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

[gwynnega]

Great news, though I know a lot of people already lost patrons. I hope the patrons will return.

[asakiyume]

Just got an email from change.org for the petition I'd signed, telling me this same news--like you, cautiously optimistic! I'll take a look at the article.

[yhlee]

I'm so glad to hear this, despite people having lost patrons.

[muccamukk]

I liked the "People are not machines, we realise that now" quote or whatever it was. As... opposed to before?

[nineweaving]

Whew. I hope that people can recover patrons.

Nine

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, well, that is something! It's rotten that they had to even try to discover it was a bad plan, but it feels like a refreshing change just to have a business that's actually willing to say, sorry it was a mistake.

Sorry doesn't make up for lost patrons, though.

[dhampyresa]

That's good news.

[lauradi7dw]

I also had a refreshing conversation with the support person at Netflix yesterday. I don't remember what number I called, but when she answered I said:
Are you the complaints person?
She: we don't have a complaints person, but this conversation is being recorded, and I can ask my supervisor to listen to it.
Me: I'd like you to fire your social media person because of a tweet [Whoever tweets from Netflix had mocked 50 or so people who had watched the same Christmas movie 18 days in a row. This implies a level of access to our watching history that the social media person probably shouldn't have, and as a number of people pointed out on twitter, sometimes people, especially those who aren't neurotypical, watch things repeatedly. I read her the tweet.]
She: That's awful. Nobody should make fun of people like that.
Me: Subscribers should be able to watch what they want without mocking.
She: It's probably because of the Wendy's ads
Me: [confusion]
She: Wendy's had a series of rude ads that were very popular.
Me: Oh.
She: I'll let people know you called.
Me: Thank you.

That seemed like a personal conversation more than an official script on her part. I hope she didn't get in trouble.

[kore]

....wow, that's shitty personal behaviour behind whoever did that Netflix tweet.

[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]

Great news, though I know a lot of people already lost patrons. I hope the patrons will return.

I hope so, too. One of mine already has. (I wrote and thanked them.)

[sovay]

Just got an email from change.org for the petition I'd signed, telling me this same news--like you, cautiously optimistic! I'll take a look at the article.

I want it to mean more than a recalculation for the bottom dollar, but even if it's financial panic more than an acute consciousness of having behaved like jerks, it is producing better behavior and right now I'll take it. The flat-out apology is heartening.

[sovay]

I'm so glad to hear this, despite people having lost patrons.

It is my hope that they'll return. One of mine did, and Patreon is actually encouraging them to. This is just not the kind of behavior I expect from companies and I'm glad to be surprised.

[sovay]

I liked the "People are not machines, we realise that now" quote or whatever it was. As... opposed to before?

"People are not machines. And we have to respect that." Yes! You do! At least they now seem to be acting like it.

[sovay]

Whew. I hope that people can recover patrons.

I hope so, too. I just really did not expect to dodge this bullet. I was looking at my options and not seeing anything good.

[sovay]

It's rotten that they had to even try to discover it was a bad plan, but it feels like a refreshing change just to have a business that's actually willing to say, sorry it was a mistake.

Right! I'm used to a lot of doubling down and a lot of plausible deniability and a lot of anything except listening and, if necessary, accepting blame. Even if it's baby steps, it's such a nice change.

Sorry doesn't make up for lost patrons, though.

No, but telling them not to penalize creators for Patreon's screw-ups might. I know it can't be pure altruism, but I'm impressed that they're trying at all.

[sovay]

That's good news.

It is! I like this thing where there's good news! I could get used to it!

[sovay]

That seemed like a personal conversation more than an official script on her part. I hope she didn't get in trouble.

I'm glad you got a real response, and I hope likewise that she wasn't penalized for it. Also, re the tweet, yikes.

[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.