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Update 158-LBRY-in-2017-2018.md
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LBRY in 2017/2018: Looking Back and Moving Forward
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---
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author: jeremy-kauffman
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In the blockchain space, LBRY is an anomaly.
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title: Looking Back and Moving Forward: LBRY in 2017/2018
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date: '2018-01-31 12:00:00'
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While many blockchain companies seem to exist exclusively to convert PDF-based promises into large sums of money, the LBRY team has relentlessly focused on creating a working product that is actually used by human beings.
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cover: 'recap-cover.jpg'
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---
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As a result, LBRY has one of the most advanced and usable blockchain platforms in existence. We achieved a number of technical and business milestones in 2017 and expect to accomplish much more in 2018.
Here’s a look at the past year as well as what’s up next.
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In the blockchain space, LBRY is an anomaly.
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# LBRY in 2017
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While many blockchain companies seem to exist exclusively to convert PDF-based promises into large sums of money, the LBRY team has relentlessly focused on creating a working product that is actually used by human beings.
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LBRY entered 2017 with a live blockchain, a private alpha product, and just a few people working full time on the project.
Here’s some of what we accomplished in 2017:
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As a result, LBRY has one of the most advanced and usable blockchain platforms in existence. We reached a number of technical and business milestones in 2017 and expect to accomplish much more in 2018.
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Here’s a look at the past year as well as what’s up next.
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# LBRY in 2017
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LBRY entered 2017 with a live blockchain, a private alpha product, and just a few people working full time on the project.
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Here’s some of what we accomplished in 2017:
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* LBRY released its first stand-alone graphical app in February of 2017. This app was a closed beta (though the miner and network tools were publicly available).
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* LBRY released its first stand-alone graphical app in February of 2017. This app was a closed beta (though the miner and network tools were publicly available).
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* The LBRY App began a public beta in August 2017. It has been downloaded over 100,000 times since then and is used by tens of thousands of users weekly.
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* The LBRY App began a public beta in August 2017. It has been downloaded over 100,000 times since then and is used by tens of thousands of users weekly.
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* Over 5,000 YouTubers have made their content available on LBRY, including dozens of top creators, including fantastic ones like [Casually Explained](https://open.lbry.io/%40CasuallyExplained), [The Rubin Report](https://open.lbry.io/%40TheRubinReport), [3Blue1Brown](https://open.lbry.io/%403Blue1Brown), and [NurdRage](https://open.lbry.io/%40nurdrage).
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* Over 5,000 YouTubers have made their content available on LBRY, including dozens of top creators, including fantastic ones like [Casually Explained](https://open.lbry.io/%40CasuallyExplained), [The Rubin Report](https://open.lbry.io/%40TheRubinReport), [3Blue1Brown](https://open.lbry.io/%403Blue1Brown), and [NurdRage](https://open.lbry.io/%40nurdrage).
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* We launched [spee.ch](https://spee.ch), a web-based way of accessing and publishing free content to the LBRY network. Over 200,000 people have already used this site and it grows more popular every day.
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* We launched [spee.ch](https://spee.ch), a web-based way of accessing and publishing free content to the LBRY network. Over 200,000 people have already used this site and it grows more popular every day.
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* Around 50,000 people follow LBRY on social media, and about 10,000 regularly hang out in our online [chat room](chat.lbry.io). Funny story: our chat room was originally on Slack, but Slack shut us down for being too popular!
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* Around 50,000 people follow LBRY on social media, and about 10,000 regularly hang out in our online [chat room](chat.lbry.io). Funny story: our chat room was originally on Slack, but Slack shut us down for being too popular!
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* Over 150,000 pieces of content are available on the network currently, including everything from major motion pictures, crypto retirement guides, top streamers, and LBRY originals like [Cop Chronicles](https://www.prunderground.com/lbry-brings-first-ever-original-series-to-the-blockchain/00107742/).
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* Over 150,000 pieces of content are available on the network currently, including everything from major motion pictures, crypto retirement guides, top streamers, and LBRY originals like [Cop Chronicles](https://www.prunderground.com/lbry-brings-first-ever-original-series-to-the-blockchain/00107742/).
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* Over 100 developers have contributed to the LBRY code base, over 4,000 developers follow the project, and LBRY is continually rated one of the most active projects in blockchain. For example, we’re in the top 20 on CoinGecko, despite it only counting one of several core codebases!
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* Over 100 developers have contributed to the LBRY code base, over 4,000 developers follow the project, and LBRY is continually rated one of the most active projects in blockchain. For example, we’re in the top 20 on CoinGecko, despite it only counting one of several core codebases!
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* We grew from a lean 5 employees to [14 employees](https://lbry.io/team) on five continents.
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* We grew from a lean 5 employees to [14 employees](https://lbry.io/team) on five continents.
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* We [saved over 20,000 college lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj-dZdQulE) from the government memory hole.
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* We [saved over 20,000 college lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj-dZdQulE) from the government memory hole.
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* We saw major press coverage from [NASDAQ](http://www.nasdaq.com/article/video-streamers-have-more-options-with-these-new-blockchain-startups-cm881579), [VentureBeat](https://venturebeat.com/2018/01/28/how-blockchain-could-kill-both-cable-and-netflix/), [Fox News](http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/27/john-stossel-incredible-threat-to-free-speech-that-no-one-is-talking-about.html), [RussiaToday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dElFiI-5SuE), [John Stossel](https://spee.ch/7/LBRYonStossel.mp4), and many other outlets.
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* We saw major press coverage from [NASDAQ](http://www.nasdaq.com/article/video-streamers-have-more-options-with-these-new-blockchain-startups-cm881579), [VentureBeat](https://venturebeat.com/2018/01/28/how-blockchain-could-kill-both-cable-and-netflix/), [Fox News](http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/27/john-stossel-incredible-threat-to-free-speech-that-no-one-is-talking-about.html), [RussiaToday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dElFiI-5SuE), [John Stossel](https://spee.ch/7/LBRYonStossel.mp4), and many other outlets.
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Perhaps most impressively, LBRY has accomplished all of this for approximately $600,000 and a few million LBC. We will be expanding significantly into 2018 and expect to deliver commensurate results.
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Perhaps most impressively, LBRY has accomplished all of this for approximately $600,000 and a few million LBC. We will be expanding significantly into 2018 and expect to deliver commensurate results.
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# LBRY in 2018
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As you can see, 2017 was a good year for us. But we have ambitious plans to make 2018 a spectacular year for the LBRY app and protocol. You’ll find the broad strokes of our plan below.
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# LBRY in 2018
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## A. Protocol Performance & Expansion
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As you can see, 2017 was a good year for us. But we have ambitious plans to make 2018 a spectacular year for the LBRY app and protocol. You’ll find the broad strokes of our plan below.
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Optimizing the performance and capabilities of the LBRY protocol has been an ongoing challenge.
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## A. Protocol Performance & Expansion
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In 2018, we want the LBRY protocol to work better than ever.
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Optimizing the performance and capabilities of the LBRY protocol has been an ongoing challenge.
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### Actions
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In 2018, we want the LBRY protocol to work better than ever.
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1. Expand the team of dedicated LBRY protocol developers. [Join us](https://lbry.io/join-us)! (Q1 2018)
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### Actions
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2. Continue to obsess over making the protocol as performant and reliable as possible (All of 2018).
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1. Expand the team of dedicated LBRY protocol developers. [Join us](https://lbry.io/join-us)! (Q1 2018)
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3. Explore and likely add support for resolution to other data sources, such as HTTP, BitTorrent, and/or IPFS. (Q2 2018)
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2. Continue to obsess over making the protocol as performant and reliable as possible (All of 2018).
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4. Improve publisher profiles and publisher functionality (Q2 / Q3 2018)
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3. Explore and likely add support for resolution to other data sources, such as HTTP, BitTorrent, and/or IPFS. (Q2 2018)
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5. Improve support for discovery, by adding features for tagging and categorization. (Q3 / Q4 2018)
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4. Improve publisher profiles and publisher functionality (Q2 / Q3 2018)
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## B. Documentation & Technical Community
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5. Improve support for discovery, by adding features for tagging and categorization. (Q3 / Q4 2018)
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While it was the right call for LBRY to prioritize building over documentation in its earliest stages, the lack of a clear specification and documentation is now holding LBRY back.
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## B. Documentation & Technical Community
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Additionally, LBRY has already seen code contributions from over one hundred people. Improving the documentation and awareness of LBRY in technical communities will only improve this.
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While it was the right call for LBRY to prioritize building over documentation in its earliest stages, the lack of a clear specification and documentation is now holding LBRY back.
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### Actions
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Additionally, LBRY has already seen code contributions from over one hundred people. Improving the documentation and awareness of LBRY in technical communities will only improve this.
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1. Release a technical whitepaper. (Draft by Q1 2018).
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### Actions
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2. Launch lbry.tech as a technical resource, improve/revise other resources, and generally ensure the ecosystem is welcoming and easy to get started in as possible. (Q1/Q2 2018).
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1. Release a technical whitepaper. (Draft by Q1 2018).
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3. Formalize and build awareness in the ability for developers to contribute and receive LBC. (All of 2018)
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2. Launch lbry.tech as a technical resource, improve/revise other resources, and generally ensure the ecosystem is welcoming and easy to get started in as possible. (Q1/Q2 2018).
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4. Campaign and promote LBRY to technical communities, both online and in-person. (All of 2018).
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3. Formalize and build awareness in the ability for developers to contribute and receive LBC. (All of 2018)
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5. If you want to look at all of our development and business priorities in one place, take a look at our [updated roadmap](lbry.io/roadmap).
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4. Campaign and promote LBRY to technical communities, both online and in-person. (All of 2018).
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## C. User Friendliness
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5. If you want to look at all of our development and business priorities in one place, take a look at our [updated roadmap](lbry.io/roadmap).
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LBRY is already one of the most popular consumer-targeted blockchain products. However, it could be used by even more people if the product was more user-friendly, available on more platforms, and more welcoming to new users.
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### Actions
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## C. User Friendliness
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1. Release a redesigned app (Q1 2018).
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LBRY is already one of the most popular consumer-targeted blockchain products. However, it could be used by even more people if the product was more user-friendly, available on more platforms, and more welcoming to new users.
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2. Release an Android app (Alpha Q1 2018, Public Q2 2018). Join the Android notification list [here](https://lbry.io/android).
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### Actions
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3. Improve the first-run process, particularly around getting credits in the hands of new users. (All of 2018)
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1. Release a redesigned app (Q1 2018).
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4. Continue to round out feature set (All of 2018).
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2. Release an Android app (Alpha Q1 2018, Public Q2 2018). Join the Android notification list [here](https://lbry.io/android).
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D. Economics
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3. Improve the first-run process, particularly around getting credits in the hands of new users. (All of 2018)
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Last year approximately $5-$10mm of new LBRY credits came into existence and were awarded to miners. Assuming miners are not making substantial profits, this means a similar amount of money was spent securing the LBRY blockchain.
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4. Continue to round out feature set (All of 2018).
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Is this the optimal design? As we’ve researched and discussed blockchain economics, we’ve discovered the knowledge and rigor to be shockingly low. We want to improve this.
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## D. Economics
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Additionally, LBRY will be less conservative with its own credits in 2018. We’ve built significant trust through our prudency. While we’ll continue to be prudent, we can reward the community more by building more, and that means utilizing more credits.
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Last year approximately $5-$10mm of new LBRY credits came into existence and were awarded to miners. Assuming miners are not making substantial profits, this means a similar amount of money was spent securing the LBRY blockchain.
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As always, you can keep up with how we spend LBC by looking at our [quarterly Credit Reports](https://lbry.io/credit-reports).
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Is this the optimal design? As we’ve researched and discussed blockchain economics, we’ve discovered the knowledge and rigor to be shockingly low. We want to improve this.
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### Actions
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Additionally, LBRY will be less conservative with its own credits in 2018. We’ve built significant trust through our prudency. While we’ll continue to be prudent, we can reward the community more by building more, and that means utilizing more credits.
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1. Consult with and consider forming a consortium or working group of security practitioners and economists. (Q2 2018)
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As always, you can keep up with how we spend LBC by looking at our [quarterly Credit Reports](https://lbry.io/credit-reports).
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2. Launch a LBRY Improvement Proposal process, by which protocol changes can be submitted and considered (Q1 2018).
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### Actions
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3. Have a public conversation and discussion about blockchain economics, including incentive design and mining centralization (Q1 2018 and continuing throughout).
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1. Consult with and consider forming a consortium or working group of security practitioners and economists. (Q2 2018)
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4. Move several million credits to market per quarter to further capitalize company and expand productivity (All of 2018).
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2. Launch a LBRY Improvement Proposal process, by which protocol changes can be submitted and considered (Q1 2018).
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## E. Scaling Content
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3. Have a public conversation and discussion about blockchain economics, including incentive design and mining centralization (Q1 2018 and continuing throughout).
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Having thousands of YouTubers adopt LBRY, including dozens of top streamers (despite the early stage of the product) shows the massive demand for content freedom.
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4. Move several million credits to market per quarter to further capitalize company and expand productivity (All of 2018).
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By improving and streamlining the on-boarding and publishing process for creators, we can attract a massive amount of content.
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## E. Scaling Content
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We expect to on board more than ten times the creators we did last year and to get approximately ten million LBRY credits into the hands of creators in 2018.
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Having thousands of YouTubers adopt LBRY, including dozens of top streamers (despite the early stage of the product) shows the massive demand for content freedom.
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### Actions
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By improving and streamlining the on-boarding and publishing process for creators, we can attract a massive amount of content.
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1. Formalizing offerings to streamers. Debut new website and materials around campaign (Q1 2018).
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We expect to on board more than ten times the creators we did last year and to get approximately ten million LBRY credits into the hands of creators in 2018.
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2. Debut film and television content from [a "Big 6" Studio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_film_studio#Current)
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### Actions
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3. Attend major and minor creator events, such as film festivals and conferences, continuing to establish LBRY as a viable alternative to centralized distribution (All of 2018, starting with Sundance)
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1. Formalizing offerings to streamers. Debut new website and materials around campaign (Q1 2018).
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## F. Community Initiatives
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2. Debut film and television content from [a "Big 6" Studio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_film_studio#Current).
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LBRY’s independent user community is one of the project’s greatest strengths. We’ve had hundreds of interested developers contribute to the project, thousands of people hang out with us on chat and tens of thousands engage with us in social media.
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3. Attend major and minor creator events, such as film festivals and conferences, continuing to establish LBRY as a viable alternative to centralized distribution (All of 2018, starting with Sundance).
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We want to continue to grow the amount of people engaged and excited about content freedom.
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### Actions
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## F. Community Initiatives
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1. Launch a meetup program including incentives and materials to introduce LBRY to others (Q1 2018).
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LBRY’s independent user community is one of the project’s greatest strengths. We’ve had hundreds of interested developers contribute to the project, thousands of people hang out with us on chat and tens of thousands engage with us in social media.
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2. Improve the ability to spread and share LBC through other media, such as Twitter, YouTube, and other social-platform-based tipping (Q2 2018).
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We want to continue to grow the amount of people engaged and excited about content freedom.
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3. Engage with other existing online communities and friendly projects through shared initiatives (All of 2018).
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### Actions
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4. Continue to establish spee.ch as the [safest](https://lbry.io/news/memesafe)/best way to quickly share images and videos (All of 2018).
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1. Launch a meetup program including incentives and materials to introduce LBRY to others (Q1 2018).
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## Expecting the Unexpected
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2. Improve the ability to spread and share LBC through other media, such as Twitter, YouTube, and other social-platform-based tipping (Q2 2018).
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You can’t be prepared for *everything*, but you can build processes and principles to figure out the right direction when you know you’re headed into the unknown. The crypto space is changing rapidly, and there’s no way to tell exactly what the future holds. Whatever we face, we’ll maintain our open, decentralized mode of operation and commitment to our community.
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3. Engage with other existing online communities and friendly projects through shared initiatives (All of 2018).
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# We Need You To Build LBRY
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4. Continue to establish spee.ch as the [safest](https://lbry.io/news/memesafe)/best way to quickly share images and videos (All of 2018).
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Want to help LBRY build a free and open internet? Here’s how:
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## Expecting the Unexpected
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1. [Download the LBRY app](https://lbry.io/) and try it out.
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You can’t be prepared for *everything*, but you can build processes and principles to figure out the right direction when you know you’re headed into the unknown. The crypto space is changing rapidly, and there’s no way to tell exactly what the future holds. Whatever we face, we’ll maintain our open, decentralized mode of operation and commitment to our community.
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2. If you have an idea that could make the app better (or if something breaks while you’re using it!) [open a new issue on Github](https://github.com/lbryio/lbry-app/issues) and tell us about it.
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# We Need You To Build LBRY
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3. Tell your friends and family about LBRY. With SMS verification in the [newest version of the app](https://lbry.io/news/verified-awesome), it’s easier than ever to start publishing and viewing content on LBRY.
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Want to help LBRY build a free and open internet? Here’s how:
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1. [Download the LBRY app](https://lbry.io/) and try it out.
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2. If you have an idea that could make the app better (or if something breaks while you’re using it!) [open a new issue on Github](https://github.com/lbryio/lbry-app/issues) and tell us about it.
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3. Tell your friends and family about LBRY. With SMS verification in the [newest version of the app](https://lbry.io/news/verified-awesome), it’s easier than ever to start publishing and viewing content on LBRY.
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