Michael Macovski is an associate professor at Georgetown University’s Communication, Culture & Technology program in Washington D.C. He received all three of his degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and has also taught at Dartmouth College and Fordham University. Professor Macovski has been on the Advisory Board of the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism and a Conference Director at the Society’s annual international meeting. He was on the Executive Committees of three divisions of the Modern Language Associations where he was also the Delegate Assembly of the organization. At CCT, he is also the Faculty Mentor for the Global Media Group. Macovski has also written two books; “Dialogue and Literature: Apostrophe, Auditors, and the Collapse of Romantic Discourse” and “Dialogue and Critical Discourse: Language, Culture, Critical Theory“. He has a background in literary criticism and textual studies with interests on Romanticism and book history, material culture and New Media, literary dialogism and translation, copyright law and censorship, hypertextual theory and digital culture and more!
“Why did you chose Twitch, what does Twitch mean to you?”
Professor Macovski suggested Twitch as the technology to unpack because of the widespread fame and influence that it has gained over the past years. He knew that Twitch as a platform was a “terrific engine” for the promotion and exploration of Fan Culture, Cross-Cultural Interaction and Online Communities, topics which are of great interest to him and play a crucial role in his classes and own professional field of study. It truly turned out to be a “great choice. because the platform offers some crucial advantages to anyone interested in Media Studies and Technology” (Macovski, 2021).
What were some interesting/fun facts you found out about Twitch after our discussion and project findings?
- “The Bots used by Twitch streamers make use of truly sophisticated and complex technologies. These include both ‘Backward-Facing’ and ‘Front-Facing’ affordances (which can be customized, for instance, to filter out inappropriate material).”
- “Twitch streamers can work simultaneously with Discord (although Twitch is the go-to platform for real-time interaction).
- “Such community interaction on Twitch can feature a variety of subjects, including Digital Art and Cross-Cultural topics (taking place in a wide variety of languages).”
- “The technological equipment used by individual streamers ranges from the professional to the simple. In many cases, the most advanced equipment—including high-tech lighting, sound, and recording technologies—serves to attract viewers with alacrity.”
- “The monetization associated with various Twitch streamers can take a variety of forms—although it emphasizes terms such as voluntary ‘Donation’ and ‘Subscription.’ In other words, monetary contributions are neither pushed in a heavy-handed manner—nor are they ever required. (And, in any case, such subscriptions can also be “gifted” to other members of the community.)”
-Michael Macovski, 2021
Don’t forget to check out our videos below for more details and insights on the aforementioned! We want to thank Professor Macovski for being so supportive and helpful throughout this process and research journey!
Twitch Research Presentation
Twitch Discussion with Expert Michael Macovski
