Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 02:30:24 JST FediTips has moved!

   The Fediverse has no ads and no trackers. Each server is independent and paid for by its owner and by donations from the server's users.
   .
   It would be nice to encourage more users to donate, and perhaps part of that could be an optional special badge on people's profiles to show they are supporting their server?

   Such badges would help raise awareness that servers depend on donations, and might also attract more people to become donors. Maybe they could have fun designs?

   There's already an open issue for this on Mastodon (albeit quite an old one). If you think optional supporter's badges are a good idea, give it a thumbs up so that the developers know you want it to happen:

   ➡️ https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/5380

   I don't agree with every detail in the issue's original post, but the general idea is a good one ?

   And obviously it would be nice to see issues like this on non-Masto Fedi projects too.

   (Thank you to @JohanEmpa for raising this issue)

   #Fediverse #FediAdmin

   • Embed this notice
     Fᴏʀᴛᴇ Wᴇʀᴛᴇ ‹ marc fritzler › (fortewerte@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 02:42:17 JST Fᴏʀᴛᴇ Wᴇʀᴛᴇ ‹ marc fritzler ›

     in reply to

     @feditips @JohanEmpa

     Thats a good idea! Did you have a good example (in the profiles)?

     Maybe a Logo for "I payed my cost" or "I support [financial] my Admin" are a solution?

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:18:53 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • Fedilab Apps

     @apps

     That is an excellent suggestion! And yes all these should be optional for users and admins.

   • Embed this notice
     Fedilab Apps (apps@toot.fedilab.app)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:18:56 JST Fedilab Apps

     in reply to

     @feditips Recently, we asked for an API endpoint for donations.

     https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/109138443863258493

     And the github issue:
     https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/19331

     The badge is also a good idea but users should be able to disable it.

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:23:16 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • Fᴏʀᴛᴇ Wᴇʀᴛᴇ ‹ marc fritzler ›

     @fortewerte @JohanEmpa

     Was thinking maybe something next to the username?

     It would be lovely if the admin themselves could choose a custom icon to put next to supporters, or maybe a custom colour scheme for the user's name, or something... I guess there are lots of format possibilities!

     I don't think it should include extra features though, as some people can't afford to make donations.

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:24:03 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • posiputt ÖvÖ

     @posiputt

     Yeah, definitely optional for all involved!

   • Embed this notice
     posiputt ÖvÖ (posiputt@mastodon.art)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:24:04 JST posiputt ÖvÖ

     in reply to

     @feditips I like the idea, but I would like to opt out of wearing a badge like that if it were to become a feature.

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 03:27:26 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     p.s. The developers of FediLab just suggested that there should also be an endpoint in the Mastodon API to show donation methods:

     ➡️ https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/19331

     This would allow Masto apps (which are used by more than just Masto servers!) to show donation links clearly for each server. Sounds like a good idea, give it a thumbs up in the github if you agree ?

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 06:56:01 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • Seph Harrison♊ ✅

     @taur10 @JohanEmpa

     I dunno... I don't think people should be able to buy their way to any kind of advantage, that's sort of against Fedi spirit?

   • Embed this notice
     Seph Harrison♊ ✅ (taur10@venera.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 06:56:12 JST Seph Harrison♊ ✅

     in reply to
     @feditips @JohanEmpa What about modifying the server's user directory to prioritize supporters?
   • Embed this notice
     Fᴏʀᴛᴇ Wᴇʀᴛᴇ ‹ marc fritzler › (fortewerte@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 15:27:35 JST Fᴏʀᴛᴇ Wᴇʀᴛᴇ ‹ marc fritzler ›

     in reply to

     @feditips @JohanEmpa

     Next to username is a good idea. Maybe:
     account name :coffefied:

     This emoji has a look like "verified".

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 21:04:07 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • Sco :progress: :flag_mm:

     @Scofisticated

     I don't know if "status symbol" is the right phrase, as that implies something unattainable for most people?

     If the donation threshold was 1 euro (or whatever) that would be pretty accessible. It would be more like a sticker you get when you give money to a charity collector in the street: not just showing you gave but also advertising the cause to other people, reminding others that giving is a good idea.

     The original post which inspired this post was about a server that needed funding, and they calculated if just a fraction of its active users gave just 1 euro it would solve the funding issue.

   • Embed this notice
     Sco :progress: :flag_mm: (scofisticated@socel.net)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 21:04:08 JST Sco :progress: :flag_mm:

     in reply to

     @feditips
     I agree on trying to get more server members to donate. But I do have a potential problem with badges for reg donators. Even if it comes with no other reward than a badge, that could become a status symbol. And that could have an effect on social ecosystem.

     I do think a more visible donation button is a great idea. It would be a constant reminder, and ever avail. Admins can also regularly post donation requests, and one and done thank yous to reg supporters.

     #Fediverse #FediAdmin

   • Embed this notice
     Sco :progress: :flag_mm: (scofisticated@socel.net)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 22:01:51 JST Sco :progress: :flag_mm:

     in reply to

     @feditips My worry with a badge is that it could be something a donor lords over others (even just verbally). Or a boon that admins could coerce from donors for more. [And these are kind of "assuming the worst" cases].

     But, if the badge could be obtained with even the lowest possible donation, that could mitigate that, significantly. Less so if there are tiers of donations.

   • Embed this notice
     FediTips has moved! (feditips@mstdn.social)'s status on Wednesday, 19-Oct-2022 22:13:05 JST FediTips has moved!

     in reply to

     • Sco :progress: :flag_mm:

     @Scofisticated

     Yeah, agreed. I share those concerns. I'd (personally) be against having any extra features for donors for just that reason, it would create a two tier system that could get cliquey.

     On the funding issue though, the main problem is that the admin always has to pay the server bill, but most active users never donate anything, so even if badges just encouraged more minimum donations it would achieve something significant.

     This situation is caused by Facebook, Twitter etc implying that people don't have to pay for social media, but they do that through ads and surveillance and privacy violations. No one wants Fedi to end up like this, so it would be good to get more people aware that someone is paying their server bills, which badges might help with.

     I guess in a way, this is up to each instance's own admin to decide, though? As long as features are flexible and optional, it would be up to each admin to use them in a responsible way?