If writers link buy me a coffee to their value, what happens when readers no longer value or like what they write? No coffee. Before asking for coffee make sure readers really value your writing because the tables can turn very quickly. If someone who is valued as a good writer and has coffee donations suddenly posts upsetting stories, that in itself is a reason not to donate - not because they ask for coffee. As the saying goes "be careful what you ask for". One may wish for more money but if its tied to value, that can change at any time. It's a slippery slope. I think it goes deeper than attaching the value of a writer to coffee donations, it's also about what a reader values. When that is overlooked, the writer seeking donations doesn't see it as mutual or a two way process. It can take on a different meaning. I think it better to look at the meaning of asking for donations rather than the fact someone asks. What does it really mean to them (ie) do they develop or have an inflated sense of self or ego, that compares themselves to others in a negative way. Social comparison is very powerful but not always positive.