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Two questions for those willing to pay $1.99/month for the client: 1) do you also contribute for the development of the server software? If yes, how much? 2)

Two questions for those willing to pay $1.99/month for the client: 1) do you also contribute for the development of the server software? If yes, how much? 2) is there any type of feature/functionality that would you be willing to pay to have at your instance?

nerdjon 4y ago
I am thinking about subscribing once I see how well it performs, I have not been super enthused about the existing Mastodon apps. To answer your questions: 1) I don't support Mastodon directly, but I do support the server I am using monthly. 2) Personally I am a bit worried about instances gaining unique features and I hope we don't see too much deviation on that front.
- rglullis 4y ago
  Follow-up questions, if I may: > I have not been super enthused about the existing Mastodon apps. Have you considered donating to the existing/contributing to the development of the existing open source clients? > I do support the server I am using monthly. If I may ask: how much? And what if I told you there is a commercial instance where accounts are priced at $10/year that for all intents and purposes is managed to your satisfaction, would you consider it? > instances gaining unique features I am not thinking of protocol level differences, but some type of improvement that could help people be more at ease when migrating to AP servers. E.g; a better search system, or a server level bridge that can let you (or other users of the same instance) follow people on twitter/instagram/youtube "transparently"
  - nerdjon 4y ago
    Regarding the first, I have been considering it but I just have not yet. My use of Mastodon is still somewhat low so I kinda see it as... there is a monthly infrastructure cost associated with running servers but less so for the apps. So the last thing I want to see is a server shut down and to need to scramble. I have been doing $8 a month right now, it doesn't get me any benefits on the server and it is through Patreon. I have been wondering if that is too much but I can afford it and I know this can be expensive to run. Search system I am not really sure about how I would feel, I would not want to feel like I need to switch instances. Just like I wouldn't want certain instances to have different media support. Sill not fully sure how I feel about that really. Edit: Regarding the commercial instance option. I don't really see the point? Since all (most) of the instances are connected there isn't any value in an exclusive club... and tbh I am not really sure the other servers would not just block it. My server seems to be moderated just fine, I think its better that those that can support while most can use it for free.
    - rglullis 4y ago
      > Regarding the commercial instance option. I don't really see the point? Because of "I have been wondering if that is too much but I can afford it and I know this can be expensive to run." Yes, $8/month is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. But I'm yet to see any more efficient and fair method for price discovery than having different commercial instances trying to acquire users through a straightforward business model where accounts are paid. I wrote a bit about that on https://raphael.lullis.net/community-is-not-enough/ https://raphael.lullis.net/community-is-not-enough/. I am reasonably sure that I can have a profitable business on communick if I have enough people paying me ~$0.50/month, as long as all of the users pay me at least that much. More importantly, I am absolutely sure that our society and level of civil discourse would be better if we got rid of "ad-funded/freemium/donation-based" services, and instead we let market forces act and if we could vote with our wallets. The way I see it, you shouldn't be paying $8/month to make up for the 15 freeloaders and your server admins shouldn't be dependent on your generosity to be able to continue providing the service. Everyone, without exception, should be paying just enough for the admins to feel like it's a worthy endeavor and willing to compete for your patronage and to improve their service. And because the service is built on free-software and has no strong lock-in, any improvement would quickly be shared and spread throughout all services.
rsynnott 4y ago
1) 5eur/month to my instance. 2) No, beyond reliability, which it manages well enough right now.
- rglullis 4y ago
  Would you be interested in a professionally managed instance where 5€/month lets you bring 10 people? Assume that reliability/moderation/support is at the same level of your existing instance.
  - rsynnott 4y ago
    No; I'm pretty happy with my current instance. There likely is some sort of market for commercial instances, but it's not me.
    - rglullis 4y ago
      There is a larger point that I am trying to make here, but I haven't found a way to convey it as an efficient marketing message: these 5€/month can do a lot more than leaving you "pretty happy with your current instance". The same 5€/month that you are spending on the instance you are on could be helping you and 9 other people. Network effects matter. If you can bring 9 other people, you'd accelerating the rate of adoption of social networks based on open platforms. The people you will be bringing will have someone that can help them with the initial questions. They will be less likely to give up on it because they already have some kind of support network. If they really like what they find and if they find themselves willing to support it and get their own contract, they will find "it's $10/year for a single account or $5/month for 10-account contracts" more affordable/more straightforward than "pay whatever you want, but the social pressure is to pay 5€/month just for yourself". I totally understand that if you already on an instance that you are happy, you already have some form of emotional attachment to it. But perhaps consider that your 5€/month could have an even bigger if employed on a commercial instance.
      - rsynnott 4y ago

nerdjon 4y ago

I am thinking about subscribing once I see how well it performs, I have not been super enthused about the existing Mastodon apps. To answer your questions: 1) I don't support Mastodon directly, but I do support the server I am using monthly. 2) Personally I am a bit worried about instances gaining unique features and I hope we don't see too much deviation on that front.

rglullis 4y ago
Follow-up questions, if I may: > I have not been super enthused about the existing Mastodon apps. Have you considered donating to the existing/contributing to the development of the existing open source clients? > I do support the server I am using monthly. If I may ask: how much? And what if I told you there is a commercial instance where accounts are priced at $10/year that for all intents and purposes is managed to your satisfaction, would you consider it? > instances gaining unique features I am not thinking of protocol level differences, but some type of improvement that could help people be more at ease when migrating to AP servers. E.g; a better search system, or a server level bridge that can let you (or other users of the same instance) follow people on twitter/instagram/youtube "transparently"
- nerdjon 4y ago
  Regarding the first, I have been considering it but I just have not yet. My use of Mastodon is still somewhat low so I kinda see it as... there is a monthly infrastructure cost associated with running servers but less so for the apps. So the last thing I want to see is a server shut down and to need to scramble. I have been doing $8 a month right now, it doesn't get me any benefits on the server and it is through Patreon. I have been wondering if that is too much but I can afford it and I know this can be expensive to run. Search system I am not really sure about how I would feel, I would not want to feel like I need to switch instances. Just like I wouldn't want certain instances to have different media support. Sill not fully sure how I feel about that really. Edit: Regarding the commercial instance option. I don't really see the point? Since all (most) of the instances are connected there isn't any value in an exclusive club... and tbh I am not really sure the other servers would not just block it. My server seems to be moderated just fine, I think its better that those that can support while most can use it for free.
  - rglullis 4y ago
    > Regarding the commercial instance option. I don't really see the point? Because of "I have been wondering if that is too much but I can afford it and I know this can be expensive to run." Yes, $8/month is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. But I'm yet to see any more efficient and fair method for price discovery than having different commercial instances trying to acquire users through a straightforward business model where accounts are paid. I wrote a bit about that on https://raphael.lullis.net/community-is-not-enough/ https://raphael.lullis.net/community-is-not-enough/. I am reasonably sure that I can have a profitable business on communick if I have enough people paying me ~$0.50/month, as long as all of the users pay me at least that much. More importantly, I am absolutely sure that our society and level of civil discourse would be better if we got rid of "ad-funded/freemium/donation-based" services, and instead we let market forces act and if we could vote with our wallets. The way I see it, you shouldn't be paying $8/month to make up for the 15 freeloaders and your server admins shouldn't be dependent on your generosity to be able to continue providing the service. Everyone, without exception, should be paying just enough for the admins to feel like it's a worthy endeavor and willing to compete for your patronage and to improve their service. And because the service is built on free-software and has no strong lock-in, any improvement would quickly be shared and spread throughout all services.

rsynnott 4y ago

1) 5eur/month to my instance. 2) No, beyond reliability, which it manages well enough right now.

rglullis 4y ago
Would you be interested in a professionally managed instance where 5€/month lets you bring 10 people? Assume that reliability/moderation/support is at the same level of your existing instance.
- rsynnott 4y ago
  No; I'm pretty happy with my current instance. There likely is some sort of market for commercial instances, but it's not me.
  - rglullis 4y ago
    There is a larger point that I am trying to make here, but I haven't found a way to convey it as an efficient marketing message: these 5€/month can do a lot more than leaving you "pretty happy with your current instance". The same 5€/month that you are spending on the instance you are on could be helping you and 9 other people. Network effects matter. If you can bring 9 other people, you'd accelerating the rate of adoption of social networks based on open platforms. The people you will be bringing will have someone that can help them with the initial questions. They will be less likely to give up on it because they already have some kind of support network. If they really like what they find and if they find themselves willing to support it and get their own contract, they will find "it's $10/year for a single account or $5/month for 10-account contracts" more affordable/more straightforward than "pay whatever you want, but the social pressure is to pay 5€/month just for yourself". I totally understand that if you already on an instance that you are happy, you already have some form of emotional attachment to it. But perhaps consider that your 5€/month could have an even bigger if employed on a commercial instance.
    - rsynnott 4y ago