i am not immune to sad white boys

What I think is the funniest about this is that iirc it's mad illegal for a company to add something like this in without giving your users a notice of change and also a new T&C for them to sign, and well. I checked everywhere and I never got a single email about a new T&C or even an email from Twitch AT ALL and when I logged in after this feature got added I was not given any popup notification about it. They were really banking on making it impossible for anyone to say no until it was likely too late and then just throw an opt-out button at us after the fact.

Also while Twitch does get some rights to your content it's in service of them being able to host your stream and show it to other users, that does not give them the complete rights to your art, stream, or face. Like AMC doesn't own the Avengers just because they got to show it in their theater, Disney and Marvel still own them. This is the same thing. You can show my face and art to other users and host it on your site, but you can't then do whatever else you want with it without my permission. And while the average Twitch streamer does not have the resources to fight on that front, companies like Sony and Nintendo might, and most big name streamers are straight up millionaires so? Idk I wouldn't love those odds if I were them. I am a copyright abolitionist now tho, so I think the best option to go after them for is the whole "never letting us opt out ahead of time and where's my terms and conditions, you can't treat my agreement to the last one as an agreement to this new one" thing. Also probably one far easier to win.

my dad: i thought it was bones

me:

Like worstie, I can barely promote my own published book without wanting to curl up and die.

They’re just not disclosing it as ads, which they are supposed to do, and instead it's marketed in a very Tumblr-esque way which can be summed up as “omg guys look how CUTE this is” followed by a different account underneath going “omg found it!!” and it links to a drop ship site with the item(s).

And the link usually has an affiliate tracker in it, which you may or may not be able to spot unless you’re familiar with them, which is also something you are legally supposed to disclose.

I used to get a lot of offers from around 2016-2020 to sell “moon lamps” on here, y’know those orb lights that look like a moon? Yeah. I was offered a higher kickback to make it look like I wasnt posting an add because these sellers know Tumblrites don’t like ads.

They wanted it to look as organic and hyped up as possible and then I’d just so happen to be like “omg you guys it's on sale” and post a link. Which is skeevy as shit and also illegal af in the US.

It’s like the insta/tiktok girlies saying “link in bio” to get around saying “here’s a product I make money on if you buy it” because they want to sound like your friend because people are more likely to impulse buy stuff if a “friend” is recommending something.

They’re also trusting that everyone knows “link in bio” means “affiliate link” which is technically not enough of a disclosure but whatever.

This is why I tag all my own book promos with “affiliate links” because depending on which storefront you buy Hunger Pangs from, I may get a kickback from the vender which I do to help mediate the fees I lose from distribution. It’s not much—literal pennies in some cases—but I’m still legally required to state it.

It’s also why when I do post products I use or like, I make a point of letting people know I’m not an affiliate and not sponsored because despite the legal ramifications these people are flirting with by not disclosing their affiliate status, I want to be fully transparent with my followers when it comes to me trying to sell them things.

Y’all keep my lights on by reading my work and through my ko-fi and patreon. I am not about to risk that trust for the sake of some shitty vibrator sales from a sketch-ass drop shipper who wants me to pretend I’m not selling you things.

So, yeah. People do successfully sell stuff on here. A lot of us small indie creators sell our own work all the time.

I thought this image was funny..