The modern platform economy has evolved beyond being just a space for content consumption into a dynamic arena where creators and users collaborate to reshape the flow of value. Postype, a leading blogging platform in Korea, serves as a prime example of this trend. Initially known for fan fiction, Postype has expanded into a space where various artistic activities like fortune-telling, drawing commissions, and illustration sales take place. Users engage in transactions of digital goods and services, ranging from 100 KRW to 10,000 KRW, creating close-knit connections with creators.
Direct Sponsorship: Empowering Creators
One of the standout features of Postype is its direct sponsorship system. Through a simple “sponsor” button, users can financially support creators, allowing the money to flow directly to the creator without being filtered through the platform. This system enables creators to maintain a more equitable share of their earnings and helps them to fully realise the value of their work. On top of this, the subscription service offers fans exclusive content in exchange for a fixed monthly fee, fostering a deeper, ongoing connection between creators and their audience.
The Role of User Interaction
Beyond financial support, the engagement between users and creators on Postype plays a pivotal role in the platform’s success. Actions like likes, comments, and shares increase a post’s visibility, giving creators the opportunity to reach wider audiences. For example, when fans share fortune-telling posts or commissioned artwork, they contribute to the creator’s exposure, thus indirectly boosting their revenue. In this way, fans become active participants in the creator’s success—not just passive consumers, but collaborators who help drive the creator’s growth.
Algorithmic Mutual Aid: A New Form of Cooperation
This system of mutual support on Postype is a prime example of what’s known as algorithmic mutual aid (Maris et al, 2024). In a nutshell, this concept refers to users’ voluntary collaboration to redistribute value and adjust the flow of digital labour toward specific goals. Fans often help creators by organising collective promotional campaigns or sharing their content across networks, increasing the chances of creators earning more. This form of cooperation not only helps creators but also fosters a sense of shared responsibility within communities.
The Future: Web3 and a Fairer Economy
Looking ahead, the integration of Web3 technologies could enhance this model even further. Postype’s approach could benefit from blockchain-based innovations like NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and smart contracts. By using NFTs, creators can offer their digital works as unique assets that fans can purchase, ensuring ownership and exclusivity. Smart contracts could automatically distribute earnings based on predetermined terms, ensuring a fairer and more transparent economic exchange. These tools would allow for a more decentralized approach to creator-fan relationships, where the distribution of value is clearer and more equitable.
Imagine a scenario where a creator sells their digital artwork as an NFT, and every time it is sold or resold, they receive a percentage of the revenue, thanks to the automatic functionality of smart contracts. This would be a more transparent, fairer model than the traditional centralised platform, and it’s something that Postype and similar platforms could evolve toward in the future.
Postype started as a platform for fan fiction but has evolved into a space that supports various artistic activities, where creators and fans collaborate to create value. This mirrors the concept of algorithmic mutual aid, suggesting a new model of solidarity and care in the platform economy. The integration of Web3 technologies could further strengthen this model, creating new opportunities for creators and fans to interact and redistribute value in a more equitable and transparent way.
Reference
Maris, E., Caplan, R., & Thach, H. (2024). Taking back and giving back on TikTok: Algorithmic mutual aid in the platform economy. New Media & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241238396