Are you still jumping out of windows in expensive clothes?

[sovay]

Patreon is backing down on its chiseling fee structure change: "We messed up. We're sorry, and we're not rolling out the fees change."

This is a good thing to hear. It is not complete. Creators have lost patrons and income and trust and I would like to know how Patreon plans to make any of that back up. I want to know that they are addressing not just the "problems" but the mindset that made this payments system overhaul look like a good idea in the first place. But in the words of umadoshi, I am feeling cautiously optimistic. The Washington Post has further details.

Keep 'em coming, Festival of Lights.

Comments

[kore]

Hahaha, like I wrote elsewhere, I think they possibly realized if enough people go "fuck it, I'll just give X the money I would have given through Patreon every month," there's no more reason for Patreon anymore. Yeah it's automated, yeah it's a nice place for people to show off their work and all that, but it lives or dies by the idea that the artist and the audience are connecting through their invention. I mean that's what sets it apart from Kickstarter, which is predicated on funding a project and the funds aren't released until it's fully backed IIRC.

We thought these trade-offs were worth it. We thought that the cons of the new system were worth it,” he said. “And creators have been adamant, they’ve been clear, they’ve been overwhelmingly clear with this that the trade-offs are not worth it.”

WTFFFFFFF WHAT WERE THE TRADEOFFS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE ARTISTS AND SUPPORTERS? Jeeeeeesus.

[sovay]

Yeah it's automated, yeah it's a nice place for people to show off their work and all that, but it lives or dies by the idea that the artist and the audience are connecting through their invention.

It lives or dies by its community. They hurt, alienated, and pissed off the community. This year has been full of people hurting, alienating, and pissing off communities with impunity. I want to be able to take this divergence as a sign of things to come.

WTFFFFFFF WHAT WERE THE TRADEOFFS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE ARTISTS AND SUPPORTERS? Jeeeeeesus.

I genuinely don't know, because there was such a boatload of misinformation involved in the announcement and the initial responses that I have no idea what is true about Patreon's financial state and what is speculation and what was one hundred percent simple bass-ackwards balls-upness. But at least they recognized the latter and are correcting course. I did not think we were going to get that.