Creators, Drop Patreon Use Liberapay
Categories:
[Technology]
Tags:
[privacy],
[open-source],
[money]
Patreon is able to shut down the income of a creator that is flagged by a random user. This is, at times, warranted by the content of the creator but is a very slippery slope. Instead of leaving this source of funding to a company that takes a cut and can shut you down without notice; creators should use a donation platform that respects their privacy, freedom, and is open source.
I do have a Patreon page but never promote since I still want to build a substantial audience and not just blog for money. The problem with Patreon is that they started to kick off members that they don't agree with, mostly right-leaning content creators.
If my blog were 100% about tech and self-help, there would be little to worry about. However, I do talk about my faith, and in this current social environment, some people will flag accounts just because they disagree with the content.
How about those of you doing that just block the user?
It's a novel idea... I know...
Liberapay
Liberapay is a way to donate money recurrently to people whose work you appreciate.
With Liberapay you won't know the person sending you the money so the perk system is a bit hard to implement on your own but if using PayPal you will still see the senders email and can verify as needed. If using the stripe option, there is no way to know where the funds are coming from so at that point, it is just a donation. These transactions are also capped at about $100 per Liberapay account to hinder the ability for once person to have financial control over the creators content whether it be some open source code or a blog.
There are privacy options that may be unchecked if you wish to hide the amount you receive or the amount you give from the public's' perspective. This is nice since having that all open to anyone on the internet may be a security concern.
A great feature of Liberapay is that they do not take a cut of your earnings. PayPal and Stripe do still have a transaction fee, but the platform itself does not. Liberapay raises all of its funding through the site just as anyone else would.
Since Liberapay is open source, you are able to help with its development in code, translations, or aid in managing its legal entity. By joining the project and helping make it better, you will earn a part of the money they raise through their own monthly donation.
That's pretty cool.
Another feature I like about this alternative to Patreon is that you add funds to your account then sign up to support the projects or creators. This way you won't be surprised by a monthly payment on your credit card or bank account if you forget that you support. Once the funds you added to your account are gone the subscription stops until you add more.
As with any site dealing with the transfer of money, it's not perfect and if Strip or PayPal still want to shut you down, they can. Liberapay is a non-profit organization registered in France and does have to comply with the EU's financial regulations. If you want to support a creator or project without these strict regulations, ask if the creator has a cryptocurrency they accept.
If you are an email kind of nerd you can sign up for mine here. You can always replay to any of my emails to start a conversation or ask me a question. You can donate to this site from my Liberapay account if you so choose.