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The People Who Hate: an Optimistic Start to 2019
7 years ago
If there's one thing the world has beat into me repeatedly it's this: the cuter and cuddlier and kinder a person tries to portray themselves as, the bigger of an inhuman monster they probably are. This previous year reinforced this on a personal level and on a worldwide one. It's like I'm living the plot of "Okja", which is a great metaphor using a film you definitely haven't watched. I'd recommend it but everyone secretly hates recommendations at this point so I won't.
So last month I wrote this: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8946105/ which is the type of journal absolutely no one reads or comments on because it has "Patreon" in the title; which means that it really reads to everyone as "Please give me money you don't have (unless you do)". If you read that journal (you didn't) and the previous one (you may have, unlikely [ http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8944105/ ]) you'd know I was overhauling my Patreon for a number of reasons as listed in those journals. I don't want to break it down again because it doesn't matter, because now:
I'm not overhauling the Patreon, not yet and possibly not ever. Here's why:
Last month Patreon started "cleaning" up their platform by removing users in a fairly arbitrary manner. I would get into the details of who and why and when but then the lunatics might come out of the woodwork and call me a Nazi or an SJW (I get called both of those mutually exclusive things on the regular by Very Kind Empathetic People). What matters to me is that they're kicking people off for all sorts of weird reasons and a lot of people who use the site have up and left and it's effected a lot of people's bottom line, including mine. This wouldn't have been so bad but Patreon alternatives that sprung up almost immediately had their payment processing privileges revoked by PayPal, Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, etc... It's pretty weird, reeks of conspiracy, and sucks for little guys like myself who can't really do anything about it. People with way more power than I'll ever know are fucking around with me and mine and yeah: I don't really like it. These companies are slick and play super friendly in public and in the social media sphere but they're run by psychos who hate, and yes that is the only word for how they feel, everyone who doesn't lick their boots. I hate the taste of boot so who knows: maybe little ol' Boneitis Industries will end up on the Silicon Valley chopping block next. Or not, but it can't hurt to be prepared.
So what's a feisty ferret to do? Well here's my multi-step plan:
1. Keep working on old commissions while not taking any new ones on Patreon (scheduled Saturday stream commissions only, which are scheduled out pretty far).
2. Get back to doing "False Start" and VHB pages like I said I would in January. In particular I want to finish Issue Zero so I can finally put out a fucking book.
3. Go to Aquatifur in two weeks to sell people things in a place where Evil Mega Corporations will hopefully not take away my ability to have money.
4. Wait to see where the pieces fall.
Right now a bunch of people are setting up alternatives to Patreon but I don't know which ones will have what functionality and when. I'm also not in a financial tight spot so I'm not going to declare an emergency commission drive or anything like that. If you want to help me out, regardless, here are a few ways:
1. My Patreon DOES still exist but the tiers are limited, you can get access to all images in 4k and a TON of hi-res porn that is posted nowhere else: https://www.patreon.com/bone
2. I set up a Crypto wallet in case you want to send me Magic Libertarian Gold: 12QtWpAiiZV9CfDNca4trC15ARJccRp7TM
3. I have a PayPal.me as well: https://www.paypal.me/boneitis
4. My RedBubble store is full of crazy shit that I'd love to see people buying and/or wearing: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Bo.....ortfolio?asc=u
5. Set up a Saturday commission or Larger-Than-Life commission using options 2 or 3 (contact me via PM or email first!)
6. Show your friends my FA or Twitter, it's free and the traffic really does make a difference for a small time painter like me.
How will it all play out? I don't know. When dealing with hate-fueled power mongers it's best to be flexible and play with whatever cards you're handed.
Which is exactly what I plan to do.
-Bone
So last month I wrote this: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8946105/ which is the type of journal absolutely no one reads or comments on because it has "Patreon" in the title; which means that it really reads to everyone as "Please give me money you don't have (unless you do)". If you read that journal (you didn't) and the previous one (you may have, unlikely [ http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8944105/ ]) you'd know I was overhauling my Patreon for a number of reasons as listed in those journals. I don't want to break it down again because it doesn't matter, because now:
I'm not overhauling the Patreon, not yet and possibly not ever. Here's why:
Last month Patreon started "cleaning" up their platform by removing users in a fairly arbitrary manner. I would get into the details of who and why and when but then the lunatics might come out of the woodwork and call me a Nazi or an SJW (I get called both of those mutually exclusive things on the regular by Very Kind Empathetic People). What matters to me is that they're kicking people off for all sorts of weird reasons and a lot of people who use the site have up and left and it's effected a lot of people's bottom line, including mine. This wouldn't have been so bad but Patreon alternatives that sprung up almost immediately had their payment processing privileges revoked by PayPal, Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, etc... It's pretty weird, reeks of conspiracy, and sucks for little guys like myself who can't really do anything about it. People with way more power than I'll ever know are fucking around with me and mine and yeah: I don't really like it. These companies are slick and play super friendly in public and in the social media sphere but they're run by psychos who hate, and yes that is the only word for how they feel, everyone who doesn't lick their boots. I hate the taste of boot so who knows: maybe little ol' Boneitis Industries will end up on the Silicon Valley chopping block next. Or not, but it can't hurt to be prepared.
So what's a feisty ferret to do? Well here's my multi-step plan:
1. Keep working on old commissions while not taking any new ones on Patreon (scheduled Saturday stream commissions only, which are scheduled out pretty far).
2. Get back to doing "False Start" and VHB pages like I said I would in January. In particular I want to finish Issue Zero so I can finally put out a fucking book.
3. Go to Aquatifur in two weeks to sell people things in a place where Evil Mega Corporations will hopefully not take away my ability to have money.
4. Wait to see where the pieces fall.
Right now a bunch of people are setting up alternatives to Patreon but I don't know which ones will have what functionality and when. I'm also not in a financial tight spot so I'm not going to declare an emergency commission drive or anything like that. If you want to help me out, regardless, here are a few ways:
1. My Patreon DOES still exist but the tiers are limited, you can get access to all images in 4k and a TON of hi-res porn that is posted nowhere else: https://www.patreon.com/bone
2. I set up a Crypto wallet in case you want to send me Magic Libertarian Gold: 12QtWpAiiZV9CfDNca4trC15ARJccRp7TM
3. I have a PayPal.me as well: https://www.paypal.me/boneitis
4. My RedBubble store is full of crazy shit that I'd love to see people buying and/or wearing: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Bo.....ortfolio?asc=u
5. Set up a Saturday commission or Larger-Than-Life commission using options 2 or 3 (contact me via PM or email first!)
6. Show your friends my FA or Twitter, it's free and the traffic really does make a difference for a small time painter like me.
How will it all play out? I don't know. When dealing with hate-fueled power mongers it's best to be flexible and play with whatever cards you're handed.
Which is exactly what I plan to do.
-Bone
Also, how can you go someplace 'else' when they're complicit in the actions to shut those other places down by denying them card services?
*Bwaaaark*
I'm around for ya, Bone. Find a way or make one. You'll survive and thrive.
It's not like people weren't saying this would happen twenty years ago. But they were all laughed at. Yet, here we are.
I like the people who say 'Patreon is a private company and can do what they want'. Well, truth is, California law says differently. So no, they can't do that, well not legally at least.
Then of course there is their collusion in the shutting down of everyone who tries to start up an alternative. As one of Patreon's executive staff members came over from the banking industry, it's kind of obvious that they're using their ties to keep everyone else out. We have all of these Bay Area companies engaging in blatant and obvious collusion to suppress all political speech that they disagree with, and heaven help you if they even begin to think you're not on 'their' side.
So yeah, all of this is very much against the law. But I'm not holding my breath that the government is going to start prosecuting guilty parties anytime soon.
That's some harsh wisdom right there.
Personally, I wanna be cute and cuddly but the world is not that, the world is a hateful place full of hateful people, most of whom truly believe they aren't horrible. "Good" people are trampled and have their lives and accomplishments and futures stolen from them, every day.
I will be 40 years old this year and far too often I find myself wishing I hadn't been born because the person I want to be cannot really survive in the world as it exists today.
It's a kill or be killed planet, and we aren't given a choice of whether we'd like to participate at all.
> Right now a bunch of people are setting up alternatives to Patreon but I don't know which ones will have what functionality and when.
You can easily set up a WordPress site + WooCommerce which are free, along with a subscriptions plugin that costs $5 (one-time, but I can give you a copy of it free), to replicate the sort of features which Patreon offers. I can help you with this if you like. I even sell managed hosting (the best in the world!) and offer a 15% discount to furries.
This has been my life in recent times as well. Mostly it's been Big Retail who has be been fucking with me.
With all those insane EULA's and Binding Arbitration Agreements which you cannot refuse or else you wion't get the product or service. Health insurance agents who won't give you the time of day once you've selected a plan on their advice. Stores that send you coupons with so many restrictions in the fine print that you're better off not bothering. Don't get me started on Telecom providers.
You wanna know where I save the most dough? Shopping at regional chains which are employee-owned but don't carry much in the way of flashy merchandise. Saving bucks on boring, every-day items is far superior to the Imaginary Bargains on the latest, flashiest gadgets.
I wish a Grim Death to all employers who think "Employees don't want raises; they just want recognition and praise!"
That being said, someone professing to be proud of how "accepting" and loving the community is blocked me on Twitter, because I dared to argue furries haven't been quite as overwhelmingly welcoming of me.
Of course, he had to allude it's my fault by contemplating his own "past immaturity and personal growth" - yeah, you've really come a long way, otter boy, everybody loves ya.
Overall, great start to 2019 :) enjoy it Kitboi. While you can.
I'll try to get more of my anthro art-inclined friends to visit and support your stuff as much as they can.
Anyway, I am delighted that you'll be returning to "False Start" and VHB, both of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I love the world-building, the art and the characterisation in both of these stories. Regarding VHB, I can't wait to hear about Riley's backstory; as for "False Start" I really hope there will be a print-on-demand version available on Amazon UK.
Never stop creating, kind sir. You're awesome.