Why Kagi launched "no use, no pay"

What makes kagi users more of a community than other search engine users? I imagine it's a somewhat self-selecting group so I can't tell if it's just verbiage or a meaningful distinction.

They all pay, it's a distinction to "every other search engine" and their users.

They have a Discord server where news and updates are released, hyped and discussed.

Kagi is appreciated and people like to associate with appreciated things

They sent me a yellow tshirt. If I ever run into someone with the same tshirt, we can high-five and say “same team!”

There’s thousands of us!

My daughter loves when I wear the shirt. "Doggo!"

I think it's similar to those note taking apps that were big a few years ago (Roam Research, Obsidian etc.)

Being weird enough to not use the free incumbent and pay for a niche solution instead means you share values with those people, which unites them and creates a community

I never got my T-shirt. Might have gone to my old address (they said they would send it to the new one though!)

Maybe Kagi treating them like one?

The feel is smaller, closer compared to Google, as an easy example.

You and me both. Sad I never got mine.