Wednesday, January 29th 2020
Support TechPowerUp on Patreon, Unlock New Features
People have often asked how to thank us through donations, to show their appreciation for our PC enthusiast content, free software and databases, but we could never find a good mechanism for that. Today we're officially launching our Patreon page, which gives you an easy method to financially support us in a simple way, and get some nifty site-wide features as our own way of saying thank you.
Over the past weeks I've worked on site engine changes to include additional benefits with Patreon membership, so you can actually enjoy tangible returns for your contribution. If you've never heard of Patreon before, it's a platform that lets creators receive voluntary payments for their work directly from the audience — a virtual tip jar. This does not mean TPU is in financial trouble, quite the opposite, we're doing better than ever, and our readership keeps growing — we're not going away. Some forum members have already discovered our Patreon campaign in the test phase and have contributed to it, and we greatly appreciate all the feedback they provided in the past few months that has helped shape this platform.
You can help us do what we do best, by supporting TechPowerUp on Patreon.
I've created three pledge levels that each unlock incremental features, so you may choose according to your financial situation. As always, we appreciate your time and consideration here, even if you are not able to sign up at this time.
Over the past weeks I've worked on site engine changes to include additional benefits with Patreon membership, so you can actually enjoy tangible returns for your contribution. If you've never heard of Patreon before, it's a platform that lets creators receive voluntary payments for their work directly from the audience — a virtual tip jar. This does not mean TPU is in financial trouble, quite the opposite, we're doing better than ever, and our readership keeps growing — we're not going away. Some forum members have already discovered our Patreon campaign in the test phase and have contributed to it, and we greatly appreciate all the feedback they provided in the past few months that has helped shape this platform.
You can help us do what we do best, by supporting TechPowerUp on Patreon.
I've created three pledge levels that each unlock incremental features, so you may choose according to your financial situation. As always, we appreciate your time and consideration here, even if you are not able to sign up at this time.
- Bronze: For as little as $4 a month, the entry-level tier, all ads on TechPowerUp are removed, including banners and sponsored content. You also receive a shiny new "Supporter" badge for our forums, and can access the otherwise hidden Patron-only forum where you're free to discuss anything.
- Silver: Take it up a notch for $7 per month. In addition to all the features of the "Bronze" tier, you get the "single page view" feature in our reviews and articles. You can now read them seamlessly, by simply scrolling down, no more clicking "next page." We also let you pick a custom user title on TechPowerUp Forums.
- Gold: This $9 per month tier brings with it early access to most of our unpublished reviews. Read coverage of products to help make your purchase decisions before others! You also get all the features of the "Bronze" and "Silver" tier.
206 Comments on Support TechPowerUp on Patreon, Unlock New Features
It's a two way thing: it learns what I like, and I also used to click on some links to support TPU (when I saw something interesting). I can always block them on my end when I want to.
Except that I'm not sure it's a good idea to cut-out the advertisers to subscribers, except perhaps to the very top tier.
Because you might find it harder to get advertising revenue then, and then you'll have to cut back on what you do.
Which is bad for everyone.
Like no more business jet for Wizzard....:-}
If I paid an optional subscription, I'd like to get some value for it: not just not having to see silly ads.
Maybe a chance to vote on , or suggest some specific items, where other subscribers voted.
But then they'd be open to everyone.
I don't see the ads as very annoying on TPU, say compared to Tom's Hardware.
And I really like the overall organisation in TPU: the general professionalism of it.
I think the people who are uneasy about the idea of a subscription are forgetting about the history of journalism.
Go back to when everything was print format, and the business model ranged from 100% supported by industry, as a sort of mouthpiece for it, to the other extreme of 100% subscription based.
And in between, you'd have some degree of advertising revenue: ranging from a small fraction to a very large one.
In addition, some were run at a loss by the publisher for various reasons: political, altruistic or perhaps as a loss leader to their other concerns.
All this changed with electronic media, and a lot of the older journals have gun belly up.
Although a lot of new ones sprang up: some good, some mediocre, and some really bad.
And because it's very hard to collect from the readers for them, so a lot have gone onto getting a very large fraction from advertising.
And I think that's really hurt the clout of journals.
Look at the NY Times.
It went from print format, to both print and digital.
And it hasn't been an easy time, but it just passed 5 million paid subscribers now, with over 85% of them digital.
Out of $191 million advertising revenue, $103 million as digital.
With $264 million revenue from digital subscriptions.
And its newsroom staff is now at 1,600 people: the highest in history.
I think it's a good journal, and I don't object to paying $125/year to read it on-line.
The Economist is at 1.7million paid readers, of which 870k is print.
59% of revenue was from subscription.
It costs more though: $200/year for digital and print combined.
But now you've got some clown putting a homemade video on YouTube, and telling you whatever they want to, and the more successful ones do it for $$$$.
A LOT of $$$ in some cases.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Youtube.
And I'm not against someone making money from what they spend time on if they're good at it.
Anyways, Mr. Wizzard and Co, keep up the good work.
Alan Jarvis
Sheffield