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Shinies? I dunno...
6 years ago
Heard about this new tipping system FA has implemented. Supposed to make it easier to pay money to artists/writers/creators on the site. But I have some reservations.
First of all, FA had a massive leak of notes a while back. A lot of personal stuff was aired, including some pretty scandalous things. While that was years ago, and I don't know of any massive scandals close to that scale since, it does make one pause. True, all you're doing is linking your PayPal to this site, buuuuut... remember how PayPal doesn't like dealing with porn sites? The admins say they've got someone working with them on this, and it might be true. But if you draw porn at all, I'd consider splitting it into a separate account just to be safe. You can have "Shinies" enabled on your SFW account, and leave it off on the porn account. Or you can ignore my advice and take the risk of PayPal shutting you down. I'm not a betting man, even if I don't write erotica or draw porn, so that's strike one.
Second, there are already many ways to support artists that don't require you using FA at all. We all know we use it out of convenience and the sheer momentum it has. It was the first site of its kind to cater toward furry artists, with no limits on what content you can create, save for a few taboos. Some invented due to financial pressure due to a controversial type of furry porn. Even so, is it really worth it to use this system when we have something like Ko-fi already? Far as I can tell, this is just the FA version of that. Which means this is mostly a way to encourage people to stay on FA. Sure, FA gets none of the money donated through their system. But you have to be using their site to use that system, don't you? You don't have to use this site if, say, you have an artist's Ko-fi account, or some other method of supporting them. And if a creator you really like isn't on this site, then you can't support them using "Shinies" at all. Perhaps a minor quibble, yet you do have to ask yourself if there aren't better systems out there already. If you're primarily using FA to post your work anyway, then okay, it might well work out for you. But for some of us, FA is kinda limiting, and I still have my reservations about security as well. Even if they can't hack into your PayPal through it, how long until someone's donations get diverted to another account? Or some scumbag decides to accept donations on artwork they didn't create, but paid for themselves? No system is fool proof, and you can bet the thieves and fraudsters hiding out in the fandom will do their best to find a way to subvert this.
And last... FA has banned people for political opinions in the past. What makes you think they won't pull a YouTube on you and restrict your access to "Shinies" for not denouncing the Nazis hard enough? Or for daring to point out that AntiFa is a terrorist organization that they refuse to crack down on? Perhaps it's my paranoia speaking, yet this feels like another way to keep people in line, another tool they can use against you if you use it. Not that other programs haven't done that, not to mention actual banks and credit card companies. Most of the fandom already leans hard to the Left, and the administration here has demonstrated that it's willing to follow in the footsteps of some of the biggest corporations on the planet, banning users who dare to commit the awful crime of Wrongthink. So, if you decide maybe not all conservatives are jackboot thugs looking to throw transexuals off the rooftops of buildings, you might have to say goodbye to your "Shinies"! Because someone might decide you don't deserve that cashflow.
In any case, I'm not using it. Not until I can be sure it's worth using. And considering I'm a writer, not a visual artist or musician, posting to FA is still a hassle. If they'd just make a change to the programming so you can post whatever file you want and let the viewers read it on site, I'd have more use for this place. As it is, I think I'm better off posting to sites that are cater to writers instead of continuing on art sites. Even SoFurry ain't really doing much for me, and it turns out their site is horrible to try reading on a mobile device. Believe me, I tried. At least FA keeps all the text the same size through the whole document! Even if I have to load it as a text file for it to even show up.
I'll let everyone know where I decide to post my stories when I find a suitable place. Can't afford my own personal site since I'm still unemployed, but I'll make due. As always, you're free to make a donation to help me through this rough patch. Any amount helps, no matter how small. Though yes, I'd prefer dollars to pennies, if you don't mind. =P
As for these "Shinies"? Let's adopt Magneto's strategy: "In chess, the pawns go first." Once the people who've adopted it have found the problems, and/or the security loopholes, maybe then it'll get improved into something better. Or perhaps they'll prove at least some of my fears unfounded and give artists a new source of income. Time will tell. But I have a way to get shinees already, so FA can keep its own to itself.
-TTFN
First of all, FA had a massive leak of notes a while back. A lot of personal stuff was aired, including some pretty scandalous things. While that was years ago, and I don't know of any massive scandals close to that scale since, it does make one pause. True, all you're doing is linking your PayPal to this site, buuuuut... remember how PayPal doesn't like dealing with porn sites? The admins say they've got someone working with them on this, and it might be true. But if you draw porn at all, I'd consider splitting it into a separate account just to be safe. You can have "Shinies" enabled on your SFW account, and leave it off on the porn account. Or you can ignore my advice and take the risk of PayPal shutting you down. I'm not a betting man, even if I don't write erotica or draw porn, so that's strike one.
Second, there are already many ways to support artists that don't require you using FA at all. We all know we use it out of convenience and the sheer momentum it has. It was the first site of its kind to cater toward furry artists, with no limits on what content you can create, save for a few taboos. Some invented due to financial pressure due to a controversial type of furry porn. Even so, is it really worth it to use this system when we have something like Ko-fi already? Far as I can tell, this is just the FA version of that. Which means this is mostly a way to encourage people to stay on FA. Sure, FA gets none of the money donated through their system. But you have to be using their site to use that system, don't you? You don't have to use this site if, say, you have an artist's Ko-fi account, or some other method of supporting them. And if a creator you really like isn't on this site, then you can't support them using "Shinies" at all. Perhaps a minor quibble, yet you do have to ask yourself if there aren't better systems out there already. If you're primarily using FA to post your work anyway, then okay, it might well work out for you. But for some of us, FA is kinda limiting, and I still have my reservations about security as well. Even if they can't hack into your PayPal through it, how long until someone's donations get diverted to another account? Or some scumbag decides to accept donations on artwork they didn't create, but paid for themselves? No system is fool proof, and you can bet the thieves and fraudsters hiding out in the fandom will do their best to find a way to subvert this.
And last... FA has banned people for political opinions in the past. What makes you think they won't pull a YouTube on you and restrict your access to "Shinies" for not denouncing the Nazis hard enough? Or for daring to point out that AntiFa is a terrorist organization that they refuse to crack down on? Perhaps it's my paranoia speaking, yet this feels like another way to keep people in line, another tool they can use against you if you use it. Not that other programs haven't done that, not to mention actual banks and credit card companies. Most of the fandom already leans hard to the Left, and the administration here has demonstrated that it's willing to follow in the footsteps of some of the biggest corporations on the planet, banning users who dare to commit the awful crime of Wrongthink. So, if you decide maybe not all conservatives are jackboot thugs looking to throw transexuals off the rooftops of buildings, you might have to say goodbye to your "Shinies"! Because someone might decide you don't deserve that cashflow.
In any case, I'm not using it. Not until I can be sure it's worth using. And considering I'm a writer, not a visual artist or musician, posting to FA is still a hassle. If they'd just make a change to the programming so you can post whatever file you want and let the viewers read it on site, I'd have more use for this place. As it is, I think I'm better off posting to sites that are cater to writers instead of continuing on art sites. Even SoFurry ain't really doing much for me, and it turns out their site is horrible to try reading on a mobile device. Believe me, I tried. At least FA keeps all the text the same size through the whole document! Even if I have to load it as a text file for it to even show up.
I'll let everyone know where I decide to post my stories when I find a suitable place. Can't afford my own personal site since I'm still unemployed, but I'll make due. As always, you're free to make a donation to help me through this rough patch. Any amount helps, no matter how small. Though yes, I'd prefer dollars to pennies, if you don't mind. =P
As for these "Shinies"? Let's adopt Magneto's strategy: "In chess, the pawns go first." Once the people who've adopted it have found the problems, and/or the security loopholes, maybe then it'll get improved into something better. Or perhaps they'll prove at least some of my fears unfounded and give artists a new source of income. Time will tell. But I have a way to get shinees already, so FA can keep its own to itself.
-TTFN
Head-ZonkStudios
~head-zonkstudios
You're not wrong at all. I would not put any kind of monetary trust in this site either. The people running it can't be trusted and everything about is just too prone to failure.
