Sun 02 February 2025

I, like many, have taken an interest in Daniel Supernault's new Loops video service.

Unlike many, I'm not so much interested in a FOSS, Federated clone of TikTok, YT Shorts, or Vine. I honestly don't care for that kind of media. I don't object to the format (other than vertical video being fundamentally kind of silly), but rather the content: vapid and often hard-boiled brainrot videos.

What I'm really hoping for (and hoping against hope) is for some kind of reimagining of Casey Neistat's Beme.

Beme, ultimately, will be yet another entry in the list of famous-youtuber-tried-to-do-something-cool-and-basically-failed endeavors, and while I usually couldn't care less about the efforts of "famous" people, I really loved the idea behind Beme:

• 30 second videos
• You recorded by holding the phone to your chest, face, or against a wall (it used the proximity sensor as the record button — later you could just press a button onscreen)
• The screen was OFF while recording
• No ability to edit, no ability to upload a clip you already made elsewhere
• Just very real and free expression

Now, the app (Beme) was buggy as heck, and not very well written (I lost a bunch of great videos I took vacationing in San Diego because I didn't have a good quality cell signal. I mean... WHAT?!?), but the idea behind it was priceless.

I don't see a LOT of that kind of content on Loops. Or rather, I see far more re-posted TikTok/YT Shorts content than I'd like (none, for the record). But I do see enough heart-felt just-for-Loops videos that it makes me happy, and hopeful.

I see the beginnings of a community of just-for-Loops artists (I hate the term "content creator") that reminds me a bit of the community on Beme, and that is a wonderful thing.

So, umm... watch me on Loops, as soon as I get my Groucho Marx glasses-and-mustache, I guess? 😄

100 Days to Offload 2025 - Day 8

Category: Entertainment Tagged: 100DaysToOffload Computing Entertainment Federated Services FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) Non-religious post Non-technical post Social Media Video