[criley2]

I long for the days of the pre-internet where everyone agreed writing was worth paying for.

The worst thing the internet had done to society is convince us that writing isn't worth paying for.

The amount of writers (journalists, novelists, etc) who have abandoned the profession these past 30 years is heartbreaking. But just as every newspaper and magazine has learned: the internet means writing is free.

[wil421]

The old internet was full of hobbyists and passionate people who wanted to share their knowledge. There’s nothing wrong with paying for a real news outlet with real journalists, I pay for PBS.

Everyone is trying to make a buck and it’s harder to find passionate blogs that aren’t gaming Google’s SEO to show 100 ads. Even with woodworking or gardening I found everyone wants you to buy their videos, plans, or swag.

[carlosjobim]

The early internet wasn't full of this, it was sparesly populated by it.

You hit the problem on the nail though, most people think like you and will have no problem paying hundreds of dollars in tax or subscriptions to traditional media, while staunchly refusing to pay a dime to independent online writers that they themselves read more and know are of much higher quality.

[zamnos]

Yeah but everyone's looking to make a buck because it means they can spend more time on a topic they're so passionate they started a blog on the topic. Don't let money ruin things for you. Just because Ms Green Thumb is selling merch for her blog she started about gardening because she'd really like to be able to quit her job and do gardening full time. Those branded hats shouldn't automatically impugn the passion she has for gardening, it's just this attitude that money ruins everything when it shouldn't. well, not automatically anyway. But she'd rather be gardening than putting up with Tom, her kinda creepy boss at the accounting firm she's at. Going viral and selling merch is her only real way out of that. That or a lottery ticket.

[blowski]

Why do we need to push a single means as the "right" one? All these existed pre-internet, no reason why they can't or shouldn't continue to exist now.