Today we’re swapping the roles and focusing on something that I think both broadcasters and viewers can learn from: How to interact in chat as a viewer. I see a lot of viewers that come into streams and get banned or ignored by streamers and never understand why a streamer would ever do that to them. While it would be easy to just say “obey the rules,” there’s a lot more to it than that. Today I want to talk about the six steps to being a good viewer in a stream.
1. Respect the Game Choice
This is by far the most important step to follow. Too many times I see viewers going into streams and the first thing they say is something along the lines of “WHY ARENT YOU PLAYING “X” GAME RIGHT NOW????” Viewers have to understand that just like any gamer out there, broadcasters like playing multiple types of games on stream. Just because we’re not playing the game we played yesterday doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. The stream is going to be happiest when the broadcaster is playing a game they enjoy. If you see your streamer playing a game you don’t enjoy, don’t watch! It’s as simple as that. There’s nothing wrong with politely asking when they might play a certain game at some point in the future, but don’t be a nag!
This is by far the most important step to follow. Too many times I see viewers going into streams and the first thing they say is something along the lines of “WHY ARENT YOU PLAYING “X” GAME RIGHT NOW????” Viewers have to understand that just like any gamer out there, broadcasters like playing multiple types of games on stream. Just because we’re not playing the game we played yesterday doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. The stream is going to be happiest when the broadcaster is playing a game they enjoy. If you see your streamer playing a game you don’t enjoy, don’t watch! It’s as simple as that. There’s nothing wrong with politely asking when they might play a certain game at some point in the future, but don’t be a nag!
2. Don’t beat a dead horse.
This is something I think both broadcasters and viewers can do a better job of. People think that if they tell one joke that gets the streamer to chuckle for a few seconds means that they’ve been given the green light to continue to tell the same joke more times. I love memes, but at some point the joke gets old and it’s time to move on. I feel like viewers try way too hard to impress the broadcaster and force unfunny jokes all the time. Savvy viewers know when to drop good jokes and when to stop and just enjoy the chat. Also, the Kappa isn’t an open invitation to tell a really bad joke. If I ever see a viewer post 5-10 straight lines that all end with the use of a Kappa, you’re moving down the totem pole of viewers that I’m going to pay attention to in chat. Meme Responsibly.
This is something I think both broadcasters and viewers can do a better job of. People think that if they tell one joke that gets the streamer to chuckle for a few seconds means that they’ve been given the green light to continue to tell the same joke more times. I love memes, but at some point the joke gets old and it’s time to move on. I feel like viewers try way too hard to impress the broadcaster and force unfunny jokes all the time. Savvy viewers know when to drop good jokes and when to stop and just enjoy the chat. Also, the Kappa isn’t an open invitation to tell a really bad joke. If I ever see a viewer post 5-10 straight lines that all end with the use of a Kappa, you’re moving down the totem pole of viewers that I’m going to pay attention to in chat. Meme Responsibly.
3. Respect Other Streamers in Chat!
There’s nothing that makes me more uncomfortable then when I’m enjoying another stream and viewers take the focus away from the stream I’m watching and put it on me instead. I’m always down for saying hi to people that might see me in another stream, but I’m not in that stream to talk about my stream. If you see your favorite streamer somewhere else please don’t ask them when they are streaming next or continue to ask them questions about what they are doing. Also streamers don’t go into someone’s stream and talk about your stream or make the focus on you. One of the most annoying moments I had on my stream was when a well-known streamer came into my stream while I was playing a new game and started holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) in my chat. It’s super rude.
There’s nothing that makes me more uncomfortable then when I’m enjoying another stream and viewers take the focus away from the stream I’m watching and put it on me instead. I’m always down for saying hi to people that might see me in another stream, but I’m not in that stream to talk about my stream. If you see your favorite streamer somewhere else please don’t ask them when they are streaming next or continue to ask them questions about what they are doing. Also streamers don’t go into someone’s stream and talk about your stream or make the focus on you. One of the most annoying moments I had on my stream was when a well-known streamer came into my stream while I was playing a new game and started holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) in my chat. It’s super rude.
4. Don’t beg for attention!
The following conversation happens so often in streams, and yet people still think this is okay.
Appleluver69: Hey Streamer!
Streamer is too busy playing game
Appleluver69: Sen-pai notice me
Streamer is still too busy playing the game
Appleluver69: Streamer didn’t say hi back to me *frownie face*
If I ever see this in my stream, the likelihood of me ever responding to you just decreased 10 fold. Streamers have a ton of responsibilities while streaming. They are focusing on playing a game, trying to give commentary, trying to interact with chat, as well as other miscellaneous things. Sometimes your chat message is going to get lost in the clutter. We’re not ignoring you on purpose, we’re just busy. The moment you start acting like you deserve the streamer’s attention is the moment you’re on the fast track to getting ignored. If you want my attention just be a normal viewer and interact with the chat and be patient!
The following conversation happens so often in streams, and yet people still think this is okay.
Appleluver69: Hey Streamer!
Streamer is too busy playing game
Appleluver69: Sen-pai notice me
Streamer is still too busy playing the game
Appleluver69: Streamer didn’t say hi back to me *frownie face*
If I ever see this in my stream, the likelihood of me ever responding to you just decreased 10 fold. Streamers have a ton of responsibilities while streaming. They are focusing on playing a game, trying to give commentary, trying to interact with chat, as well as other miscellaneous things. Sometimes your chat message is going to get lost in the clutter. We’re not ignoring you on purpose, we’re just busy. The moment you start acting like you deserve the streamer’s attention is the moment you’re on the fast track to getting ignored. If you want my attention just be a normal viewer and interact with the chat and be patient!
5. Don’t blog about your personal life in a Twitch Chat
There’s a difference between saying in the chat “Thanks for streaming today, I’m having a rough day” and “Thanks for streaming today, My girlfriend left me and I’m in a really terrible spot today and oh my Grandma Died, and my dog got ran over by a bus, and I’m about to cry and I can’t do this anymore!” As a streamer, one of my goals is to cheer people up and make them be able to forget about the crummy things that are going on in life. At the same time, I don’t want the chat to start turn moody and depressing. If things aren’t going well in life and you need someone to talk to, PM the streamer if they are open to it! Bringing up all these things in the chat just takes away from the stream and puts the burden of problems on the streamer and the rest of the chat. The streamer is now put in a really awkward spot of having to respond to the situation, or ignoring the viewer and making them feel even worse.
There’s a difference between saying in the chat “Thanks for streaming today, I’m having a rough day” and “Thanks for streaming today, My girlfriend left me and I’m in a really terrible spot today and oh my Grandma Died, and my dog got ran over by a bus, and I’m about to cry and I can’t do this anymore!” As a streamer, one of my goals is to cheer people up and make them be able to forget about the crummy things that are going on in life. At the same time, I don’t want the chat to start turn moody and depressing. If things aren’t going well in life and you need someone to talk to, PM the streamer if they are open to it! Bringing up all these things in the chat just takes away from the stream and puts the burden of problems on the streamer and the rest of the chat. The streamer is now put in a really awkward spot of having to respond to the situation, or ignoring the viewer and making them feel even worse.
6. Know your limitations
I’m going to be 100% honest here about something that a lot of streamers won’t say, but it’s true. Not all viewers are created equal. When I say that, I’m not referencing subs and people who donate. What I’m referring to is the difference between old/new viewers. There are certain viewers that can push your buttons and say silly things in your chat and get away with it. While there are viewers that will say the same exact same thing and get kicked. Why is that? A lot of it has to do with the relationship between the broadcaster and viewer. For me personally, there are viewers that have been there since the beginning and I know that they are just giving me a hard time and mean no ill will. If a new viewer does the same thing with no context, I have no idea what their motives are. Just realize that relationships from streamer to streamer are going to be different. Realize that while one streamer might be cool with your copy pasta about Walrus’s, another streamer will get super ticked and ban you.
I’m going to be 100% honest here about something that a lot of streamers won’t say, but it’s true. Not all viewers are created equal. When I say that, I’m not referencing subs and people who donate. What I’m referring to is the difference between old/new viewers. There are certain viewers that can push your buttons and say silly things in your chat and get away with it. While there are viewers that will say the same exact same thing and get kicked. Why is that? A lot of it has to do with the relationship between the broadcaster and viewer. For me personally, there are viewers that have been there since the beginning and I know that they are just giving me a hard time and mean no ill will. If a new viewer does the same thing with no context, I have no idea what their motives are. Just realize that relationships from streamer to streamer are going to be different. Realize that while one streamer might be cool with your copy pasta about Walrus’s, another streamer will get super ticked and ban you.
Wrapping it Up
At the end of the day most streamers are pretty patient when it comes to viewers in their chat. Most streamers won’t just instantly ban you if you struggle with one of these areas. We all appreciate the viewers that choose to watch our stream, but at the same time we want a chat that allows for good conversation and flows well. Follow these six steps and you’ll be on the fast track to making your favorite streamer happy to see you in their chat!
Follow us on Twitter so you get all the latest updates! @StreamBigNET
At the end of the day most streamers are pretty patient when it comes to viewers in their chat. Most streamers won’t just instantly ban you if you struggle with one of these areas. We all appreciate the viewers that choose to watch our stream, but at the same time we want a chat that allows for good conversation and flows well. Follow these six steps and you’ll be on the fast track to making your favorite streamer happy to see you in their chat!
Follow us on Twitter so you get all the latest updates! @StreamBigNET
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