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Anything free will be abused for spam. Make it pay a small fee to add an npm package, and the problem will disappear. The fee may be going to pay for moderation

Anything free will be abused for spam. Make it pay a small fee to add an npm package, and the problem will disappear. The fee may be going to pay for moderation, for example. To make payments frictionless and anonymous, accept cryptocurrency.

dspillett 4y ago
> Make it pay a small fee to add an npm package, and the problem will disappear. As will many useful packages because people just won't bother no matter how small the small fee is. For some they simply can't (no access to internation payment systems), for others they simply won't want the extra admin (I know I wouldn't, being lazy^H^H^H^Htime-efficient as I am). A free alternative will spring up, many will move to that, and once it becomes significant enough it'll become a spam target, and we are back where we began except things are a bit more fragmented so less convenient for all. > To make payments frictionless and anonymous, accept cryptocurrency. That still blocks some financially (what if someone can ill afford any currency, crypto or otherwise?) and many on “why should I bother” (I don't have any crypto accounts, I have to learn a new system to pay someone so I can give my stuff away for free?). This also breaks the small fee matter. If the fee is genuinely small enough it is very easy for an effective spammer to socially engineer a few bits of cryptocurrency out of an innocent fool.
- EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 4y ago
  Anyone smart enough to create an npm package can afford $1. You can pay with Satoshi Wallet instantly and virtually for free, and it's easier to fund a Satoshi Wallet than to open a bank account with a payment card. Geo and age agnostic etc.
  - dspillett 4y ago
    > Anyone smart enough to create an npm package can afford $1 I would disagree with that. If also posit that while it would put off a fair few bad actors some would be quite happy to spend that, especially if they're not spending their own money. But ignoring that… > You can I can, no doubt. But would I? The being able to afford it and caring enough to are two separate issues. I suspect there are many that would make something useful, package it up so others find it convenient, then see some extra admin and think "you know want? Nah". Onboarding friction is not just a thing in B2C & B2B contexts. (And if anyone thinks "but what about the community?": Good point, maybe I'd wait for someone in "the community" to do the admin and pay the dollar!)

dspillett 4y ago

> Make it pay a small fee to add an npm package, and the problem will disappear. As will many useful packages because people just won't bother no matter how small the small fee is. For some they simply can't (no access to internation payment systems), for others they simply won't want the extra admin (I know I wouldn't, being lazy^H^H^H^Htime-efficient as I am). A free alternative will spring up, many will move to that, and once it becomes significant enough it'll become a spam target, and we are back where we began except things are a bit more fragmented so less convenient for all. > To make payments frictionless and anonymous, accept cryptocurrency. That still blocks some financially (what if someone can ill afford any currency, crypto or otherwise?) and many on “why should I bother” (I don't have any crypto accounts, I have to learn a new system to pay someone so I can give my stuff away for free?). This also breaks the small fee matter. If the fee is genuinely small enough it is very easy for an effective spammer to socially engineer a few bits of cryptocurrency out of an innocent fool.

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 4y ago
Anyone smart enough to create an npm package can afford $1. You can pay with Satoshi Wallet instantly and virtually for free, and it's easier to fund a Satoshi Wallet than to open a bank account with a payment card. Geo and age agnostic etc.
- dspillett 4y ago
  > Anyone smart enough to create an npm package can afford $1 I would disagree with that. If also posit that while it would put off a fair few bad actors some would be quite happy to spend that, especially if they're not spending their own money. But ignoring that… > You can I can, no doubt. But would I? The being able to afford it and caring enough to are two separate issues. I suspect there are many that would make something useful, package it up so others find it convenient, then see some extra admin and think "you know want? Nah". Onboarding friction is not just a thing in B2C & B2B contexts. (And if anyone thinks "but what about the community?": Good point, maybe I'd wait for someone in "the community" to do the admin and pay the dollar!)