Yesterday saw, what I consider, to be a big announcement. It flew under the radar a bit but it is something that I feel really takes things to the next level for this application.
3Speak announced that it is now offering live streaming on its platform. This is a good step because it provided an added feature to the application that was missing.
This platform focuses upon original content creators. One of the main targets, going forward, is those who had their accounts displaced by the likes of YouTube. That entity is going around closing down accounts for what they call "violations of the terms of service". In many instances, this is total bunk. They are closing accounts who present positions they are opposed to.
One of the ideas of 3Speak is to offer censorship resistance to those who were ostracized by the video giant. Facebook, another mammoth in the content creation world, is also following a similar path.
Targeting some of the bigger voices who were censored on these platforms is a great idea. Providing them with the tools to get their message out is vital. Live streaming is a feature that many well known content creators use. They do not just record videos, they host shows. With 3Speak, they are now able to do this.
What makes it even more attractive is that it is all housed in one place. Ultimately, I believe the idea is for 3Speak to become a central (not centralized) hub for this type of information. Anyone who has their voice censored by the traditional social media platforms can come to 3Speak and present their material.
In reading a post about the features, they are offering three levels. This is another interesting aspect since there is a lot of discussion on applications developing a business model.
With the streaming, there are three levels. The first is the basic one that allows for the streaming of content. It is not recorded nor encoded.
At level 2, the content is encoded allowing it to be viewed at other resolutions.
Level 3 provides both encoded video along with it being recorded.
While it was not mentioned, I am sure the different levels carry a cost to them; at least pertaining to level 2 and 3.
https://steempeak.com/threespeak/@wehmoen/3up7xv-3speak-adds-livestreaming
https://steempeak.com/threespeak/@wehmoen/74mbqq-how-to-go-live-on-3speak
Since it was announced, I am following what 3Speak is doing. It seems to be a platform that is intent upon building a successful business model. I know 
At present, it is not accepting new content creators from the community. They are working on some thing on the back end before opening it up. I am sure server space is an issue getting started so we must be patient.
There will be a token available to use for rewarding the content creators and curators. This is called the "Speak". I am not sure where it is going to be created although I presume it will be a Steem-Engine token.
Going forward, it is vital that Steem have all the tools that people need. While all this falls under the heading of social media, the truth is that people are looking for a full-communication platform. "Media" personalities use a variety of methods to interact with their followers to keep them engaged. It is crucial that Steem be able to offer that to them.
The idea of focusing upon those who are being silenced by the traditional platforms makes a great deal of sense. One of the basic features of blockchain is the fact that once something is posted to the chain, it is there. This, of course, only applies to text which means video needs another layer of decentralization.
If memory serves me right, the 3Speak team is solving this problem by using SIA. This is the decentralization of storage on computers all over the world. Hence we see a video that is put up unable to be removed from the SIA network. This gets it out of reach of the cloud companies, many who could turn on the ban button at any moment themselves.
I love to see the different applications on here doing updates and adding features. This all ties into the collective growth of the Steem ecosystem. The development tends to pile upon itself meaning that each new benefit enhances the entire platform.
Things truly are starting to get very interesting around here.
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