We were told what the plan is.
As of now, the idea of video that can uploaded through Leo is on the back burner. The decision was clearly stated that the development resources would be focused elsewhere. It was emphasized that the need did not appear to be there from the community.
Here is where we have to take matters in our own hands.
Many have talked about how it would be good to add this. However, like most things, talk is cheap. Personally, I can't take a hard stand against the view espoused by @khaleelkazi. Too often this community has said that Leo needed something; that life could not go on without it.
However, when it was introduced, the interest lasted about 2 days.
That said, we can make the case to have it moved up the development list. We just have to work around it and make sure it is a valid concept.
How To Add Leoshorts (or shorts on Leo)
For this reason, I started to play around with adding some shorts using the tag #leoshorts. In this article I will go through how I do it.
This is a step-by-step guide as to how to do it.
Set up a repository
Since Leo doesn't allow the upload of videos, we have to use something else. While there could be many options, we will cover the two primary.
3Speak
To do this, I would suggest using an alt account to upload. The idea is to upload a number of times throughout the day.
Step 1: Upload short video
Step 2: Put some generic info in title and summary box
Step 3: Decline rewards
Step 4: Basic tags (do not use Leo or anything related to Leo)
Step 5: Wait for video to be published
Rewards are declined because we are using this as a repository for our videos. 3Speak is just our "server".
YouTube
As an alternate, you can use YouTube as your repository. The means uploading the video to your account there. Keep in mind, this is putting the content in the hands of Google. I prefer 3Speak so I know it is not a part of Web 2.0.
Thread the Short Video
A short is nothing more than a thread.
3Speak
Step 1: Open InLeo.io
Step 2: In thread box, enter title.
Step 3: Enter tags. Make sure one of them is #leoshorts
Step 4: Hit thread
Step 5: Edit thread when it appears
Step 6: Embed code from 3Speak video (located at the bottom of the share on the video)
Step 7: Hit the thread button again
The reason for this is because the 3Speak web address appears in threads as a link. It does not embed the video. Hence, we have to edit the thread and embed the video. This can be done when make the thread, but, as of now, it will not appear on the latest page. It will be entered in your profile page.
Also note editing along with embedding requires Leo Premium. This is another use case for the membership. We also have to note that embedding the video through the edit means it could take up to 5 minutes to show up.
YouTube
YouTube is a bit easier.
Step 1: Open Inleo.io
Step 2: In thread box, enter title
Step 3: Enter tags. Again make sure #leoshorts is one of them
Step 4: Post the share link from YT video
Step 5: Hit thread
Here is what the Leoshort video looks like:
@taskmaster4450le/re-leothreads-n7csuyew
Now we have shorts resident on Leo threads. To see them, simply click on the leoshorts tag and it will bring up the page.
Make The Push
There are a couple of things in play here.
Personally, I feel that Leo needs a lot more video content. This is speaking in general and not necessarily user generated. Embedding YouTube and other videos is a great way to grow the library. Video is the most popular form of media engagement, something we should take advantage of.
My view is we need 1 million hours of video content on Leo. That might seem like a lot until we consider this:
Around 3.7m new videos are uploaded to YouTube every day – that’s around 271,330 hours of video content based on an average length of 4.4 minutes.
Basically, we are looking at 4 days of YouTube content.
Of course, Leoshorts can play into this. By embedding this in, we can not only add to the total but also show the Leo team that shorts is something that will be utilized.
This cannot be something that is abandoned after a few days. People need to consistently post a few each day. Over time this will start to add up.
I would say the goal to get some attention is to being with 30 per day (in total). This would give us a monthly total of around 900.
The best thing is it can be any topic. Also, if going the 3Speak route, by using a second account, can upload many throughout the day, and then thread them out.
So let's have some fun and see if we can't push the Leo team to incorporate this in the UI. A few months of sustained shorts on Leo should do it.
Support Each Other
One of the keys is to support each other in this. When you see a short, give it a click to watch. That will help it especially if it is on 3Speak.
Also, rethread any shorts that you see. Give that person some attention while also promoting the initiative. Consider what this could look like with 100 people doing it daily.