I can't really say much about what is most ethical or not, as that will depend on your individual moral framework, but at least I can say that I personally prefer the Monero option. That being said, any of them is fine for me really, even though the credit-card based ones do take a noticable fee (due to the credit card processor - not the sites themself).
I very much appreciate (and sorely need) the donations, so anything I get, I am immensely thankful for.
While it really does irk me a bit to ask for help, I'll take this opportunity to provide an update on the financial situation around Reticulum:
Currently, I receive a total of around $800 a month in donations across all donation paths. On the one hand, I think that's pretty amazing for an open source project, and I am so incredibly thankful for every last cent of that! Without it, none of this would be possible, at all. All of you who donate, you make this possible.
But in this (very) money-based reality we're living in, and with prices on absolutely everything increasing, it's incredibly difficult to survive on $800 a month. I have no other sources of income, and my means are stretched insanely thin by now, to the point of getting into territory I'd classify as slightly irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
If I am to continue providing what I have provided for a long time now, I need to actually be alive.
I've already created a living situation for myself that is as low-cost as humanly possible, slashed every possible expense, and foregone many conveniences most people would count as basic necessities. I really can't stretch things much further than this.
I take all of this very seriously, much more than most people realize, probably, to the point where protecting Reticulum has some very real consequences for me. Here's an example: I have an auto-immmune condition where my body attacks its own connective tissue - yes, that's incredibly painful, all the time. I cannot afford proper healthcare for that, so pain it is. Bummer - but I chose that since the alternative would mean working a well-paid job, and not having time to responsibly maintain, monitor and develop Reticulum.
Maintaining Reticulum, and all the auxillary projects such as LXMF, LXST, and so on, is a full-time job. There's no way around that. I'm on call 24/7, and as quite a few of you know, when the shit hits the fan, the solution drops within 12 hours usually. That's only possible because someone is watching with a hawk-eye, and has the knowledge skill and persistence to do the right thing in tricky situations.
I always have, and will continue to reject venture capital and other forms of control in the guise of monetary relief, so Reticulum can stay freely available and independent from external interests, and continue to be guided only by what serves the goals of the project itself best.
So far, I've also rejected all kinds of offers to work on other projects, for various companies or to sell exclusive licensing for the technologies I've created.
But man, I can't escape the fact that it's pretty bittersweet to look at my $800 wage for what is more than a full-time job, every time I reject an offer that would raise my income by an order of magnitude, and make my health and living situation much easier and better.
