows a thirst for music technology or maybe for the fediverse. Maybe both. I need to split up the Netlabel Panels still but those have some technology things and are also recent.

The data maybe becomes clearer when only looking at the last year. The meeting with Ben is the top entry. 3 of the top 10 are Jibber Jabber Jambalaya (not the same three as PeerTube, remember PUCK Cru is 6 all-time and JJJ is new this year). The Netlabel Panels come in at #3. 5 and 7 are Obsidian. Meetings are 6 and 9. That Free Culture Show video with bad audio rolls in at number 8. Pretty blond women are gonna get clicks, I guess.

But more telling is the stark drop-off. Ben, PUCK Cru, Netlabel Panels and then the views fall off a cliff. Why? Well, one possibility is that all three of those have folks that are not part of the usual crew, and thus they might share and get more views.

I would love to do more long-form interviews like the one with PUCK Cru, but I can’t do it and run the organization. Someone else would need to run the organization.

The tech stuff is something we have already talked about doing more education, but I am not sure who is going to lead the education. Again, I cannot run the organization and teach folks tech stuff.

Please leave a comment or email me at doug@blocsonic.com if you have thoughts on the direction the organization should take.