Thinkspot

In December 2018, Carl Benjamin—an anti-feminist YouTuber known as "Sargon of Akkad"—was suspended by the membership platform Patreon, a website on which internet creators can receive money from fans who subscribe to their feed for a regular fee. Benjamin was later banned from the service, which reported that he used "racial and homophobic slurs to degrade another individual". Prior to leaving Patreon, Peterson was receiving donations of $30,000 a month through the website. By the end of July, a beta test for the site was underway in which users and content creators could access the site. The first small collection of content creators included Dave Rubin, Carl Benjamin, James Altucher, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink and science writer Michael Shermer. On the user side, beta-testers were allowed on the platform in limited numbers, and a wait list was developed to allow additional users. An article by Gizmodo from December 2019, still during the beta phase, estimated that a few thousand users were allowed on the platform. By May 2021, the platform had not developed a significant following, according to Karim Zidan of the SPLC. On September 4, 2025, the platform announced that it would be closing the site. == Product details ==

Thinkspot is billed as a "free speech alternative" to Patreon with additional hosting functionality for leader- and user-generated content. The product allows a wide variety of interaction options, including feeds, forums, comments, a "discourse button", and reference annotations similar to those of the website Genius. Though emoji reactions are part of the website's functionality, an FAQ on the website reports that they "do not allow the use of emojis". Memes and profile pictures are prohibited. Payments and funding Access to Thinkspot is free, while the ability to contribute media requires a subscription fee of $2.50 per month, and the service has different levels of access plans. There exists a lower-tier plan which only allows access to content, while a higher-fee plan allows "contributor" capabilities. In addition, paywalled content exists on the site, such as premium subscription items for individual contributors. For instance, access to Peterson's premium materials cost $240 per year, as of December 2019. ==Reception==

The site's beta version received largely negative critical reception. John Semley of The Guardian wrote that the website "feels very much like a pay-to-play Jordan Peterson fan site". Brian Feldman of Intelligencer criticized Peterson for the website's mechanic of hiding comments which receive downvotes, calling it "ironic given the professor's stance as a free-speech absolutist". ==References==