Authors can now receive tips from readers

Author sustainability is a strong part of Listed's focus. A few weeks ago, we rolled out Paid Posts, which allows authors to charge a set dollar amount for an article. This works well for some types of articles, like tutorials, recipes, and other structured forms of content. For more subjective pieces, this model might be difficult to monetize.

Today, we're rolling out the "Thank" option on author profiles. When a reader is inclined to an author for an article they wrote, whether it be that the article taught them something new or had a subtle or profound impact on their life, thanking the author gives them a chance to give back and encourage the author to continue doing their best work.

The Thank option is available on all author profiles in the header section of the author page. You can thank your favorite authors by choosing a one-time dollar amount, and leaving an optional note.

This setup ensures that Listed is always an author-reader platform, and not incentivized or obliged to third-party interests. While it may feel weird to tip an author $5, $10, or $15, tipping already pervades every aspect of our life, and we often tip more to people who may have less effect on our life. Authors have the unique ability to peer directly into our hearts and minds, and offer us unique perspectives that unlock heightened levels of consciousness and intelligence.

Culture, politics, and the ratio between good and evil sounds like a complex coagulation beyond comprehension and control, but it's quite simple really: The world is made good when good ideas are supported. And it starts always at the individual, one-on-one level.