docs: Media & Content Creators

docs/_pages/general/media.md

@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+---
+title: Media & Content Creators
+category: General
+order: 15
+---
+
+# Media & Content Creators
+
+To get straight to the point:
+
+Please do **not** make content out of Valetudo, because the economics of that don't work out for Valetudo.
+
+I of course can't force you to not do that, but I can explain why that would be a purely one-sided value extraction process.
+
+## Content economics
+
+If you take a look at a very zoomed-out view of the consumer tech world, you see
+1. Producers
+2. Marketers
+3. Users/Customers
+
+and each of these parties benefits of each other.
+
+### Users
+
+**Users** are the easiest to explain. They just have a problem and want a solution.
+The **Producers** have those solutions, but the **Users** might not be aware that they exist.
+Or maybe multiple solutions exist and the users can't really decide.
+
+They give attention, ad revenue and clicks to the **Marketers** and money, power, influence and maybe new employees to the **Producers**.
+
+### Marketers
+
+Now the **Marketers** come in.
+They know the output of the **Producers** and needs of the **Users** and can build the bridge between them.
+They also add further value for the **Users** through stuff like testing/reviews, critical coverage etc.
+
+For this, they earn clicks and loyal fans from the **Users** and ad revenue from the **Producers**.
+
+### Producers
+
+The **Producers** do have a product and want to get that to **Users**. The motivations behind that are
+- acquiring Money
+- acquiring more people/employees
+- acquiring power/influence
+
+To do that, they need to acquire **Users** and let the world know that their product exist.
+Furthermore, they also have an interest in the world knowing that their product is _the best_ product in that segment.
+
+
+### Bottom line
+
+While in the real world there is occasional conflict about the exact balance and who gives and earns what, as you can see from this zoomed-out view, the system is solid.
+Every involved party plays an important role, gives something and gains something in the return.
+
+Not only that, but the sum gain is more than the sum of what everyone gave, making it a net positive mutually beneficial well-balanced ecosystem.
+
+## Content economics and Valetudo
+
+So, having established how it's a net-positive mutually beneficial ecosystem, why did I use a term as strong as "value extraction" before?
+
+Well, here's the problem:
+
+<em>Valetudo looks like a duck and sounds like a duck. It however is **not a duck**.</em>
+
+Valetudo does exist in the consumer tech space and is in essence a polished product.
+Valetudo does also solve a problem **Users** have. **However** it is not made by a **Producer** as defined above.
+
+That means that none of the mentioned goals above do apply to Valetudo.
+
+### Finances
+
+Valetudo is not monetized. There is neither a subscription nor a one-time payment nor are there any plans to ever change that.
+
+What Valetudo however has is cost. Every single **User** induces cost for the project through support requests, unsolicited opinions and general drama.
+This cost varies from user to user but it is _at best_ 0.
+
+This means that I do not _want_ more users.
+I do still share Valetudo with the world, because it is the _right thing to do_ and because many people come with 0 cost,
+but there is no point in me actively trying to gain users but a lot of point in explicitly not doing that.
+
+### Heads
+
+Valetudo was created as a fun hobby coding project by a developer (me) who in his nature as a developer likes to do developer things.
+I _like_ coding. I _like_ the architecture work. I like all of that.
+
+What I don't like is coordinating with other people, having to discuss differing opinions and generally giving the enjoyable coding work away and receiving unenjoyable management work in exchange.
+
+That means, that I do not _want_ more people that might "help with the project". I _like_ the project. I _like_ working on it. I _like_ doing everything myself.
+I _can_ do that management work (and do it quite well I think) so I don't want anyone else doing that either. I just don't want more of it unless it's unavoidable.
+
+### Power
+
+As said above, I am a software developer. I can (and enjoy!) building solutions to problems I have.
+I've also grown to be decent-ish enough at reverse engineering to "bend tech reality to my will" if you allow me to call it that.
+
+That means, that I do not _need_ influence or power, because I can just do the things I need myself.
+I don't need to convince someone else that something needs to be done. I can just lock myself into my basement for 3 days and do it alone.
+
+### Wrapping Up
+
+As you can see, none of the things that would _normally_ benefit me as a **Producer** benefit me in context of this project.
+That however doesn't change that the things that _normally_ cost me as a **Producer** do in fact _still_ cost me in context of this project.
+
+
+What _normally_ happens is two things. Either:<br/>
+a) Abandonment<br/>
+or<br/>
+b) Sellout
+
+And that makes sense, because if the rules of a system/space only work for a specific style of operating, you either operate in that specific style or leave the space.
+
+I do not want to pick either of those options. I think it would be a bad outcome for the world if I were to pick either of these.
+
+Therefore, I've spent a nice sunny sunday morning in my basement writing this page and trying to explain why you really should not be making content out of Valetudo.
+I appreciate the interest and as a **User** myself, I also appreciate what you do, however for Valetudo, you'd only do harm so please don't.
+
+Thank you for reading and understanding

docs/index.md

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Simply use the navigation menu on the left to find what you're looking for.
 
 The [getting started guide](https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/getting-started.html) is a good place to start.
 
-Also, make sure to check out the companion apps section.
+If you're looking to make content out of Valetudo, please read [Media & Content Creators](https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/media.html).
 
 ### Screenshots