This is gonna be the thread where we talk about stuff

Begging is defined by me and most major dictionaries as requesting money, goods or services as a gift or gratuity. Asking fans to chip in if they like the content meets that definition as far as I am concerned, as innocent and good natured as it might be. I think there are other avenues for creators that do not involve begging or the ad revenue model, two things I really dislike. I greatly respect Matt and Mike Chapman for never polluting Homestar Runner with ads or begging for contributions for fans. Matt, at least, basically lived off of merch sales for something like 7 years. They were able to monetize something that was originally free and remained free in an enticing and unobtrusive way. I am aware that pretty much every big-name content creator already has merchandise ... but not every artist can make a living off of their craft. Sad but true. I would be surprised if I could.

As an artist myself, I of course believe that artists should be able to be compensated for their work, and that their fans should have a way to do that. I just don't believe that it should be at any cost, and certainly not at the cost of the dignity of the artist or their fans. Both parties should come out of the deal in the black. Nobody should be guilted into paying for enjoying something that cost them nothing.

"Innocent and good natured" doesn't really mesh with "degrading." You can't call it two different things.