How to Curate a Broadcast

Overview

We use curation software developed by WOKE's team called Streamwall. SPN has a custom Streamwall address that allows curators to control the stream remotely, from their browser, without installing additional software. SPN shares the information for their Streamwall with trusted curators in order to ensure consistent coverage. All SPN curators must already be mods in the SPN Twitch channel.

Streamwall is brand new software, specially developed for the 2020 George Floyd protests. It has many bugs, oddities, and quirks. If you are a software engineer and know javascript, you can contribute to the codebase at chromakode/streamwall

This guide will teach you how to use Streamwall like others do at SPN. We are still learning the best techniques, and we invite curators to experiment.

Streamwall UI

• Streamwall's interface represents a grid of video "cells." SPN currently uses a 6x6 grid, which is flexible for both portrait and landscape sources

• Each cell contains a "source id" (3-4 character short code), and a set of buttons to perform different actions:

  • The refresh button will refresh a frozen or blank feed

  • The "window" button will open an interactive window.

    • This doesn't work remotely

  • The life-preserver button opens up developer mode in the interactive window

    • This doesn't work remotely

  • The "No Video" button blurs the video. This is useful when a source is showing inappropriate content or needs to be replaced

  • The Sound button sets the current audio source

• If a cell is highlighted with a red border, it means that the source may no longer exist and needs refreshing or replacement

• Below the grid, there's a list of sources that are manually added alongside sources that are automatically populated from SPN's Livesheet

  • Each source in the list has a button that can be clicked to populate the first empty cell in the grid, from the top-left

• Under the source list, there is a form where you can add custom streams that the Livesheet doesn't support or won't read.

  • Custom sources can also be used in cases where the Livesheet isn't working, as a manual/emergency tool

Updating the Source for a Cell

If you click on a cell, you can type into it. Typing is a little weird right now and can sometimes be slow. It's better to either copy/paste from another cell if it already exists, or click the gray button from the list of sources below the grid.

• When you click the gray button with the source id in it, the next empty cell (from top-left to bottom-right) will be filled with that source

• Any cells with the same source that form a rectangle get merged

• To remove a source, you can click the cell and delete the text (source id)

Sometimes, it's better to clear a source from the grid, one cell at a time, then click the gray button next to sources in the Source List

Adding New Sources

New sources can be added in a few ways:

• Post a link to a live video to SPN's #livestream-links Discord channel, and a bot will automatically populate the Streamwall Source List within a few minutes, usually much faster

• Post a link to a live video in SPN's Twitch chat, and a bot will automatically populate the Streamwall Source List within a few minutes, usually much faster

• Manually add the source at the bottom of the Streamwall UI. This is especially useful for traffic cameras from https://pig.observer/seattle

• If you have edit access to the Livesheet, the fastest way to add a source is to manually add a new row at the top of the Livesheet, and populate the Link column. The bot processes the Livesheet from the top to the bottom, so the link will be processed as soon as possible

FAQs, Tips, and Troubleshooting

Have a buddy

Curating is a very active task that often also includes finding new sources, modding chat, and coordinating with other SPN volunteers. It's best to stream in pairs. Find a buddy who will help you find sources, mod chat, communicate with the team, and take over curation when you need to step away.

While streaming, it is easiest to use voice chat in the SPN Discord - either use the "streamers" voice chat channel, or call your buddy directly.

What do I do when I am done, and there's nobody to hand off curation duty to?

This happens nightly, usually in the early morning, when either the curator is ready to sleep or there are no on-the-ground streamers available. SPN is a 24/7 "best-effort", meaning that it's okay if we go down, but we prefer to have the stream active at all times - just in case.

When you are finished, please:

1. Set the Streamwall Grid to show "static" cameras (cameras that are mounted somewhere and show the same perspective at all times). Several static cameras SPN relies on include:

   • Broadway & E Pike St NS https://pig.observer/seattle/#CMR-0090

   • Broadway & E Pike St EW https://pig.observer/seattle/#CMR-0091

   • Borkness1234 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1BqVZDem3I

   • MarcusKulik (Subpixel) https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OyJAgzqEDoKb

   • seattleprotest2020 https://www.twitch.tv/seattleprotest2020

   • strangervideo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaGQFyQBeNw

2. Enable Emotes Only Chat Mode in the SPN Twitch channel

At that point, you may walk away, and curation will get picked up by the next person available

Where can I find traffic cameras?

SPN uses traffic cameras from https://pig.observer/seattle

• In the Custom Sources section of the UI, add a camera URL that only shows ONE traffic cam. Streamwall does not support multiple cams per page.

• Non-video (i.e., image) cameras that only update once per minute are not yet supported by Streamwall.

Work at a moderate, steady pace

When something changes in the Streamwall UI, the video is updated. Then, the entire Streamwall interface is synced from the server. If you move too quickly and edit before it finishes syncing, you might end up with blank spaces you have to go back and fill in or funny shaped videos.

Instagram sources always appear as "Live" even when they're not!

This is a bug. For the time being, you will need to manually check Instagram sources. You must be logged into Instagram to view a live feed.

The video keeps looping when the streamer stops their feed!

Streamwall currently can't tell when Facebook (and perhaps other) Live videos are finished, because some streaming sites automatically loop or play the next video in a playlist. There isn't an easy way we've found to detect this yet - just watch chat and be on the lookout for questions about whether a stream is live. Try to pay attention to your own feed.

Can multiple people use the Streamwall at once?

Yes. You will see their changes within a few seconds. Try not to run into each other. Usually it's best to only have one person streaming.

What should I focus the audio on?

This is the choice of the current curator. SPN encourages curators to amplify the voices of minorities over privileged individuals, and otherwise suggests that the curator uses this opportunity to express their values.

What can't I show, and what happens if I accidentally show it?

• NEVER show nudity or pornography

• NEVER show graphic violence

• NEVER show personal information or allow doxxing to happen via the stream

• Do not show harassment to the greatest degree possible

• Do not show misinformation or inaccurate content

• Do not show defamatory, threatening, obscene, or abusive content

If the objectionable content is temporary or you are unsure if objectionable content will be shown, use the "blur" feature for the relevant source.

If you accidentally show any of this content, contact an SPN admin IMMEDIATELY, and they will help remove recordings.

SPN is actively implementing a broadcast delay to assist with preventing objectionable content

Something is VERY broken, and I can't fix it!

Contact any admin in Discord. Streamwall currently runs on one of their computers, and they will be able to either reset the stream or apply a hotfix.

I found a bug!

Bugs can be reported here: https://github.com/chromakode/streamwall/issues