There was a notice put out about hosts becoming deprecated next month.
This is an awful idea. Do not do this.
The reason given for doing it is clear and obvious deflection; it's false. No one with average viewership under like 6000 uses twitch chats as a community server; when someone is offline, that's it. Their attention is off the chat and elsewhere. The idea that hosts prevent interactions with streamers is complete bull.
Moreover, raids are not a direct replacement for hosts (most people don't even -know- this because this fact has been so thoroughly obfuscated,) because of the referral ID causing a viewer to not count to the raided channel for ad or partnership metrics. Hosting was an incredibly useful -community building tool- on twitch; you host into another channel, that user notes you down, they host into you and share their audience in a way that actually contributes useful numbers beyond "was a viewer". Raiding does not do this. Raiding is an anti-growth tool. Viewers might follow and check someone out again following a raid, but many are there primarily just because a streamer raided them over and have no interest in staying; hosts, because they required active interaction with the hosted channel were more likely to stay because it tested viewer interest.
Hosting was and still is an invaluable community tool. To remove it and not provide its actual functionality to raids is extremely anti-user.

So we know that Partner's get a way to give a lifetime subscription to 2 bot accounts and 3 other users, I was hoping that this could be extended with a role kind of permission that would allow affiliates to be able to gift it to their bots as well. This would make life so much easier for affiliates and let partner's know that this is an option as many don't know about it already and this would make it clear for everyone and less maintenance from the partner management team to let us manage it ourselves.

For implementation, you could have it such that once the lifetime sub is removed from a user, they have to wait 30 days before they can re-issue the role to allow for the lifetime sub to time out for the next month.

Even if Affiliates could only gift 1 lifetime sub, it would be incredible to be able to do.

So Hype Trains have been around for a while now with minimal improvements. Many casters, including myself, don't use them due to their lack of integration, custom styling and lack of purpose. I have a few suggestions that, if enacted, would not only get me to use them but also improve the system overall for all creators.

It breaks down to three main suggestions:

• Allow us to identify the emotes that are rewarded to the userbase. Just like we have a "Sub" and "Follower" emote section in our panel, a "Hype Train" section would be added. This would allow us to upload 4 emotes for the base train and a determined amount of "repeating" emotes that would be the fifth slot. For the rest of these suggestions, I'll arbitrarily assign 3 for the repeating slot but this could be any number Twitch wants. So, for the purposes of this suggestion, an affiliate/partner would see 4 "Base" emotes and 3 "Repeating" emotes.

• Each Hype Train would give the 4 base emotes to the channel and the "repeating" slot would cycle between the additional emotes, 1 for each train. This would encourage having multiple trains per 24 hour period and give the caster a tangible reason to promote the system.

• Include non-participating members into the train. Hype is NOT just about giving us money. It never has been & never will be. Reward EVERYONE who speaks in the chat during these events with the emotes, across Twitch, for 24 hours. Sure, have extra benefits (like Conductor, etc) to those who participate in the train (****, maybe even add another emote slot for "participants" that would be added to those unlocked) but give the bulk of the rewards to ALL people who have been chatting. Hype is about the community, not just about giving the stream money.

Also, most importantly, please give users an easy way to disregard the hype train system completely. Many people value the real estate of their chat or don't want this system pushed in their face. Please allow users to completely remove it from their chat if they wish.

Would love to see these changes to give the system some real purpose. Thank you!

Since affiliate follow-emotes have come live, I've noticed several streamers are unable to use the new features due to suspensions 3 or 5 or more years old. So much so that some streamers can't even recall being suspended, or the reason for suspension, while maintaining a spotless record since then while consistently streaming for years, maintaining long term subscriptions and teams.

Despite otherwise fulfilling all the requirements for "Instant Upload Eligibility Requirements", they remain locked out of these new features, taunted by a link reading "find out how to regain access", with no further support, as they already meet said requirements to regain accress, condemning them for a long ago sin. Maybe they were ignorant of how words could hurt someone, or maybe they forgot to shut down their stream after it ended, or maybe the even slept on stream, or violated ToS with an alcohol themed stream. In most cases, these aren't vile offenses, and when the streamer perseveres through their just punishment, we should acknowledge their progress and growth, and we shouldn't inhibit their growth by holding these old offenses over their heads. Are you the same person you were 3, or 5, or 7 years ago?

In some cases, these features weren't even on any development roadmap when they were suspended, and rules on Twitch have changed, in some cases, significantly, since then.

I recommend Twitch open a line of communication to these streamers, and not treat them like branded felons like they do now - to allow streamers who have been positive members of the community and who are committed to continuing to grow. Why should they be stopped for something that could be forgiven after such a long time? Having spoken to some of these streamers, their ban appeals are always ignored because they're asking for forgiveness on a very old ban (3 or more years ago). Would it not be in our collective best interest to grant it to them if they have proven themselves?

Must they make a new account instead? That seems ridiculous and unfair. Some streamers have grown communities over many years, even approaching partner levels of success - but unless they breach that elusive threshold, it appears that Twitch has no care for them and will not lift the penalties incurred by old suspensions. They will only consider so if they make partner.
If the streamer wants to maintain the community they have already into a successful partner application, they must do so without the support of new tools that other streamers can use, despite the inordinate length of time between the suspension, and now. The way these old suspensions are currently handled, is a slap in the face of some productive and lovely streamers who have otherwise done no harm, and have been condemned to being second class affiliates.

So I call on Twitch to right this wrong. People grow and are capable of not only change, but to better the world around them, not only from learning from their mistakes, but because they made the mistakes and have learned and respected the boundaries imposed by Twitch, and have been in good standing since their infraction, over a long period.

Thank you.

What if @twitch communities could “Air Drop” Bits, Gift Subs, Donations etc. during a raid?

A Streamer starts a raid & a timer begins & the viewers from the channel raiding “Fill the Air Drop” (A Crate/Giftbox etc.) & AFTER the raid begins but BEFORE the support drops, Twitch sends an alert to the top of the chat of channel being raided indicating ”Air Drop Incoming!” w/ a countdown timer & pic/gif of the Crate/Giftbox w/ a parachute attached to it & when the countdown hits 0, ALL that support drops into the chat of the (small 🥺) channel being raided.

You could even add effects going off in the chat (The raiders channels' personal channel emotes, Fireworks etc..) & when the support finally drops it would show who supported, what kind of support they gave (bits, gifted subs, donations etc..) and how much support directly in the chat of the channel that is being raided.

Just imagine a small streamer alone with no one or just a couple of people watching. You’ve seen how excited smaller streamers get when they are raided. Now imagine an explosion & flurry of support that drops in their chat as they are being raided!? So many tears will come from this idea but they will be tears of joy!

There will be so many amazing reactions you see from raids with "Air Drops" and the communities that were generous enough to support would be able to see it all in real time! Twitch would be happy, small streamers would be happy, and communities/viewers would be engaging/interactive and entertained. It's a win/win with 0 downsides.

Let’s help millions of smaller streamers. (Cause even though this idea would DEFINITELY help everyone, I came up with it with smaller streamers in mind!) #bladesideas

I also tweeted this out. @InventorBLADES on twitter. Let me know your thoughts on here or there and vote and share, share, share! 🗳

P.S. I should mention as with all my ideas, this should absolutely be optional for the streamer and have these choices available in settings:

“Allow air drops during raids”
“Do not allow air drops during raids”
“Prompt me to either air drop or not during the start of each raid”

-InventorBLADES

The option to vote on polls with bits disappeared overnight with no announcement and no viable replacement.

This was a great way for viewers to financially support streamers in a way that contributed to choices made on stream (In my channel it was used for character selection within a game and variety game choice outside of the main stream game). I understand if a new concept is ready to go that creators can use as an alternative, but as long as there is no alternative, streamers who used this feature and Twitch itself will lose revenue.

I'm not sure why this feature was abruptly abandoned, but if the company felt it wasn't being used enough I wish they would educate creators on how to make it useful for their streams instead of deleting it. Streamers having more tools to help them run their stream the way they want is always better.

Teams get little to no attention from Twitch and it's about time we changed this! Twitch teams have been around for many years yet majority of users have no idea what is it. Teams is such an amazing feature with lots of potential, we just need the support we deserve!

• Give us back the ability to edit the team order on the Dashboard and make it easier to move everyone around rather than moving them one at a time.

• A chat badge would allow for better networking and introductions between fellow team members.

• Add a "follow all" button for those wanting to support the entire team.

• Give Teams their own category under Browse. You should be able to view and search for teams like you can with games.

• Shared Team Emote slot(s), would be great for events and when members want to raid within the team.

• On our own channel page, move the team name back to beside the game for better visibility rather than beside the follower count.

• Team Bans: Members can choose to share individual bans with the rest of the group and ban users with a click of a button. This can be accessed on a page similar to mod view.

• Add an Events section

• Raid option: Raid a random live channel on the team using /raidteam ____

Twitch has asked us to hold them accountable and we have been met with a wall of silence accompanied by shadow changes like the ones made to auto-hosts.

Twitch must communicate to creators with transparency about the plans and the data that leads to them. Without streamers there is no Twitch. We deserve to be able to ask questions and voice concerns about potential changes to the platform that we make possible.

These are the changes we would like to see:

1. Allow for comment periods in advance of finalizing rollouts of changes to existing features.

2. Provide open access to data from studies that lead to changes to the function and features of Twitch.

3. Communicate clear timelines for rollouts of new features and changes to existing features to allow streamers adequate time to prepare.

4. Provide a roadmap of expected changes to Twitch so that creators can understand the trajectory of the platform that many of us at least in part make a living on.

To better support artists and accredit their talents among the Twitch community, we’ve released two new features: Emote Attribution and the Artist Badge. Emote Attribution lets you credit the artists responsible for creating your emotes so they can feel the love wherever their emotes appear across Twitch. The Artist Badge lets you celebrate those who contributed artwork to your community with a special new chat badge.

You can get all the details on our Help page here: https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/artist-badge-attribution

We’re excited to share both of these features with the community, but they’re just the first steps to better connect creators and artists on Twitch. Your feedback will help us refine these products and better serve artists and the community as a whole!

Moments is a new way to celebrate channel lore and reward viewers for being part of the hype, live. With the click of a button, you can now turn major moments on stream into a commemorative chat badge that viewers will receive if they were watching live. The more moments a viewer takes part in, the higher badge tiers they unlock. Plus, newcomers can get to know your stream by clicking into these badges and viewing the defining moments of your community.

We look forward to hearing your feedback and if you have any questions please refer to our help article (https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/moments) Please note that this is a beta and is only available to a select amount of creators currently.

Problem: Current Hype Train emotes are rarely updated, unlocked quickly, and seldom used.

Solution: The Community

Every Streamer picks one emote to be available globally in Hype Trains. Hype Train participants unlock one of the million+ emotes at random.

And then you lose access to the emote you unlocked after 30-days to not detract from the value of a direct sub to that streamer's channel.

In that realm of thought, this also works as a discovery feature. People might be curious about the channel whose emote they have unlocked - and go check them out. Perhaps they like the emote so much that they subscribe.

A community feature that supports said community!