It’s easy to appreciate the conundrum that Twitch is readily facing, regardless of how ready we may be to throw stones every time they misfire a decision that leaves the community scratching their head and making memes to their chagrin.
Simply stated, Twitch is beyond massive, holding a daily population that rivals nations while similarly stuck shouldering the burden of the community moderation and ensuring that the bizarre failed coup attempt on January 6 doesn’t have people pointing at Twitch as a breeding ground of the behavior and planning, whatever little there may actually be.
It doesn’t take much searching to find social media communities that haven’t curated their communities: they’re currently under unprecedented scrutiny from officials and the public as many are searching for answers to the question posited on January 6, as to whom should precisely be in charge of moderation and how effective moderation could possibly work in tandem with ensuring that invested members of said community have the opportunity to freely speak their mind.
A deft balancing act that few companies are frankly suited at managing, and more difficult still to strike a balance that keeps the company positively viewed from all sides of the spectrum.
One day in and the pog has only just begun.
For the next 24 hours, your PogChamp is @UmiNoKaiju1. pic.twitter.com/MwmbZccQGt
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 9, 2021
Twitch made an announcement recently that the face of the PogChamp emote, Gootecks, is being scrubbed from the platform after the individual used his following on Twitter to encourage the insurgency and violence found in the United States capital on January 6, 2021, following a belabored decision and announcement that current sitting president Donald Trump had in fact lost the 2020 election.
There were actually people surprised with this.
While Congress was attempting to count the popular vote, a labeled ‘coup’ attempt that mirrored a riot that stretched quickly out of control as citizens entered the building in an apparent attempt to find the tallied votes that were to be counted.
Twitch wasted next to no time in announcing that Gootecks would be scrubbed from the face of the popular streaming platform, although many were eager to maintain the term for the emote (PogChamp).
You know what? In the spirit of figuring out 2021 together, let’s just roll with it for now!
Get ready for a new PogChamp every 24 hours, starting today. https://t.co/R16EyASsFx
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 8, 2021
Thus, Twitch threw their hands in the air and said that they’re willing to give it a try: every 24 hours, a new PogCHamp face will be displayed across Twitch and will constantly cycle to new community members for the encouragement of a community feeling while ensuring that such an iconic emote will continue to be involved with the community.
They can take our PogChamps, but they’ll never take our Pogs.
