Re: The implications of Patreon
To me, the rise of sites like Patreon (or Kickstarter) represents a little of the new and a little of the old. The new is a positive change: it's definitely allowing for greater creativity by putting solid funding within the reach of talented, independent artists. It's also good news for pornography fans--Akabur, for example, pulls in over seven grand a month. That's not a bad chunk of change for someone to draw chibi animations and the occasional CG of Jasmine or Hermione Granger being placed in compromising sexual situations. This is supply and demand in a rather pure state.
When I say that sites like Patreon also represent a little of the old, mostly I'm referring to some expressions: "There's a sucker born every minute," and "A fool and his money are soon parted." The system is designed to punish the trusting--Akabur could easily pocket that money for years, giving the occasional excuse for the delay while collecting more cash. Eventually, people could catch on and stop paying him, but it could take months or even years before the well ran dry.
Then again, some people seem to enjoy throwing good money after bad. I get a chuckle when I think about this guy who
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in order to make his potato salad. Sure, I understand that people were donating money out of a sense of humor and irony. That's still forty-five thousand dollars.
That money could easily pay for all my Christmas shopping for the rest of my natural life.