Saw a stat that blew my mind about DeviantArt from 2006

I was looking through some old forum archives last night and found out that in 2006, DeviantArt had over 65 million uploaded pieces of art. That number stopped me cold because back then I remember struggling to get even 50 views on my stuff. It just made me think about how huge the platform got before social media really took over. Does anyone else remember when getting a Daily Deviation actually meant something around here?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_henderson211d ago

Man that stat really puts things in perspective, doesn't it. Getting a Daily Deviation back then felt like winning the lottery.

betty_perry241d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree a bit. Sure, getting featured was a big deal back then, but it felt more like a community thing than winning the lottery. You'd get a bunch of supportive comments from people you actually recognized in your niche. These days, it seems like every other post gets a Daily Deviation and the comments are mostly bots or people just fishing for follows. Miss the days when it meant something more personal, you know?

marybutler1d ago

Hmm, I get that perspective but honestly the old system was way too exclusive. It created this weird gatekeeping where only people who had been around for years or had specific art styles could get any attention. Having more Daily Deviations now means more artists get a shot at exposure, even if their work isn't perfectly polished. Bots are annoying sure, but at least the platform feels alive instead of being this tiny echo chamber of the same ten artists. And saying it meant more back then just feels like nostalgia fogging up the reality of how hard it was to break in. More visibility for more people is always better in my book.