My 5 Favorite Odysee Linux Channels
In his latest video, DT from DistroTube talks about the migration of video creators away from YouTube to another site called Odysee. Here’s a link to that video. DT discusses making money as a video creator, and how big tech corporations like Google (which owns YouTube) have a history of censoring, blocking, demonetizing or banning creators for “violating terms of service.” Offending channels are “put in jail” for a period of time, or are completely removed from YouTube, sometimes for an infraction in a video that was created years earlier. If a video creator makes all of his or her money from the YouTube platform, there is a good deal of self-censorship that creeps into the creative process, since his or her livelihood could be removed at any moment, often without warning or explanation. Consequently, many creators are moving to Odysee as a viable alternative, even if the opportunity for making a living is reduced compared with what can be done at YouTube.
What is Odysee?
Odysee is a video website based on the LBRY protocol. According to this webpage:
First and foremost, LBRY is a new protocol that allows anyone to build apps that interact with digital content on the LBRY network. Apps built using the protocol allow creators to upload their work to the LBRY network of hosts (like BitTorrent), to set a price per stream or download (like iTunes) or give it away for free (like YouTube without ads). The work you publish could be videos, audio files, documents, or any other type of file.
Traditional video (or other content) sites such as YouTube, Instagram, and Spotify store your uploads on their servers and allow viewers to download them. They also allow creators to make some money through advertising or other mechanisms. However, there are some well-known drawbacks, especially for people whose material is perceived as not being advertiser-friendly.
LBRY aims to be an alternative to these sites, allowing publishers and their fans to interact directly without the risk of demonetization or other meddling.
In a TechCrunch interview with Odysee CEO Jeremy Kauffman, we learn that:
The site was created by the team behind the Lbry (pronounced “library”) blockchain protocol. Kauffman emphasized that neither Odysee creators nor their viewers need to know anything about the technology (“blockchain is a how, it’s not a why”), but he said this approach gives those creators more direct control of their content and their audience. As Kauffman put it, “Your channel exists, effectively, in a cryptocurrency wallet that you can download.”
I’ve had an LBRY/Odysee profile for several years now, and have been following most of my favorite YouTube Linux creators on Odysee, since many of them have synced their YouTube videos onto Odysee. If they make a video that will likely result in a YouTube strike (or ban), these creators are able to publish on Odysee without fear of censorship or reprisal. The crypto component doesn’t make much difference to me, other than to tip a creator whose work especially impresses me.
A Handful of Odysee Linux Channels
I stopped watching YouTube content several years ago, aside from the rare channel that does not post elsewhere. As many of my favorite channels were either axed by YouTube or left the platform willingly, I had to seek them out on alternative video websites. BitChute was one of the first, with Rumble coming along a bit later. Being a Linux user, I found out about the LBRY-desktop app a few years ago, which I used until Odysee went online. As mentioned, Odysee seems to be where most of my favorite Linux creators landed.
Whittling the list down to five Odysee Linux favorites is a challenge, since there are dozens to choose from and most do a great job. That said, this is my list as of right now.
DistroTube
In my estimation, DT is one of the most consistently brilliant video creators in any genre. DT is extremely knowledgeable about Linux, although he is not a programmer or developer; he is just a very smart Linux enthusiast who has not only done his homework, but loves to explore deeper aspects of the Linux operating system that most of us would otherwise never have discovered. He has a very dry and spot-on sense of humor, which has resulted in a bit of controversy from time to time, but for me this just makes his channel more attractive.
DT typically favors Window Managers over Desktop Environments, and has made dozens of videos about the installation, configuration and use of various Window Managers (like Awesome, Xmonad, Qtile, JWM, OpenBox, Fluxbox, IceWM, i3 and HerbsluftWM). He also champions obscure Open Source software that empowers the user in subtle ways that have the potential to change his or her workflow for the better. He weighs in on occasional Linux internal warfare, waxes philosophical, and his humor is such that one can never be sure if he’s serious or not.
Highly recommended for newbies as well as expert Linux users.
Tyler’s Tech
Tyler brings an engaging and authentic presence to the Linux video world. The moment he pops on the screen, I feel like I’m hanging out in his living room with a cup of coffee, ready for my friend to show me his latest Linux distribution. Tyler focuses on distribution reviews, and for the most part he stays positive even when things go wrong.
Before installing a distribution, Tyler reads from the release notes so that we know what’s new in the latest distro version, then goes through the installation process in detail. Once installation completes, he reviews settings and configuration options before checking out pre-installed applications and distro-specific features added to the desktop environment. At one point or another during his videos, Tyler will perform a key combination or some other usability trick that immediately impacts my workflow for the better. After watching one of Tyler’s reviews, I feel like he’s compressed a week’s worth of usage into a 30 minute video, which is worth the price of admission all by itself.
The Linux Experiment
Nick brings a level of polish and competence to the Linux video sector that stands out immediately. His delivery is crisp, his information is multi-faceted and his opinions are solid, even when I disagree. He is not afraid to take a stand, and in fact he bases some of his videos on a controversial take, such as this one, where he insists that the Gnome desktop is very customizable (definitely not the consensus opinion!). Most of his videos are in the 12–20 minute range.
While Nick offers distribution reviews, he also gives us application reviews, tutorials, and commentaries on Linux issues that are making the rounds. He does pepper his videos with advertisements from his sponsors, but these are so fast and well-integrated that the overall video presentation doesn’t skip a beat. Nick’s YouTube channel was recently removed due to a giveaway that he was running (fan backlash managed to get him reinstated), so he is seeking income from other sources as a way to mitigate the potential for having his monetized channel permanently eliminated.
Luke Smith
While Luke is known as a Linux video creator, his videos are more often focused on issues of privacy and other larger, more encompassing themes. He filters his commentary through his personal experiences, political views and idealism. Thus, his videos may not be for everyone, although I submit that he should be taken seriously during our collective time of rapid technological change.
I’ve noticed that Luke posts videos in outbursts, sometimes giving us several over a week, then going a month without posting. I understand that he lives in a rural area and has had issues with Internet connectivity. He recently posted videos on his new Starlink setup, so perhaps he’s able to get online more reliably now. My sense is that, while Luke uses and understands technology very well, he doesn’t necessarily like it, preferring to read actual books, take meandering walks in the woods, give himself time to think, and wait for the next wave of creativity. If my sense here is correct, I would say that it’s well worth the wait.
Brodie Robertson
Like DT above, Brodie posts videos on a frequent basis, averaging close to once a day. Unlike DT, Brodie talks very fast, covering a lot of territory within a few minutes, giving the impression that he is a volcano of creativity who would do a dozen videos a day if only he had the time. I cannot imagine Brodie ever running out of video ideas.
Brodie’s content ranges from tutorials to reviews to commentaries, like this one where he insists that saying “GNU/Linux” is illogical. It’s clear that Brodie is very much identified as a Linux community member who knows and lives the lingo. He stays in touch with current trends and tends to be opinionated around them. Like with Nick at The Linux Experiment, I don’t always agree with Brodie’s conclusions, but I enjoy the fact that he gives them, and I respect his reasoning behind them. Brodie is one of my without-fail daily check-ins.
Conclusion
If you are a Linux user, it’s likely that you were drawn to this Free and Open Source software milieu at least partially through a growing conviction that Big Tech is an ongoing threat to privacy. As a Linux user, I would also imagine that you’ve seen how major social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have cracked down on what they consider to be “subversive” or controversial content, in that, if that content does not conform to their “standards,” it is restricted and/or removed. Linux video creators have noticed these things, and in many cases have decided to post their videos to alternative sites like Odysee.
I find this to be an exciting and promising turn of events, since I’m old enough to remember what YouTube was like in its early days: a free-wheeling, untamed, wild and wonderful world of creativity and innovation. Odysee and several other alternative video sites combine the latest privacy-preserving technology with strong convictions around free speech, helping us to reclaim the crazy days of the early Internet. I hope that this movement succeeds, for the good of everyone, whether everyone realizes it or not.
