An issue that SI must inevitably confront is how much rationality it will assume of its target population of donors. If it simply wanted to raise as much money as possible, there are, I expect, all kinds of Dark techniques it could use (of which decreasing communication is only the tip of the iceberg). The problem is that SI also wants to raise the sanity waterline, since that is integral to its larger mission -- and it's hard (not to mention hypocritical) to do that while simultaneously using fundraising methods that depend on the waterline being below a certain level among its supporters.