if anyone asks someone on here for a link or access or a disc to be burned I think the reply back should be “donate to the site and I will”.
We already have a reputation for being hostile to newcomers (which isn’t entirely without cause). This is a rabbit hole we don’t want to go down. That’s not even getting into the ethical/legal issues we’d be inviting by requiring site donations for access to projects when we’ve spent years developing the culture of “Never ever ever charge people for fan projects or you’re done, no second chances.”
Not trying to jump down your throat or anything - your heart’s in the right place and it’s not a bad idea for other types of communities. But I don’t think it’s an idea that should be entertained for us. Even if you’re not paying the creator of a project for his work, being forced to cough up cash to anyone in any capacity in order to gain access isn’t okay.
At least, those are my thoughts on the idea.