This essay shares the progress on a project analyzing YouTube content creators' discussions of their home automation setups. YouTube is a video sharing website that hosts hundreds of thousands of videos on a variety of topics. Originally, uploaded videos had low production value, little standardization in format, and offered no compensation. These videos were often the work of enthusiasts who simply wanted to share their passions with the world.More recently, modifications to the algorithm and the increasing monetization of the platform have led content creators to adopt new video structures. Now, YouTube videos often have high production value, a standardized structure, and focus on sharing sponsored content. However, the more "traditional" videos still exist, making YouTube an amalgam of reviews and advertisements alongside (or by way of) DIY instructionals and tutorials. These characteristics make YouTube videos an interesting place to study discourses surrounding home automation.
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