Sure, and that’s great! There are so many good no-cost, ad-free Lemmy apps out there. And I suppose that’s what leaves me confused when people get upset because just one app happens to be monetized. With so many viable alternatives, why make this the hill to die on?
People who donate their time and expertise to provide something for free are admirable, but it’s the nature of the beast called capitalism that makes that option not feasible for everyone. When people need to afford food and rent, and an app might be someone’s primary income, there should never be an expectation that someone offer something for free, just an appreciation when they do.