I don't think it's fair to say that it's turning into what I said it wouldn't. Our philosophy hasn't changed; indeed we emphasize drives less and less every year, and are back to a somewhat aggressive stance towards modernization despite that.
I don't see any harm in people discussing an idea like that. Would I implement something like that? No. I'm deeply appreciative to the donors -- it's not just a line when I say that the site is online because of them. Our ad revenue continues to drop, our expenses continue to climb, so drives continue to be a simple economic reality because I refuse to open up to the sort of bigger, louder, more in-your-face styles of advertisement that actually make money. So when donors also try to encourage others to earn banners (and remember, I've given a banner for a 3 cent donation before), they're doing that out of their own passion for the site, and I deeply appreciate that too. There's no built-in pressure to do so, though.
So nothing has changed, really. No special privs for donors, beyond banners and my (as above) sincere and deep appreciation. No change in philosophy or style. A vigilance against commercialization, and the maintenance (one hopes) of a community where all reasonable fans are not only welcome, but encouraged to play a role in the continual shaping and planning.
Programs, users; we're all the same here.
