You only argue from your own position, and all you can bring forward is telling everyone else that they are wrong.
You had your way for years, didn't work so well, did it? We lost tens of thousands of users in that time, many of who could've become investors if they felt appreciated.

It's not donating when you don't give away something. People either get rewarded for their work, or they will work somewhere else. Authors left for medium and other outlets, because people like you think growing their own stake is more beneficial to the value than growing the platform.