Lots of great updates in the latest Mastodon release, but I am particularly excited about this.

Stefan Bohacek

@deadsuperhero @raphael And what are your thoughts on paywalling the site?

(Not a suggestion, mind you, just continuing the earlier point!)

Sean Tilley

@stefan @raphael I have some ideas about that, but want to do it in a way that’s fair to the community.

We don’t want to paywall everything, but it might be nice to have a handful of “Premium” articles that automatically convert to regular articles after like 30 days have passed. We never want to be that news org where every single article is paywalled, and we definitely don’t want to section off breaking news that’s pertinent to the network.

However, there’s an opportunity to do investigative deep-dives, or go really hard on more obscure subjects that might be super interesting to a dedicated niche of people.

Sean Tilley

@stefan @raphael I think it also hinges on what people are willing to pay for. Membership on a dedicated community server with stellar reputation and good moderation is appealing to some, but I’m not sure everybody will go for it.

On the other hand, when I think in terms of Solid, it seems like people would be all too happy to pay for things like expanded data storage, backups, maybe some kind of data sync or integration.

I think the hard part is just figuring out what things are essential that are worth paying for, when access itself is “free” or “close to free”.

Stefan Bohacek

@deadsuperhero @raphael That's all very sensible!

Alien_Sunset

@raphael @stefan @deadsuperhero

Then you haven’t looked very far.
I’ve seen entire instances where most of the users are either on disability or otherwise living below the poverty level.
Paywalling one of the few non evil social media sites is a great way to force the impoverished into even further social isolation or into one of the lesser but at least still free options and away from here.

Raphael Lullis

@Alien_Sunset @stefan @deadsuperhero

The idea is not to paywall everything, but to push the message that (1) the Fediverse can only become a viable alternative if the *majority* of people provide material support paying for its operational costs and R&D; and (2) corporate networks that are "free" are actually exploiting you in ways that extract a lot more than a few dollars per year.

Raphael Lullis

@Alien_Sunset @stefan @deadsuperhero

Even if "entire instances" of impoverished people exist , it would stand to reason that they are not representative of the median user.

The median user *can* pay, but they don't. Currently ~2% of the users contribute to their instances. It could be a lot higher than this.

We could still provide assistance or exemptions for anyone that asks, or create a "sponsor" program where people can contribute a little extra to pay for those can not afford it.

Raphael Lullis

@Alien_Sunset @stefan @deadsuperhero

My whole argument is that "default to free (as in beer)" may seem like a good deed, but it has terrible consequences.

- It puts developers and enthusiasts of FOSS on equal footing with trillion dollar corporations who can afford to run these projects at a loss.

- It robs of the opportunity to "vote with our wallet" and support projects.

- It completely prioritizes quantity over quality, and appeals to the lowest common denominator.

Raphael Lullis

@Alien_Sunset @stefan @deadsuperhero

I think that someone smarter than me will someday prove the link between the rise of populism and this homogenization of mass communication networks.

It's just impossible for quality journalism to exist in a world where we measure and reward work by the amount of eyeballs that it attracts, and a sure way to keep thinking things *should* be free because some people can not afford it.

Stefan Bohacek

@raphael @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero

"The median user *can* pay"

I mean that's a bold claim.

- https://archive.ph/kIDuV
- https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/20/americans-are-going-into-debt-to-buy-groceries-research-finds.html

Yes, this is cherry-picked, and just for the US, but I'd like to see some evidence for your statement.

Stefan Bohacek

@raphael @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero Regardless, I do agree with you on the importance of supporting all the work and paying for all the resources to keep fediverse, and FOSS in general, sustainable.

But there must be better ways. Setting up non-profits, applying for grants, I don't know. Not really my area of expertise. We have to get creative.

Raphael Lullis

@stefan @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero

Netflix has 60+ million subscribers in the US. Disney has 50+ million in the US and Canada.

If the *median* American can afford to pay billions of dollars per year for entertainment, they can afford to pay a few million per year for the development of the Commons.

Stefan Bohacek

@raphael @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero Right, and the math should add up, but the current state of things is a proof that it doesn't?

Look at how many people were willing to pay for Twitter Blue when it was announced. I wonder what the numbers look like now that they're paywalling more and more of the site's features.

Stefan Bohacek

@raphael @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero It just seems like, asking people to pay for things that they've been used to getting for free for so long is an uphill battle, with most seemingly willing to compromise for a subpar experience, or seek out free alternatives.

Or just get left out from the public discourse.

Raphael Lullis

@stefan @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero

We can not use Twitter Blue conversion rates or anything else based on the "freemium" model if the comparison is against a service that does not have a free tier, but we can prove that Americans (on average) do pay for services when they can not get it for free.

Stefan Bohacek

@raphael @Alien_Sunset @deadsuperhero Right. And fair enough.

Tom Casavant

@stefan @raphael @deadsuperhero Are there any servers out there with an ad-supported model right now?

I've got nothing against it, and maybe it's because I have no frame of reference for how profitable any sort of ad is in 2024- but do non-invasive/non-targeted ads actually make a reasonable amount of money?

Stefan Bohacek

@tom @raphael @deadsuperhero I don't know about any.

I know that https://500.social is one example of a paid instance, but that's done via Patreon.

Alien_Sunset

@raphael @stefan @deadsuperhero

Using a predatory practice as an example of something to aim for or to prove that people being forced to pay for one service can ‘obviously’ pay for *another* service on top of it is not as convincing as you think

Alien_Sunset

@raphael @stefan @deadsuperhero

Well, yeah, but once again, paywalling such a necessary thing like social media seems kinda … sleezy, yeah, the people who can afford it will pay, and so will a portion of people who technically *cant* afford it but still need it, and… what? The rest can go wither and die? (Hyperbolic, yes, but my point stands)