I’m still here and reading 
really interesting thoughts, thank you so much for the discussion! It’s clear people care a lot about the language and I totally get what you’re saying and feel for that, too. I think you sum it up nicely by saying:
As creators talk and use Patreon in so many different ways, it can make it tricky to educate potential creators just what Patreon is and who it’s for. We’ve been using more membership language recently because it helps both creators and patrons get into the mindset of value for value = money for X. It’s up to the creator if the value the patron receives is the content itself (the patronage model) or bonus things (the membership model). I’m not on the product team so it’s hard for me to say about the future but I know these threads are crucial for them to understand how creators use Patreon to ensure we don’t alienate anyone or change things that would hurt current creators. I’ve sent this thread for them to read in full.
Keep telling us how you feel and taking part in surveys we share here so we can always hear your thoughts as and when we think about this stuff!