I pay for the work and the service. It goes without saying that you pay for a service you use. There is work behind. I value this work. That's only fair. And I fully understand that the Damus team and nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s need some predictability in terms of funding, I'm paying for the Damus product that gives me access to a daily entertainment. A number and a badge may be part of that entertainment, but by no means the reason for my subscription
Discussion
We're patrons. We pay creators money to encourage them to keep creating. It's not directly fee-for-service or charity. It's more like an irregular salary.
Offering patrons some way of proving/displaying their patronage or some bonus features is simply good marketing. The way volunteer organisations invite their sponsors to a yearly dinner and give you a nice jacket pin.
What Will did was offer people giving him an irregular salary the opportunity to give him a regular one (in addition, perhaps).
Them all announcing their memberships at the same time was brilliant marketing for Damus.
I wish #Amethyst and #Nostrudel did something similar. I'm just zapping into the void.