I'm curious to hear what I anticipate being very different opinions of who makes monetary contributions to Patreon accounts or makes other financial contributions to folks who post self documentaries of their cruising.
I watch and subscribe to several. Few are really all that well done, but I find them akin to a conversation in the cockpit. They're not all well rehearsed or organized, but I enjoy the story.
I estimate I follow an even split between kids just starting out and more salty folks that have been at this a while. Do you refuse to contribute? Do you contribute to them all? Do you pick which are the best and what's the criteria for that?
I'm not going to name names, but give some examples.
I love watching a vid series of a couple of young kids on an extended cruise. It totally brings me back to being their age, when I never chose to do what they have. I love it. The videography is pretty poor by anyone's standard, but I don't really care. Then they discovered Patreon and would like some contributions to help them continue what is arguably an unsustainable lifestyle. I'm conflicted. Would I send them a few bucks as comp for the entertainment? Maybe, but why just them, everyone is asking. On the other hand, while it's awesome that they had this adventure, there will come a time they will need to provide for their medical care, retirement, etc, and not live off others. IOW, are they selling a product or just holding out a cup on the street corner, in your opinion?
Others have documented years, if not decades, of cruising, with no information whatsoever on how they fund it. Are they independently wealthy? Did they inherit the money they are using to cruise full time? Or, in one case, as was revealed on the internet, they were a complete fraud that was appearing destitute, when they were a highly paid internet security consultant. Perhaps they do work and just don't reveal how.
Is this a new business model? What's your take?
I watch and subscribe to several. Few are really all that well done, but I find them akin to a conversation in the cockpit. They're not all well rehearsed or organized, but I enjoy the story.
I estimate I follow an even split between kids just starting out and more salty folks that have been at this a while. Do you refuse to contribute? Do you contribute to them all? Do you pick which are the best and what's the criteria for that?
I'm not going to name names, but give some examples.
I love watching a vid series of a couple of young kids on an extended cruise. It totally brings me back to being their age, when I never chose to do what they have. I love it. The videography is pretty poor by anyone's standard, but I don't really care. Then they discovered Patreon and would like some contributions to help them continue what is arguably an unsustainable lifestyle. I'm conflicted. Would I send them a few bucks as comp for the entertainment? Maybe, but why just them, everyone is asking. On the other hand, while it's awesome that they had this adventure, there will come a time they will need to provide for their medical care, retirement, etc, and not live off others. IOW, are they selling a product or just holding out a cup on the street corner, in your opinion?
Others have documented years, if not decades, of cruising, with no information whatsoever on how they fund it. Are they independently wealthy? Did they inherit the money they are using to cruise full time? Or, in one case, as was revealed on the internet, they were a complete fraud that was appearing destitute, when they were a highly paid internet security consultant. Perhaps they do work and just don't reveal how.
Is this a new business model? What's your take?