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As Lemmy grows, and instances start taking donations, I’d love to see an open book approach to spending. (lemmyunchained.net)

submitted 1 year ago by LachlanUnchained@lemmyunchained.net to c/general@lemmy.world

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First off, let me start by saying I'm a big proponent of donations as a means of supporting platforms like Lemmy, and their hosts. This approach, when carried out in the spirit of transparency and community engagement, can do wonders for the growth and sustainability.

Hosting an instance myself, I’m fully aware of the costs associated with running servers, handling traffic, and providing the best possible experience for users. I am Lucky that im in a position where right now I am able to wear that coat, but I am more than willing to financially support other instances where I find value (and I have), and I have no doubt many of you feel the same way. But while we're on this topic, I think it's important to talk about financial transparency.

As users, we entrust these platforms with our time, our discussions, and in the case of donations, our hard-earned money. I believe it's fair to ask for a little insight into how our contributions are being used. What proportion goes towards server costs, maintenance, development,staffing, or perhaps even community projects?

My hope is for Lemmy instances to set a precedent by adopting an 'open book' policy when it comes to spending. It would be a great step towards fostering trust and engagement in our community.

There are plenty of platforms out there which handle donations, but I wonder if there's one that already facilitates such transparency? If not, I believe it would be a worthy endeavor to find or create one that does.

Would you appreciate more transparency on how donations are spent? And do you know of any donation platforms that encourage this level of openness? Your feedback is always appreciated, as at some point, I may need to do the same.

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[–] calr0x@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's not a big deal but I personally don't agree. If I'm using an instance and I appreciate their work I donate money to them. There is nothing wrong with them making a profit or even a living off the site if I enjoy it and it guarantees it's maintenance and upkeep.

The harsh reality is that Reddit users created the situation to a degree over there. Any attempts Reddit made to try to make a profit were basically shot down.

Any kind of public ledger is going to do is open up every fucking person's judgment as to how the money is being spent. Even if you just have 5,000 users there's no way you're going to get any two retards to actually agree what's appropriate and how do we ever decide what their compensation for their time should be? Is that up to us to say?

If you like the site just donate it. It's no different than giving money to a homeless person. It ain't your job to decide how they want to spend it. If you want to give them a meal then give them a meal but if you want to give them five bucks then don't give a shit whether they go by a bottle of liquor or a sandwich. Just do your good deed and move on...

A well-made instance should charge an annual per user fee and I don't give a shit what they do with it as long as I feel like the site is being developed and maintained well.

[–] LachlanUnchained@lemmyunchained.net 2 points 1 year ago

That is certainly valid and I understand where you're coming from.

I do agree that if someone enjoys a site and wants to support its maintenance and development, they should feel free to donate. There's absolutely nothing wrong with an instance making a profit or even a living from their hard work.

However, where I respectfully diverge in opinion is on the aspect of transparency. I see an inherent value in it, particularly in our open-source, decentralized community. I'm not proposing we audit every expense or dictate how someone should be compensated for their time. Rather, I'm interested in fostering a culture of openness, particularly regarding contributions back to the source code development.

This source code is the foundation of all our instances, the very groundwork that allows them to exist. In my opinion, seeing an instance openly contribute back to this vital element is highly commendable. It's this specific aspect that informs my decision on whether, and how much, I'm willing to donate.

Just like you judge the worthiness of your donations based on the development and maintenance of the site, I make my judgments based on their contributions back to the source code. I’d even love to see big instances donating and growing smaller instances.

It's simply about differing priorities, and I believe there's room for all perspectives in our diverse community.