For me, the intangibles are priceless. Anything I earn, which is usually a quarter of my billing rate, is just gravy. For me, it's an energy assessment, and yes, money has a bit of energy. I pulled away from Medium in the middle of June 2022, in what I deemed a not conscious decision, when being here, writing, reading, and editing for a too large pub, became a net energy drain. I kept my then basic membership, wrote a great essay in September of that year, another in October, one in January, one or two in February, and then came back strong from thereafter. Carolyn Chryst wrote an interesting perspective the other day. Even her paltry earnings demolish what she would receive from a certificate of deposit. I noted that if I didn't spend $15 a month here (I upgraded to FOM when it came out and can see how reads by FOM sometimes pay a lot for a single read and I trust others also benefit from my extra expense), I'd just spend it elsewhere with no return, except maybe a short lived buzz. Anyway, Im not faulting you for your point of view. Just sharing a different outlook.