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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 7, 2022

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It really bugs me when you don't know what your subscription will actually be getting you in a given month.

I don't mind paying monthly for an internet connection, since that's a very predictable service that I use regularly and from my perspective it is exactly the same thing, which I use for mostly the same purpose, month in and month out.

But paying a content creator monthly seems to entail a little altruism in the sense that there may be a month, or several, during which their production is lower than average or they put out subpar content or content that just doesn't appeal to me.

Obviously I can comment on this or directly message the creator and have a reasonable expectation they'll notice and respond, and possibly adjust course. OBVIOUSLY I'm free to stop paying and move my funds to a different creator.

But once that is admitted, it does starkly ask why am I paying on a monthly basis for this uncertainty? It seems, to me, to come down to an abstract "I like this creator generally and want to ensure they are able to afford to keep putting out content on the regular, so I will tolerate a drought every now and again since the cost to me is so low."

It is seemingly just the best solution that has been converged on by almost every single form of entertainment and media at every level.