Yeah, idek, but I just set up
https://ko-fi.com/hermeticlibrary as an alternative. I’d not bothered for a long time, but it looks like they’re starting to allow more full patronage style profiles instead of just tip jars. I don’t know how fancy I’ll get with it yet, but it exists now.
Over the years I’ve tried out lots of various things to offer ways for people to support the work I do and keep the library online. Sometimes I’ve had lots of options. I’ve also had periods where I’ve had only a few.
I see both Ko-fi and Gumroad as potential options to replace or mirror Patreon. In the past neither had all the features or the right mix of features for how I do things such that they were good options for me; but it looks like they both are starting to get there. What that means is that if Patreon goes down, or becomes too problematic, as a platform, I have somewhere to go.
That’s a big deal, as there are just simply some things about running a subscription patronage campaign that it isn’t easy enough to do on one’s own as a small creator, like myself. It’s unfortunate, but there really is an economy of scale and of reach that a platform like Patreon has going for it.
So, whereas I’m always one to advocate creators having as much control over their content platforms, basically one should preference self-hosting, or using managed services if necessary, as much as possible and not have to rely on any external company’s enclosed platform that is a point of total failure (Because they do fail. Both temporarily and permanently. A lot!), the workable options for self-hosting are abysmal and the options for enclosed platforms on which to run patronage campaigns are very few.
But, this week, I now potentially have two more options, just in case.
![“She […] placed her forefinger on her mouth with an air of entreaty. She was counseling me not to show myself in my true colors to Zaius. I obeyed her without understanding the reason for these mysteries and, convinced that I had an ally in her, promptly resumed my intelligent animal attitude.”](https://s3.amazonaws.com/revue/items/images/010/399/718/thumb/hermetic-quote-boulle-planet-apes-forefinger-on-mouth-obeyed-without-understanding-the-mysteries-intelligent-animal-attitude.png?1628252684)
