there used to be an expectation that the internet wasn't just a place for money to change hands. one of the big social changes in 2008-2012 online was precisely the rise of merch/patreon/tipping services suddenly revealing that you could make a living making stuff online
a lot of the internet was a hobbyist space. then for artists it became a vital tool in maintaining self-employment. a lot of the splashy successfully failed kickstarters were a result of people just not knowing how much money is or is not "a lot of money"
