Interesting insights. Thanks. FWIW I don't think taking payments from Bitpay would get you in any more trouble than taking payments from Patreon but I do understand these things often only look so easy after you've done them.
Ah I see.
You're not ranting, you're preaching at this pointWith respect sir, it is not I who doesn't "get it".
I understand everything you say about mainstream payment solutions being all cool and comfy.
I believe the "all that hassle" you refer to is debunked by my, only partially tongue-in-cheek, 'walkthrough'.
You're telling me that an existing Patreon/SS-using developer wouldn't want to spend an hour or two doing "all that" and adding an address to their intro screen?
Additional income for just that? Seems to me that anything over a few hundred bucks would've instantly made that worthwhile.
And I can't be the only person with crypto that I want to send developers here right now. Dammit I'm still ranting. Sorry.
More like 10 bucks/mo, if you're lucky.
I will give Bitpay a try, since I know there's at least 1 supporter who would like to send me money via crypto. So thanks for the link. That being said, my first google result showing that they withdrew a couple of years from Germany (my business location) because they got scared of papa state isn't too promising. But let's see.Thanks for the answers - I appreciate the discussion; especially from the devs chiming in.
I'll (hopefully) round up by just reiterating that I have cash that I want to send developers but I don't have a credit card (personal choice) and don't do Paypal (same). If they had an address for me to send it to, I already would have done so and they'd have it banked by now. Thus far the only VN's I've properly paid for are Steam ones and that's just... wrong.
I don't think I'm alone and I daresay many potential supporters that are reticent to use credit card/subscription/tppp services for privacy reasons would be way less hesitant to directly send some people some discreet pseudonymous Satoshis too.
I certainly feel that there are opportunities here and I sincerely wish the best of luck to all devs hunting for them.
You forgot one point in your example, the strength of habit. They are using their pen and paper since years now, they handle them perfectly. This while, whatever how simple and easy to use it can be, they would pass their time struggling with a software, and made errors because of this. If you let them continue to use their pen and paper, they'll do it faster than if you force them to use a software.realize I probably do now sound like I'm trying to convert. But if you saw people using pen and paper spreadsheets because they didn't know anything about those new fangled computery things (and it was > 1990) you'd probably feel compelled to mention software spreadsheets were a thing.
It doesn't matter if your point carries merit, you're literally speaking in another language. Most people have no idea what bitcoin is or how it works. Most people have never heard of Kraken or Coinbase or whatever the heck those are. 191 million Americans have a credit card, with 97% of Americans having a payment card of some kind, debit or otherwise (100% of that can be used to pay for goods and services, instantly). Only 46 millions Americans own Bitcoin and some of them probably use it strictly for investing and never to pay for goods and services.
Of course it does. That's a baffling statement to make.
I understand there's a modest consumer barrier to entry with crypto - but it's real, real low these days. It's nearly 2022. If you don't know how to get a crypto wallet, you really, really, really may wanna think about that. No judgement - just advice, which can be taken or left. I think I heard somewhere that in some countries PayPal itself already supports Bitcoin - so there's plenty of ways to get started.
And there was once a time when people didn't know anything about Patreon or Paypal. Hashtag justsayin' etc.
Thanks for the summary. I feel obliged to rebutt for anyone passing by:
1) Doesn't matter unless you're holding longterm - there's also more stable coins and third parties that absorb that if it's a big deal for you (usually not at small scale)
2) Sure - get an exchange account. Kraken, Coinbase whatever - just send it your received coins and cash out in whatever fiat currency you live with.
3) No you don't - see above. You just need to download or buy a hardware wallet (e.g. Trezor) and to tell people the address. You receive coins directly and send them to your exchange account - it's actually easier than Patreon+banking in many ways.
I realize I probably do now sound like I'm trying to convert. But if you saw people using pen and paper spreadsheets because they didn't know anything about those new fangled computery things (and it was > 1990) you'd probably feel compelled to mention software spreadsheets were a thing.
I suppose that would be possible if I sold my game from my own website (maybe in the future), but unfortunately renpy is really bad in security and it would not be feasible to put my address there for donations. Anyway the vanity adrdess is not a bad idea, a while ago I'd created one with the first letters of my name to see how it worked.
A decade is still fairly young as a form of payment. It doesn't matter if it is easy and you don't need to convince me. You need to convince the roughly 300,000,000 people in the USA who don't use crypto. That disparity is probably even larger in the rest of the world. No one wants to run a business where only 15% of customers have money.Bitcoin has been around for over a decade and is thoroughly institutionalized.
I was kinda hoping my 'walkthrough' would highlight how easy it is these days.
If anyone doesn't know what those words (Kraken, Coinbase, Bitpay etc.) are, they're a Google away. I assume everyone knows what a Google is.
Almost everything is new, unapproachable and apparently unnecessary until you try it.
Also, "most people" are often missing a trick. Who wants to be "most people" anyway?
It's less about converting Patreon/SubscribeStar users and more about offering devs a third way.
Not so sure about that. If that were true, people would be much more able to educate themselves about all kinds of stuff and wouldn't always act all stupid.I assume everyone knows what a Google is.
Most creators don't have any issues with Patreon. Not everyone makes loli, incest, rape stuff. The TOS rules are simple enough.
Of course it does. That's a baffling statement to make.
That 100% would happen. Actually, some sites do that already with support links provided. Using crypto would make it even more easier to mask their activities.
Planes have been around for over a century and are way more institutionalized than bitcoin since everyone know they exist, what they are for and, globally speaking how they are doing it ; three questions to which probably 90% of the world wouldn't be able to answer regarding bitcoin.
I owned my first computer in the 80's, I past the last 25 years working with computers (mostly as system/security admin and developer), and I know what crypto-currencies are and how they works. Yet I'm not sure to have understood your walkthrough. So I guess that the 75% (if not more) of members who aren't this familiar with computers will not really do better than me.
What he don't get, is that it would change absolutely nothing.
I'm just gonna break this to you now: Bitcoin (and crypto in general) is only "unbannable" right now, because only a miniscule fraction of the population actually use it. The moment it starts becomming a threat to the banks, it will be shut down. HARD. The government doesn't like what it can't control, so crypto won't remain unbanned if the banks are threatened.
