[nvrmnd]

I donate to signal, and use it frequently. But I would much prefer for the app to simply charge users rather than beg for donations. Even better would be to charge users in a way that reflects the costs.

For instance, maybe verifying a new number over SMS should cost $0.10 if that's going to make up 14% of the operating costs.

Begging for donations to subsidize excessive use by other users just doesn't seem sustainable.

[mmanfrin]

> I donate to signal, and use it frequently. But I would much prefer for the app to simply charge users rather than beg for donations.

Hard disagree. If you charge, the number of people who will use it shrinks by several magnitudes, and then you lose your network effect, you lose the ability to get your less technically inclined friends to install it.

[arsome]

I would certainly prefer the donation begging - chance of getting family and friends to use it with an upfront cost: 0.

[lxgr]

How are you going to charge users $0.10? Micropayments is a huge unsolved problem.

[renonce]

Buy 50 invite codes for $5

[NotYourLawyer]

Yes, let’s tie every user of this privacy-focused messaging platform to a credit card number.