I found Alternate Player for Twitch this week, and I’m pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

I think it’s really common nowadays for web developers to create poorly performing, bloated bohemoths of javascript code. The default, official Twitch player is just that. It’s inefficient with network requests, too. I can clearly see a video degradation when I have chat open on Twitch. I think it’s due to all the emotes. But here’s the worst part about twitch chat. I can hide the chat, and the video quality doesn’t improve. It’s not until I use the Twitch popout player which lacks chat when I see the video quality improve. So what I’m thinking is that the chat component continues making network requests, even though it’s not even visible.

Alternate Player for Twitch has several options for increasing network performance. There’s actually a drop-down menu which lets me choose one of three options for buffering. I’m seeing the best results on the, “Bad” network option.

The simplicity of this plugin is noteworthy. The styling is minimal and entirely acceptable because of how much better my watching experience is.

Ever since Twitch started using their difficult-to-block streaming ads, I have longed for a plugin which will simply detect when the ad is showing, and simply overlay a black box and mute so I don’t see or hear the ad. I am vehemently opposed to viewing corporate ads, especially those that are repetitive. Twitch ads fall into that category, and I think it’s unacceptable for ads to be this way. I have been seeing the same Bethesda X Microsoft ads literally 5 or more times a day, and that’s straightup inappropriate behavior for humanity. That’s straightup brainwashing.

I think Twitch makes enough money. I know that Jeff Bezos made a bunch of changes to all segments of his empire to increase profits. Part of that was being more aggressive against ad blocking, and another part was refusing to buy licenses for music. There is an ongoing struggle for Twitch streamers who are contractually disallowed from playing music that they would be able to play on Youtube… The difference being that Youtube has a music license system, and Twitch’s new policy straightup bans copyrighted music.

I have issues with copyright law in general, but that’s not the point right now… Or maybe it is!

I think it’s time for a new streaming platform. II think there are all sorts of improvements that can be made to the livestreaming experience. Cross-platform raids is one thing that I would like to see. Right now there are these walled gardens where perks earned in one do not transfer to the other, and the communities are independent and collaboration between the two is difficult or non-existent.

“Do you have a lower body?”

“I have a punani”

Ironmouse 2021

Goddamnit, I love her. Currently watching a vod

There’s this ongoing meme that chat has where they ship Connor with Ironmouse.

“Tell Connor we’re rooting for him!”

Anon. in Ironmouse’s Chat

I think it’s funny. It’s a deeply parasocial thing that watching Ironmouse is. For me, I mean. I can’t speak for everyone but for me I definitely feel close to her. I want to see her do good and have fun and laugh and love.