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getvalentined · 5 months ago

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The Big Patreon Breakdown

Okay, Patreon's Discord Q&A ended on the 16th, and I've been waiting to see if anything else happened—like maybe a a public announcement from Patreon instead of emails sent exclusively to creators and a video hidden on the CEO's personal YT page—but nothing has happened, so I'm gonna do a breakdown of what we're looking at.

This is an EXTREMELY long post. I am not putting it behind a cut. I'm not sorry.

Short attention span version here.

—

I. The iOS processing fees are a smokescreen covering up the actual devastating changes that Patreon is forcing creators into.

The iOS fees are trash, 30 percent is extortion and we all know it—but that's not the biggest issue at hand here. Patreon is using this event as an excuse to change the entire structure of the creator side of their platform, and blaming Apple to avoid getting backlash.

They tripled their platform and processing fees in 2017, passing it on to patrons without notice, and the subsequent hemorrhage of paying users forced them to walk it back. They tried to force everyone onto their rolling billing model in 2021, and the entire community pushed back so hard they were forced again to walk it back.

This time, they're doing both and insisting it's Apple's fault, and everyone is taking that at face value because Apple sucks. And Apple does suck, but Patreon is getting what they've wanted for years by catering to Apple.

Oh, also, they're forcing creators to notify their patrons of the billing model changes (with a suggested template that explicitly refers to it as a decision made by the creator, even though nobody is making any decisions here except Jack Conte) rather than doing it themselves.

II. Patreon is not going to change course for any reason. This is set in stone.

There are multiple proofs for this, including but not limited to:

One-on-one calls between the platform's top earners and the CEO, Jack Conte, wherein the vibe was apparently not "What can we do to support your business in order to retain your place on our platform?" but rather "We know that the only way this works is if we don't do it, but how can we keep you from complaining about it any more than you already have?" One creator explained in granular detail how they run their business through this platform and why changing their billing model would ruin literally everything, and Conte responded with "Is this an essential part of your offering?"

The Patreon Team on Discord has continued to shut down all discussion of alternative options with assertions that Apple won't allow it, even if those alternatives were suggested based on legal precedent set by lawsuits against Apple, and the declaration that they will not be allowing the app to be removed from the App Store no matter what because it's the single most important and integral avenue of creator growth on the platform. (Put a pin in that.)

The platform's top earner is on the pay-per-creation billing model, the one that is going to be hit the hardest; creators on this model stand to lose literally 90 percent of their income overnight. This creator and his team were as blindsided as the rest of us, and they've been offered no assistance except for a complex math equation to try to calculate how much they should be charging people on fixed-price tiers, and no assurance except "the iOS app is the platform's highest source of engagement and is necessary to help you continue to grow."

Pay-upfront (PUF) and pay-per-creation (PPC) billing is going away for new accounts and anyone who doesn't opt out via Patreon's convoluted backend before November 1 of this year, and anyone who doesn't manually switch over to their rolling billing cycle will be automatically pushed into it on November 1, 2025. This means that PUF creators no longer have the promise of a steady paycheck when they need it, early enough in the month to pay rent and bills, while PPC creators are losing their entire business model all at once, which has resulted in a loss of 75 to 90 percent of income for multiple PPC creators who have tried to switch to the rolling billing structure in the past. They are killing these people's livelihoods and they know it, they have seen the data to prove it, but they will not be swayed.

III. Patreon claims the iOS app is the highest source of engagement on the platform at 40 percent—but will not define what "engagement" means, and staff refuse to share detailed analytics or data on the revenue share coming from the app.

Several creators, some with a couple dozen patrons and some with thousands, polled their audience to get a feel for how many of them used the app. Consistently across every creative industry, genre, and form of media, the answer was 2 percent or less. The average across a dozen-plus polls of actual active patrons, numbering into the thousands, is that around 85 percent of patrons access the platform exclusively via the web, whether on desktop or mobile. The majority didn't even know there was an app.

Further, Patreon would not explain what "engagement" means, but did not deny the possibility that dismissing an app notification on your phone counts as an "engagement."

When Patreon was asked for data on how often people pledged to support a creator via the iOS app, the only response was the claim that information is "sensitive to [Patreon's] business" and can't be shared. In a creator-exclusive server. With the people who bring that revenue onto the platform in the first place. And have our own analytics that we can look at individually, which show an average of 0 to 0.5 percent revenue from the iOS app.

IV. Patreon does not have a refund policy in place to work with Apple, and has given no implications of intention to work with Apple to shorten the time it takes for funds from iOS purchases to be paid out to creators, which is currently 75 days.

Yes, you read that correctly: at the moment, it takes 75 days before creators can cash out funds processed via iOS. On top of that, Apple's refund policy is 60 days, and the creator is not involved in the process whatsoever—if a malicious actor pledges to your page, downloads all your work over the course of a month, and then pings Apple for a refund? Apple gets to decide whether or not they get that refund.

Patreon's general refund policy is that it's up to the creator 99.9 percent of the time, with very rare cases of fraud requiring Patreon's intervention. In the case of pledges and Commerce sales via iOS, the creator has no say, and Patreon currently has no policy to protect them. They've stated that they're working on a refund policy that will work with Apple's guidelines to keep everyone happy, but at this point we all know what that means—they're just going to use Apple's refund policy.

They also wouldn't say whether or not creators would be on the hook for Apple's added processing fees, as is usually the case with other big payment processors, but it sounds like we are! So if someone pays $14.50 on the iOS app, the creator gets $10, can't pay it out, and then the malicious actor can call for a refund weeks later and the creator will owe $14.50—in spite of only ever having seen $10 and never being able to pay it out because the 75 hold hadn't passed. Sounds great!

V. Patreon's own graphics meant to explain why this is necessary and how the new fees work are not correct.

I'm gonna let these mostly speak for themselves:

The sale price listed on this graphic is $10, but adding together the three fees listed gives a total of $11.35. This is likely a copying error, as 4.35 is clearly not 30% of 10, but the lack of attention to detail on one of the only two pieces of official material that we have which refer directly to the numbers on which Patreon is signing away our livelihoods is slightly concerning.

This one totals up to 103 percent! (Actually closer to 104, since I rounded Android and Mobile down by about a quarter percent each.) The 40 percent figure on the iOS bar is based on the figure given to us by Patreon staff, and was used to place the markers to denote individual percentages on the other three.

Patreon made these and gave them to us with the assertion that they were proof that the iOS app is indispensable—why should we trust anything they say about numbers if the charts they gave us are literally impossible?

VI. Patreon refuses to offer any promises to 18+ creators that they will not be removed from the app in order to adhere to Apple's content guidelines.

Instead, Patreon staff's response to this request for reassurance is "We have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the Patreon app." You may note that's phrased very specifically, and leaves a hole big enough to drive a freight train full of iPhones straight through. They have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the app. When asked for clarification on this, confirmation that they would not be removing us from the platform if Apple pushed them to do so regardless of whether or not they have plans, this sentiment was simply repeated in more words and with more apologies, along with a reminder that Patreon has had to change their terms for 18+ creators several times already in order to keep up with laws and competition.

VII. All the features Patreon is insisting are integral for creator growth are inaccessible to 18+ creators, and questions about this were either dismissed, redirected, or ignored.

Remember how the iOS app is the single most important and integral avenue for character growth on the platform? Well, 18+ creators are not discoverable on the platform, regardless of the avenue of access. We are not visible on the app unless you have it installed, are logged in, are already following us on the platform, and click an external link to be directed to our pages from somewhere else via a mobile web browser. There is no way to find us on the platform itself.

Other features that staff insist are necessary for growth to which 18+ creators do not have access:

Patreon creator search (on web, Android and iOS apps)

Mass post editing (now called the "Library," which reads as "Something Went Wrong" for me and other 18+ creators who tried to get to it)

On-platform video hosting

Built-in cross-creator recommendations

All on-platform "commerce" features (both digital and physical goods)

The ability to market ourselves by linking to Patreon from our social media and vice-versa (we're basically not allowed to do this or risk being banned)

Yeah, about that first and that last point. We're hidden from searches on the platform, and we can't link to our pages from social media or risk permanent suspension. We cannot grow in this fashion at all, and in fact 18+ creators are getting all the downsides of this switch (except maybe for the app fee, since you can't fucking find us to pledge on the app) with none of the benefits. Nothing they are doing here will help us grow, because they've kneecapped us already. Now they're going after our capacity to obtain a steady paycheck at the beginning of the month, too.

VIII. Patreon's iOS app is currently (as of August 18, 2024) in violation of Apple's guidelines for app ratings; staff did not state any intention to become compliant by raising the app's rating as needed to maintain their 18+ creator community.

The App Store guidelines on creator apps state that they must be rated equal to the highest rated creator content on their platform. In spite of hosting 18+ content, which requires a 17+ rating per Apple, Patreon is rated 12+ in the App Store. Increasing the rating to 17+ would cut out the entire market of wealthy teenagers with iPhones, and since everything else being done here is intended to please Apple, it's unlikely this will be the point that Patreon finally gives an inch for its creators. The exact response from staff on this was "We hear and acknowledge your inputs on the app rating and are exploring our options there." Their "options" on this are to increase the rating, or to remove all 18+ content from the platform. That's it. Those are their options. Why do those need exploring, if they really give a shit about the 18+ community?

I know a lot of people out there are going to say that it would be nice if Patreon would "get rid of the porn," but you need to understand something: 18+ content is not all sexual.

18+ content can and does also include:

Horror (particularly body horror, which is explicitly or implicitly banned on all current adult-specific creator platforms, leaving me nowhere to go when Patreon kicks me)

True crime (murder, violence, theft, etc., is all 18+)

Health (blood/discussion of blood is 18+ regardless of context)

Education (what if you learn about war? that's 18+)

Trauma recovery (the word "r#pe" makes everything around it 18+)

Profanity (ko-fi marks creators 18+ for saying "fuck")

Languages (because you might learn profanity)

Weaponsmithing (because weapons are dangerous)

Leatherworking (because leather can be a fetish)

Shoemaking (feet can also be a fetish)

...even more I'm not bothering to list here.

Implying that they somehow didn't know about this extremely important part of the guidelines—which are being used as an excuse to force the top earner on the platform to ruin his entire business model—is absolute nonsense. Patreon knows about this requirement, they haven't taken any steps to comply based on their current creator population, and I will be shocked if they do. Much easier to just kick us all off, since we can barely use the damn platform as it is.

—

The entire thing makes no sense. Patreon is losing out on so much money by doing this—they're crippling all their highest-earning creators to keep the iOS app running, and it's going to hurt everyone except for Apple. The only reason I can think that they would refuse to budge on this is that there's something else going on behind the scenes between Patreon and Apple. That, or the company is intentionally throwing itself into an extremely drawn out death spiral. But we all know which of those is the more likely scenario here.

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 3 months ago

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X-rays advance understanding of Earth's core-mantle boundary and super-Earth magma oceans

Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have revealed new details about Earth's core-mantle boundary and similar regions found in exoplanets.

The team, led by Guillaume Morard, a scientist at the University of Grenoble and Sorbonne University in France, used SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser to investigate the behavior of molten rock under extreme conditions. The results were published in Nature Communications.

"This study marks a significant advance in our understanding of the Earth's deep interior," said collaborator and SLAC senior scientist Arianna Gleason. "The findings underscore the potential of advanced X-ray techniques to reveal the hidden secrets of our planet and beyond."

About 1,800 miles below Earth's surface lies a roiling region of magma sandwiched between the solid silicate-based mantle and the molten iron-rich core: the core-mantle boundary. It's a remnant of olden times, about 4.3 to 4.5 billion years ago, when the entire planet was molten. Although the region's extreme pressures and temperatures make it challenging to study, it contains clues about Earth's origin story and insight into the planet's internal processes.

To overcome this challenge, the researchers used advanced X-ray techniques to re-create the conditions expected in the mid to lower mantle of exoplanets two to three times the size of Earth. By using hard X-rays with higher energy levels than previously possible, researchers could see how atoms in the molten rock were arranged. The team also used computer simulations to compare with the experimental data, providing a comprehensive view of the molten silicates' properties.

One surprising result was about the role of iron in molten rock. Despite expectations, varying the iron content did not significantly change the rock's density. This finding is particularly relevant to our understanding of Earth's formation, where the surface was once molten rock and the density difference between crystalline and molten materials significantly influenced the planet's development.

The study also suggests that this atomic response to compression can change the properties of melts at the pressures expected to be found in the magma oceans of super-Earths, exoplanets with masses nearly three times larger than that of Earth. This could potentially impact their early development differently from smaller rocky planets, such as Earth and Venus in our solar system

The research highlights the importance of advanced experimental tools for studying high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. The team hopes their findings will lead to further development of these tools, opening new research avenues in Earth and planetary sciences.

"Now that we know we can get this quality of data and reach these conditions, we want to push further into exoplanet regimes," Gleason said. "The ability to generate pressures equivalent to three times Earth's mantle conditions is exciting. It extends our understanding of silicate properties under extreme conditions, which is crucial for both Earth and exoplanet studies."

IMAGE: Schematic illustration of the experimental set up available at MEC end-station. The four epiX 10k detectors are covering a Q-range between 15 and 106 nm−1, for an X-ray beam energy of 17 keV. The diffuse scattering recorded on each detector can be then stitched to reconstruct the full signal. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51796-7

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #esa

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jonnywaistcoat · 2 years ago

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Hello! I know you don’t generally answer MAG questions, since it’s done with and you have the Q&As to stand on their own, but I have just the one highly specific question that’s been haunting me for three years now so I figure it can’t hurt to at least ask w the knowledge that this is an unlikely avenue to receive answers!

Anyway— in MAG - 07, The Piper, was the description of the eponymous piper as a figure of War inspired in any way by the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series (Rilla of Ingleside) or was it a different source/its own separate invention? I read it as a kid and grew up thinking that the Piper from Walter Blythe’s poem in that book was like a known Thing TM/metaphor/symbolic character/whatever you want to call it of WWI, and listening to the statement only confirmed that, until I tried to actually explain/source it to a friend of mine, and the poem, the MAG episode, an American propaganda poster for war gardens, and a fair bit of info about actual bagpipers in the trenches so! It’s just been driving me wild as to whether that’s a coincidence or not ever since then! Thank you so much for your time and works, I’ve yet to meet one I haven’t enjoyed, and I hope you’re having a good day!

I've never actually read any Anne of Green Gables, I'm afraid. The original seed of The Piper actually comes from Uriah Heep's song "The Fires of Hell" off the album Sea of Light. As a young teen my music taste was shaped (as many are) by my dad's CD collection, and so I got very into 70s prog - Uriah Heep's 30th anniversary concert was actually one of my first live music gigs. Now, Sea of Light was one of their albums that my did didn't own (understandable, as it's pretty mid in terms of their discography), so I bought myself a copy. It was one of my first CDs and I listened to it a lot, and for some reason "Fires of Hell" lodged in my brain. It's sort of a prog rock rendition of a WW1 soldiers letter home, and one of the verses talks about "hearing the pipers song". In retrospect it's not a particularly great song, but that image never left me, and after about ten years of percolation and reading more about the great war, it finally found expression in Magnus.

#q my a #jonny is bored on a train

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vtellswhat · 2 months ago

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Thesis Writing Process

The 5-Step Process for Writing a Thesis: A Super Comprehensive Guide

Writing a thesis is a glorious academic moment in which perhaps the cumulative outcome of four years of study and research is being produced. While intimidating as a thought, however, it breaks down into pragmatic steps that ensure clarity and efficiency, and a polished final product. This blog publishes a comprehensive guide on a 5-step process to guide you through your thesis journey.

Step 1: Select and Refine Your Research Topic One first step in writing a dissertation is to select a topic of interest to you, relevant to your academic interest, career objectives, and the study area. Write down general ideas that interest you as well as are applicable to your field of study. Begin preliminary research into your selected ideas.

Narrow the Focus: A narrow, well-defined research question is easier to manage and is more meaningful than an open-ended one. It can be related that a broad topic like "Climate Change" is better narrowed down to be, "The Effects of Renewable Policies towards Reducing Carbon Emissions in Urban Areas."

Step 2: Do a Thorough Research

Having a topic in mind, proceed with research. Research is essentially collecting and synthesizing information that will lead to an excellent grounding for your thesis.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources: Mix primary sources, like experiments, surveys, or interviews, with secondary ones, like journal articles, books, or reports.

Take Notes: Use Zotero or End with the collection of references and systematic notes.

Critical Evaluation: Examine your sources critically to determine if they relate to and support your thesis question and are appropriate to your topic. Maintain a journal of interesting ideas, major findings, and citations as you conduct research. This will facilitate the writing process later on. --- ### Step 3: Thoroughly Give It a Good Framework A good thesis is also well-structured. Before you begin writing, draft a rough outline of your work to ensure it will be orderly.

Introduction: State your research question, objectives and the reasons why your study holds its importance. \

Literature Review: Summarize and critique previous studies to pinpoint what is unique in your study. \

Methodology: Discuss the methods and tools that you used to carry on your research. \

Results and Discussion: Present your findings, analyze them and relate to your research question. Conclusion: Summarize major findings and say what they imply, and indicate future avenues for research.

This road-map achieves proper flow and coherence for both the writer and the reader.

Core Sections First: Prepare methodology, results and discussion first because such parts are often the core sections of your thesis.

Be Clear; Be Concise: Avoid using jargons unless unavoidable and define technical terms to reach more audiences.

Get Feedback: Share drafts with your advisor or peers in order to get constructive feedback.

Edit Ruthlessly: Review for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Tools like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can help polish your writing.

Set daily or weekly writing goals to maintain steady progress.

Step 5: Finalize and Defend

Prepare your thesis for submission and defense.

Formatting and Citation: Format according to your institution's guidelines on the formatting, citation, and referencing. Double-check everything for consistency.

Proofread: Read through the document at least three or four times for spotting typos, inconsistencies in formatting, or other mistakes. You might consider hiring a professional proofreader to help you out.

Practice Presentation and Q&A: Rehearse your presentation a number of times. Think about questions that may be presented to you by the panel. Be prepared to back up your statements with evidence and speak assertively regarding the research.

The day you defend your dissertation is the day to celebrate all the hard work and achievement made until then. . Conclusion Writing a thesis is quite demanding but highly rewarding for it tests your critical thinking abilities, researching, and the skill to write. If you break down these steps to the choosing of the topic, research, structuring, writing, and finalizing, you'll be in a better position in handling the entire process. Remember that persistence and careful planning will get a thesis written that will not only demonstrate one's knowledge of the subject matter but also contribute to the field.

In fact, it takes a lot of courage to move on with this project, and these steps shall take you to it!

Need expert guidance for your PhD, Master’s thesis, or research writing journey? Click the link below to access resources and support tailored to help you excel every step of the way. Unlock your full research potential today!

#thesis #phd student #exams #phd life #dissertation #phdjourney #phd research #university #grad school #writingcitation

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welcomehomeincorrectquotes · 11 months ago

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Eddie: Mornin', Wally!

Wally: *cheerfully* Hello, neighbour.

Eddie: How's life?

Wally: *still cheerfully* Disappointing.

#source: avenue q #Eddie Dear #Wally Darling #welcome home puppet show #incorrect quotes

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thenovotnys · 1 year ago

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Queer as Folk (US) Locations - Main Locations

This part includes Babylon, Woody's, Liberty Diner, gyms, houses, workplaces and schools. Most of these places are only for outdoor scenes. The indoor was shot on studio or other locations.

The Hangouts

1. Babylon

The entrance of the club is on Duncan Street, and the pole where Justin leans on is on the corner of Duncan Street and Nelson Street. I'm not sure if the pole still exists, and the parking lot is now a building. (from episode 101)

2. Woody's

Woody's (and Moosies in episode 413) is at 467 Church Street. (from episode 102)

3. Liberty Diner

During the show, the diner is on two locations. On season 1-2, the diner is at 894 Queen Street West. On season 3-4, the diner moves to 354 King Street East. (from episode 102 and 409)

4. The Gym

The gym is also on two locations. On season 1, the gang works out at 675 Yonge Street. Later, they work out on other gym at 258 The Esplanade. It seems that both gyms are no longer exist. (from episode 102 and 403)

The Houses

5. Brian's loft

Brian lives at 6 Church Street. (from episode 307)

6. Michael's apartment and house

Michael and Emmett, and later with Ben and Hunter lives at 7 Glen Road. On season 5, the boys move to Brooklyn Avenue. (from episode 314 and 501)

7. Melanie and Lindsay's house

During the show, the girls and Gus live in two houses. The first one, on season 1, 3-5, they live at 178 Crawford Street. On season 2, they live on Kendal Avenue. (from episode 513 and 213)

However, it seems that the second house is also where Lindsay's parents live. (from episode 207 and 213)

8. Debbie's house

Debbie's house is the most inconsistent during the show. I noticed that there are five houses and three back parts of the house.

On season 1, Debbie, Vic and later Justin live on Beatrice Street. However, I cannot locate the alleys/backyard where other scenes take place. (from episode 108, 117 and 121)

On season 2, Debbie and Vic move to 87 Crawford Street. The backyard where they rake the leaves is on Lane South Queen East Shaw. (from episode 214 and 207)

On season 4, Debbie and Emmett live in two houses. The first one is on Bellwoods Avenue. The second one is on Heward Avenue. (from episode 406 and 412)

On season 5, Debbie and Emmett live on Bertmount Avenue. (from episode 501)

9. Justin's house (and Daphne's)

On season 1, The Taylors live on Bobwhite Crescent. After they sell the house, they move to Mendota Road. (from episode 102 and 201)

Daphne lives on Bobwhite Crescent, too. Just like the OG UK version, where the teens live on the same street. (from episode 104)

10. Vic and Rodney's house

The men now get their own place on Gloucester Street. (from episode 405 and 406)

11. Other places

David and Michael live on Taylorwood Drive

The Kinneys live on Lanor Avenue

Ben lives in an apartment on St. Joseph Street, but that particular scene is on Irwin Avenue

(from episode 111, 115 and 209)

The Workplaces and Schools

12. Brian's office and Kinnetik

The show wants us to think that Brian works on Metro Hall. However, I'm not sure if both Ryder Advertising and Vangard Advertising are in there. It looks like both places are inside other actual building rather than studio. (from episode 114, 217 and 306)

Later, Brian opens his own agency, Kinnetik, on ex Bathhouse on Nicholson Lane. (from episode 403)

13. Melanie's office

Melanie and the partners' law firm is at 3 Sultan Street. (from episode 121)

14. Michael's supermarket and comic book store

Michael used to work at Big Q, which was on actual store called Zellers at 1255 The Queensway (now closed). Later, he opens his own comic book store at 607A Queen Street West. (from episode 112 and 409)

15. Other places

Emmett works at Torso, which is at 880 Queen Street West (near the Diner on season 1-2).

The source says that the classes scenes are in Seneca College. However, I cannot locate those places.

16. Justin and Daphne's school

They studied at Ursula Franklin Academy. Some scenes were taken on Evelyn Crescent. (from episode 104)

17. Hunter's school

On season 3-4, The Susquehanna High School is on Jarvis Collegiate Institute, 495 Jarvis Street. On season 5, it looks like Hunter goes to different school, which I cannot locate. (from episode 313 and 505)

Previous: Introduction

Next list: Queer as Folk Locations - Season 1

#queer as folk #queerasfolk #brian kinney #michael novotny #emmett honeycutt #ted schmidt #justin taylor #debbie novotny #vic grassi #melanie marcus #lindsay peterson #ben bruckner #david cameron #hunter novotny bruckner #blake wyzecki

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