You are reading a single comment by @tom.gidden and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
Espruino is a JavaScript interpreter for low-power Microcontrollers. This site is both a support community for Espruino and a place to share what you are working on.
@tom.gidden
To be honest I care less about the actual money as the underhanded and stupid way Patreon have done it. Rather than sending each individual customer an email (or link) saying "You currently pay this much and your creators get this much; now you will pay this much and your creators will get this much", they've tried to spin it as a tiny change that's good for everyone involved.
It's not clear yet but it's possible this is not just a shameless cash grab and is either something Patreon are forced to do or that there's a hidden subtlety that does actually make this better than it sounds. Even so, I don't reward companies that shoot themselves in the foot with opaque misleading communications.
I honestly don't understand why Patreon needs so many millions in VC funding, for example. Could such a system not be funded purely by equitable transparent fees -- or even with a crowdfunded operation themselves -- in a Community Interest Company / Social Benefit Corporation that limits shareholder return? Why does everything need to be in pursuit of maximum profit, rather than covering costs and making a modest profit?
Bah.
It looks like this is an ongoing developing story, so I'll wait until the dust settles before I pull the plug on Patreon. I have a feeling a competitor will rise as their logical alternative, the beneficiary of Patreon's hubris.