This translates to fewer Patreon subscribers which means less opportunity and funding to create high quality videos

If there’s an algorithm to game, and money to be made, I don’t see how that’s any different to self promotion. Boil it down and all that’s happening is you are performing an action, so that more people see you, in the hopes that some of them will give you money.

The lack of an algorithm is a feature, I don’t want content I havent explicitly asked for to be shown.

Self promotion is a form of advertising, doubly so if it’s done for the purpose of attracting revenue via some means. People can opt into it if they want via subscribing/following but it’s still advertising.

So yes most “authentic” content is just people advertising themselves. I would prefer not to see that unless I have opted into it.

That’s still an ad, you want money for a product you’re offering. The only difference is in your case there’s an extra step between impression and conversion.

I’d prefer for my social media to not be full of ads for “content”.