LOS ANGELES, CA: Today, Juked, the new community for esports fans, has announced that sociology Ph.D. and MIT professor T.L. “ybika” Taylor has joined the company’s board of advisors where she will work closely with the team on issues of community building, diversity, equity, and inclusion on the platform.
Taylor specializes in researching the culture of gaming and online communities where she has particularly focused on esports and live streaming. Taylor has worked in gaming for over two decades and in 2015, Taylor co-founded AnyKey.org, a non-profit aimed at promoting inclusivity in esports. Juked has utilized AnyKey’s definitions of harassment and discrimination as well as its “Keystone Code”' in its content policy.
The Juked team will tap into Taylor’s expertise in the space to assist in its mission of creating an “anti-toxic” home for the esports community and discussion so that fans can express their fandom in a comfortable and safe environment. Taylor will work with the Juked team to define its moderation and content policy, as well as best practices for social features, tapping into her extensive research on the matter.
“We believe that reducing toxicity, which is all too prevalent on existing social platforms and in esports in general, is key in our mission to grow esports fandom from where it is today” said Ben Goldhaber, Juked Co-Founder and CEO. “Esports is still niche, but it doesn’t have to be. By creating a more inclusive place for the esports community, we hope to enable new people who’ve been intimidated by the fragmentation and toxicity of esports to feel at home and discover a passion for esports.”
Taylor said, “Esports has long had the power to bring together all kinds of folks who are excited about gaming, and Juked’s vision to foster inclusive participation in the space is incredibly appealing. Gaming has been a home for many over the decades, offering not just a place to play but a way to connect with others. As gaming has continued to grow, fostering positive interaction that brings people together is needed now more than ever. I’m very happy to support the Juked team as they tackle some important, and exciting, challenges in creating a platform that supports inclusive player and fan communities.”
About Juked: Juked is a new social platform for esports fans that launched in iOS and Android in February and March respectively. While still young, Juked has grown at 38% week over week since launch to over 9000 total users and has onboarded 350+ esports influencers, journalists, teams, and commentators to the platform.
To learn more about Juked and to download the app, visit app.juked.gg.
For press inquiries, please contact press@juked.gg
.png)
.svg)
.svg)
