• magic_smoke@links.hackliberty.org
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    2 months ago

    This isn’t some magical world, this is how most open source software projects and even online content creators make their money.

    Creators make way fucking more from patron than AdSense, even if its only a percentage of their audience. Do you know how much fucking watch time it would take to match the $5 a month I give to several of my favorite producers of online video?

    A lot more than either your or I have time for, certainly more than the content they create.

    You need only a sliver of your audience to pay, and platforms like patron prove this works.

    The fact you’re baffled by even a small percentage of people donating to gratis projects says a lot about how you value volunteer labor, and its pretty fucking sad.

    • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The large majority of open source tools that are used in mass have significant commercial backing.

      Yes many users could make more money from patron only. Very few do in the tall world. Their primary source of income is YT. Because people don’t use the patrons.

      • magic_smoke@links.hackliberty.org
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        2 months ago

        What are you fucking on about lmao? Most channels that run a patreon, use it as their main source of income unless they also sell merch.

        Everyone from giant channels like Linus Media Group, to medium and small-sized ones like Technology Connections, and Cathode Ray Dude.

        I mean pretty much everyone I watch that has talked financials has mentioned how important patron is.

        Some of them like Botgrinder literally for the most part, only make money through patreon because of YT’s restrictive demonetization guidelines. Yet despite the lack of ad-revenue the guy is able to live off of a 50k sub channel where he pretty much smokes weed and flies FPV quads.

        As for FLOSS, that heavily depends the projects. Huge ones used by corporations sure, but who’s footing the bill for newpipe, Yt-dlp, Jellyfin, Pihole, And pretty much every video game emulator ever written? People like you (probably not considering your attitude), and me.