Fandom runs some of the biggest communities on the web. Can CEO Perkins Miller keep them happy?
Perkins Miller is the CEO of Fandom, which both hosts thousands of wikis for everything from Disney to Grand Theft Auto and also runs several publications. Millions of people contribute millions of pieces of content to the platform, and Fandom surrounds all that content with ads and uses all that data to generate insights about how fans think about their favorite games, TV shows, and movies.
While you might enjoy the content, a lot of people have complaints — especially about the sheer number of ads. We talked about what it means to host user-generated content in 2023; content moderation; and the general state of media, especially games media, which is pretty rocky right now. I’m also gearing up to host the Code Conference in September (apply to attend here), and I’ve been thinking a lot about AI, search, and the web — all very much big challenges on the horizon for Fandom.
Links:
Layoffs Hit GameSpot, Giant Bomb Just Months After Fandom Buys Them - Kotaku
How Reddit crushed the biggest protest in its history - The Verge
‘Not for Machines to Harvest’: Data Revolts Break Out Against A.I. - The New York Times
Massive Zelda Wiki Reclaims Independence Six Months Before Tears of the Kingdom - Kotaku
Trials and Tribble-ations (episode) - Memory Alpha
Apply to attend the Code Conference
Transcript:
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.
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