tacosmurfz

Full time husband and Animal Lover, Passionate Streamer and gamer. I love to Support others on their journeys as well. twitch.tv/TacoSmurfz

I guess I'll start by saying that animals have always played a big big roll in my life and they have always brought me constant joy and happiness even in times where I was at my worst. In honor of their memories and the many lives they touched, I wanted to create a short video highlighting a few of the rescued animals that saved me just as much as I saved them throughout the years. These are just a few of the many animals throughout my life that have had just as big of a impact on me as I did on them.

The video below features my first cat Cartel who I rescued in Wainwright, Alberta from 2 junkies I caught getting her high. I weened her back to full health and we were inseparable for years to come. The video also of course features Stitches the Legendary Elder Rat. The most influential Rat I ever owned of many of dozens throughout my life. He lived to be close too or just past the age of 6 years which translated is over 200 years old in human years!!

Below Pics: (Top) Cartel at about one year old.

(Bottom) Stitches during a birthday shoot. (5th Bday)

Both of them found me in a time when NOT ONLY did they need a savior, but I did too.. Heck, I can honestly say I might not be here today to write this article if not for these 2 wonderful spirits. :)

You often hear of people saying things like the hunter becomes the hunted, well... for me anyways its a little different.

Sometimes the rescue becomes the rescuer.

Here is my video tribute to these 2 Wonderful spirits! Enjoy!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmMaAP1KvhU

Shoutouts to Aya Archer. Without her selfless acts to drive half way across western Canada and back over night to help me save and relocate a car full of animals I wouldn't have been able to have these experiences or make this video for you all.

I had ALOT of fun making this video as the content and footage of the animals involved all held and still do very much hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you for reading my article

~TacoSmurfz Gaming & HappyRat ASMR

Read more...

Happy Mothers Day from all of us @ TacoSmurfz Gaming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDBZ9hKtidQ

Over the years, many many years before I knew what streaming was, I was learning social media marketing, management and administrations and much of what I've learned is applicable in today's fast paced world of content creation. This article touches on some key developmental issues of content creation as well as providing a short list of steps one can take to not only create a great presence online as a content creator but continue to grow and produce quality content for your fans!

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1. Try to keep your gamer-tag (TacoSmurfz) the same across all platforms and socials as much as possible as well as keep your URL links as similar as possible.

Example xbox gamer tag : TacoSmurfz – ( /tacosmurfz @TacoSmurfz /tacosmurfzgaming etc etc etc

Example 2 : Xbox Gamer Tag : Doomtree13 – ( /doomtree13 @doomtree13 /Doomtree13Gaming etc etc

Consistency is key!!!

2. YOU ARE YOUR BRAND!! Keep this in mind, because others take notice of those that stand out and have taken the time and effort too make a brand and image for their content. A sharp logo or a nice smile go along way. There are so many designers and graphics artists across twitter, fiverr and other platforms that can make you that perfect brand and style that you are looking for. Don't be afraid to shop around and take time to perfect your own brand. Consider what it will look like on merch like clothes or stickers/mugs and the works. Be creative, the ways to freely promote your brand are limitless.

3. Make profiles on at least 3-6 social media platforms, Get involved in the platforms that work for you!! Try to cross post your video content from one source across all platforms.. E.I. ( Share your uploads out across socials from 1 source like a YouTube channel. Its crucial to get yourself in those search results.

4. You NEED to engage and get involved with other communities and creators. Bonus if you are into the same kind of content and hobbies. Build those relationships and friendships with other streamers and creators and learn from each others triumphs and mistakes. Consider making your own Discord server for your community and followers to get involved in as well.

“you get what you put in and people get what they deserve” – Gord Downie

5. YouTube is not as hard as it seems friends. It is rather easy to get started by merely highlighting/exporting your streams from twitch straight to a Youtube channel. You can do it directly from your stream manager in your videos/clips section of Twitch even. A well detailed Youtube channel can really make an impact in the long run for your growth and content. There are many app's and websites out there to help you learn how to easily maximize your time and efforts and put out the best content all around for your channel. TubeBuddy is a great App for those who are looking for the extra help.

6. Make sure to detail your content videos as much as possible to the best of your abilities and try to make improvements as you put out new content. Detail your uploads and posts with links to your socials, and links to those who helped you create the content or were involved with it in any way. ( credit where it is due ) Make sure to have their consent as Privacy is king for many people on the web. Never edited before? Need a easy place to start? check out a free site like ClipChamp or if you are a student you can get deals through Adobe.

7. Getting on Google is as simple as following the steps above. You DO NOT need to PAY or ADVERTISE or PROMOTE on Facebook or pay for Ad's and things like that. They may be a nice perk and it may help with some growth but it's not the wholesome, real, friendship and loyalty kind of growth that is going to benefit you the most. It's just promoted growth. click bait growth in a sense of the words.. Putting the time and effort into your communities and networks will get you far better growth then paying for advertising ever will.

8. MONETIZE YOUR CONTENT – If you are a twitch affiliate or large Youtuber, getting monetized with Coil/interledger early to maximize your payouts and profits for your streams and Youtube content is a great place to start. Below is the result of my twitch stream cheer leaderboard after just 2 months as a Coil member. Coil_Twitch_Bot

If that wasn't impressive enough, a few days ago I awoke to a few wonderful emails from Uphold/Interledger to discover a $123.11 CAD deposit from Coil into my Uphold wallet which I then transferred into my bank account!

As you can see, Coil is no joke.

Sign up here —> https://coil.com/?ref=TacoSmurfz1109

These techniques are the core principles of growth and creation for yourself as well as your content as a gamer/streamer/creator. These techniques have helped me make content creation a career reality, but they are not everything you need...

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A fellow streamer and creator we know as RevHouse https://www.twitch.tv/RevHouse Speaks on a Key point below.

“It's not about your game play. That is 100% secondary. It's about you. If you're going to stream and hope to attract people and keep them around you're going to HAVE to be entertaining.

Note: entertaining doesn't mean funny.

You really need to let your personality come through. Going 3, 4, or even 5 minutes not talking or saying anything worth while isn't going to do you any good.

You've got to engage with the people you have, even if it's one person. I've caught some stream of new streamers and they just sit there, so I bounce quick.

I can watch myself play video games.

So don't stream because you think people want to watch you play, because there are always going to be better players they can go watch. But if you can be more entertaining than that better player you have a better chance of keeping them on your stream.

Unless there is a SPECIFIC stream event, TURN OFF Follower only chat. I raid an unknown streamer trying to make affiliate at the end of every stream; I don't raid people with follower only chat, because that forces people to follow you, without knowing how they interact with you, which is a big turnoff.

This last one some might not like: Do not follow for follow. Yeah, I said it. When you do this, a few things happen:

1. You build a following, that doesn't actually watch you, which again, when I raid, its kind of a red flag if someone has 800 followers and only 2 watching them.

2. You devalue your product. You are subtly telling people, “My content isn't good enough to get someone to follow, so I have to trade”

It is ok to follow people for networking purposes, but I have never asked anyone to follow me back, or put on any platform, follow me and Ill follow you back.

PS – it is a f****ng griiiiind. Don't start thinking you're going to blow up in a couple of weeks. Especially if you aren't putting in work off stream (and no, tweeting or posting that you're going live isn't putting in work) “”

Revhouse touches on some KEY points and ISSUES involving ALL of us as creators and People alike. Take the time to watch yourself and your content and see where you can always be improving. Do not be afraid to breach the comfort zones, they are only comfortable because they are too familiar after all.

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Another great twitch streamer and content creator Doomtree13 https://www.twitch.tv/doomtree13 also touches on a few key topics for getting out of that starter void and getting out of that 0 viewer slump that kills the dreams of many streamers before they get off the ground. He also touches on a part of streaming we tend to overlook, Self effect and reflection”

” Something that can help you all as streamers on Twitch is Viewerstorm. It is a way to build your community bigger and better at the same time helping others with theirs. The idea is that you earn tokens by watching people streams for about 10 mins then you earn 3 Tokens each token you earn can then be used for people to join in on your stream the next time you go live. They also have a feature where if you save your tokens or acquire Storm-Passes and everyone on the site will then watch your stream at no cost of a token. Its a way to make the last push to partner honestly and its why some of you who come into my stream will see me with 70+ viewers “

https://www.viewerstorm.com/?refid=2215

“As a growing content creator you also need to realize that everything you say and do can effect you as not just a creator but a human being as well. As you grow your pedestal also grows & the more active eyes are on you. Everything you do while live has an impact on your brand, your personal health and the mental health of those around you influenced by it. It won’t only effect your community but it will also effect you and your reputation as a creator. Many big name streamers have had some kind of repercussions from something they had done which they ended up regretting later on. The more you grow the bigger the impact you have in a community”

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Some words of wisdom from a fellow Creator & Minecraft Engineer Dreadknott45 on the importance of a routine schedule.

https://www.twitch.tv/dreadknott45

”” Stick to a schedule for streaming!!! Consistency is everything when it comes to streaming. That way people know when your live and can come back on a regular instead of hoping you happen to be live. Same goes for posting video content wise as that makes it so when people come back there is something there which will keep them coming back. If someone goes to see a youtube series(mainly where this applies) and they have to keep checking in everyday just to see the next one then they will go find someone more consistent.

And DO NOT call out lurkers unless they talk in your chat, if they want to talk they will. If they do a !lurk that is okay to acknowledge them but calling them out will chase them off. Just focus on being engaging and entertaining and they will eventually come out. Even if they don't, just know they are helping you out weather or not they realize it or not””

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I hope this article has helped bring some valuable insight to those of you interested in growing your brand and presence across the web as creators, gamers, streamers & designers.

Art design – Coil logo edit by TomTheTomaToe

https://www.twitch.tv/TomTheTomatoe

~TacoSmurfz

HOW MUCH FOR A RAT?

Let me say a few words, the person who writes an email or message to simply ask the price. The person who calls and after hearing a price surprisedly states: “I can buy a cheaper rat elsewhere”. I just want it as a pet.

No rat is “just a pet”.

Behind every rat is a BREEDER. I’m using capital letters to differentiate a breeder from a pet factory or mill. A reputable breeder does not breed rats without knowing the lineage. Records of lineage that document pairings and allow one to research any possible health issues present in that lineage. When you tell a Breeder you don’t care about the lineage/history what you’re really telling them is you couldn’t care less about the health of the rat you just want the cheapest thing you can find! When you select to buy a rat from a reputable and quality breeder, this breeder is responsible for the health of every rat; both rats owned and every rat they’ve sold for its lifetime. This breeder will skip holidays, miss sleeping, and most of their personal house space has been turned into space for their rats. The truly passionate breeder who loves what they breed, puts their whole heart and soul into it. Not only in rats that are sold, but also in each customer who owns a piece of their heart and now is a member of their extended family. This does not take into account any rat who might get sick or need extra help to thrive. Breeders worry about their babies after they leave and will take one back without question.

A breeder will get their hands dirty because that’s what life is about...In the middle of birth and death is life. The wheel that keeps turning. A breeder will do tests, have surgeries done, ultrasounds, emergency c sections, research pedigrees and parasite treat.

Last but by no means least, a breeder CHOOSES the family lucky enough to have one of their babies. A true breeder chooses who they sell to because they are not making money off the sale. There is no compensation that can offset the investment a Breeder has made so they need to be confident its the right fit. Many times saying more no’s then yes...A good Breeder will have different criteria for those wanting to carry on their bloodline, why? Because breeding is not a responsibility to ever be taken lightly, it’s a lifestyle choice set aside for ONLY the few devoted people willing to sacrifice.

Because a rat is never “just a pet” it’s the Breeder’s legacy, a little boy’s best friend, a little girls protector, a persons therapy, a member of the family, someone’s whole world.

I have spent much of my career and free time on various levels of the web during my life and one thing I am now absolutely convinced of is Coil Monetization. I have been a monthly member for shy of two months now and the benefits have been overwhelming. They have lite a fire under many creators around me as they too have seen the results now first hand.

Coil reward streamers and creators for the time Coil members spend enjoying their content online. TWITCH affiliates & partners see a “Coil_Twitch_Bot” that rewards creators in Bit drops on their channel for example. The minimum $5 monthly membership has paid out Easily x5 its monthly membership across myself and other creators channels I spend time in.

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If you have a growing or large Youtube channel underneath you then you should consider taking it a step further and setting up a uphold wallet & linking your Youtube channel to your Coil account.

here's why..

By setting up and connecting a Uphold or Github wallet you will be able to earn revenue from Coil members who watch your content & videos.

It's then as simple as moving the funds too whatever account or crypto currency you wish and enjoy the benefits of Coil Monetization.

Its as simple as that. There is no arguing it more than pays for the measley $5 membership fee.

In my journeys as a Creator & Twitch affiliate, I have met some amazing steamers, people, communities and great creators alike. The community I call home is ReAnimateHer's Horde collective and I am a proud member of the stream team the collective runs and RAH sponsors called The Monster Squad.

ReAnimateHer recently signed up for Coil Monetization as well and is one of early Twitch partners seeing regular bit drops from the Coil bot.

https://www.twitch.tv/team/themonstersquad

RECENTLY her and a few other Twitch Partners have Seen the benefit of having coil users around and are starting to take notice and doing some digging as well. Lets give the big content creators a Reason to Go bigger With COIL monetization!

This is the best $5 investment you will make for not only your own stream and content, but the Content of those around you as well.

Coil referral link – https://coil.com/?ref=TacoSmurfz1109

My Mozilla Review – https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/coil/reviews/1677538/

My stream – www.twitch.tv/TacoSmurfz

~TacoSmurfz~

I am really looking forward to what Cinnamon may grow into and has to offer. I would very much like to read and hear your opinions and thoughts about the platform everybody. I have Included the platform in my colletion of Web Monetization sites, platforms and networks. I hope to meet some cool people here and Watch this site grow and beome something great!

https://cinnamon.video/TacoSmurfz https://www.Coil.com

Gaming for the Masses