pay for digital social spaces

🧠 The puzzle of vanishing member dues - Part 2

I wish more media / subscription products didn’t have auto-renew as an unchangeable default.

Any time I see that - even if it says “cancel at any time” - it deters me from taking action in that moment because I’m worried about forgetting to cancel it later, and then getting charged $19.99 or whatever.

A better approach would be: we’ll charge you $10

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Of course, money is a transformative incentive. Donating our time and labor for free is a privilege. I’ve watched stipends, contract agreements, or permanent staff roles enable incredible volunteers to go way beyond what they could do without compensation. I also believe expectations themselves require expansion and redefinition outside of the... See more

Social media differs from note-taking apps. Users provide content and interaction for free. "Why should I pay when I'm the one creating value?" Fair question.

But maintaining the space where that expression happens costs money. Playing in a park is free. Maintaining the park requires taxes.

The mistake of the 1.0 platforms was to optimize for engagement—likes, clicks, and shares. This was a successful short-term growth strategy, but at the long-term cost of sustainability. For engagement includes not only joy but rage, not only mirth but sadness. Incentivizing these things creates hellishness, driving people to disengage, to become... See more