Back then, I used to wish that every obscure singer I stumbled upon became popular, with millions of subscribers and fans. But now, I find this undesirable in many aspects.

As I’ve found many indie creators on my adventures across the Internet and its many websites and pages, especially on Twitch, I’ve seen so many great communities, that would be changed (or ruined) forever by 10 million subscribers.

People in villages of 100 or 200 know everybody very well. There is a level of friendliness and humanity present in this small village, that you simply do not get in a larger city of say, 5 million.

When you encounter a beautiful natural feature and post it on social media; you run the risk that your photo will go viral, leading thousands or millions to head out towards the aforementioned natural feature. Eventually, it becomes unsustainable.

The same can happen in Internet communities too. A large influx of new users dilute the essence of the community, causing disruption. Humanity is lost as creator interaction with individual fans gives way to creator interaction with a hive mind.

The creator no longer knows individual fans, but simply a fan base. Although there could be a chance that the creator retains a deeper connection with “day 1” fans or those who were there before they went mainstream or before the hypothetical 10 million subscribers arrived.

Gatekeeping isn’t always bad. It should be done in moderation and in a healthy way. Both slow and rapid growth have their pros and cons and it is up to each community to make the most of the pros and mitigate the cons.

This text was retrieved from Lemuria’s notes folder and judged worthy of publication to add something to this blog, when Lemuria first brought it online on May 28, 2025.