I have a complicated view on this because I myself am a content creator who makes a (meager) living via what I make. So, in a way, I can understand it'd be frustrating to see people enjoying the fruits of many hours, day, weeks, months, years, and so on of work for absolutely free. It's difficult, I get that. The way I see it, though, is that the problem isn't in how people are pirating things, but how content is distributed in the age of the internet.
Personally, I love Patreon and think it's the new way for content creators. Rather than doing like I used to and charging for what I make (subsidized with commissions), I now have people who donate to my Patreon every month, and in funding me I post everything I make for free somewhere on the internet to view. No pirating necessary, just a request to donate to me if they like it enough. A lot of people are making money this way, and I personally think this is the way we should be headed, toward a world of freely-available content funded via crowd-funding on the internet (which is what ad-based income is, really, just more direct) instead of the Quixotal crusade to end internet piracy for good.
I have a complicated view on this because I myself am a content creator who makes a (meager) living via what I make. So, in a way, I can understand it'd be frustrating to see people enjoying the fruits of many hours, day, weeks, months, years, and so on of work for absolutely free. It's difficult, I get that. The way I see it, though, is that the problem isn't in how people are pirating things, but how content is distributed in the age of the internet.
Personally, I love Patreon and think it's the new way for content creators. Rather than doing like I used to and charging for what I make (subsidized with commissions), I now have people who donate to my Patreon every month, and in funding me I post everything I make for free somewhere on the internet to view. No pirating necessary, just a request to donate to me if they like it enough. A lot of people are making money this way, and I personally think this is the way we should be headed, toward a world of freely-available content funded via crowd-funding on the internet (which is what ad-based income is, really, just more direct) instead of the Quixotal crusade to end internet piracy for good.