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Frequently Asked Questions

Got a Question? I tried to answer it here.

If you don't see an answer for your question, email me at [email protected], and maybe I'll add it to this page!

How do I set my profile picture on Joel+?

You can find a guide here: JoelPlus.com/pfp/

Did you develop Joel+ on your own?

No, while I do host Joel+ on my own hardware, JoelPlus.com is running on the free, open-source software Ghost.

How do you handle payments?

Payments are handled through Stripe. I would never want to handle your payment information.

Why not Patreon?

A few reasons! In order of importance to me:

  • I'm a nerd and love DIY projects. Hosting Joel+ myself using Ghost is just another DIY project.
  • Patreon takes a cut of your contributions. On Joel+, I get 100% of your contributions.
  • Ghost is nicer to use and way more customizable. I've been very impressed with the functionality.
  • Patreon is a big, lame corporation that could be selling your or my data.

Why not YouTube Memberships?

See the 'Why not Patreon' section above, then tack the following additional reasons onto the end of that list:

  • YouTube takes a way larger cut of your contributions than even Patreon.
  • YouTube memberships absolutely suck to work with. They are super not customizable.
  • I cannot adjust pricing on YouTube memberships while grandfathering existing members with their current price.
  • Probably some stuff I'm forgetting.
  • Seriously, YT Memberships suck.

Why are YouTube Memberships available if they suck so much?

For some people, staying on platform is worth the decreased value. I respect that, so I make them available. Additionally, it isn't that much extra work.

Why are download speeds for the original quality videos for paid members so slow?

These downloads are served from my own personal home server, as storing them in the cloud would cost a fortune. At time of writing, it's 1TB of files. My upload speeds, at time of writing, are only 40Mbps, so I can only serve the files to you at that speed. If you aren't seeing 40Mbps speeds, it might be because I'm using my home internet for other reasons, or someone else is downloading a file at the same time.