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How LWN is faring in 2025
- nu11ptr 1y agoIs this backlash against the US or indications of a recession that is starting?
- abnercoimbre 1y agoI'm trying to figure out the same. Por que no los dos?
- leephillips 1y agoI agree with the suggestions in the article that we are seeing the beginnings of a global economic slowdown caused by Trump’s trade policies and an understandable anti-US backlash.
- mrweasel 1y agoThere is certainly a backlash against certain US based businesses, but I doubt LWN is on the receiving side of that backlash. It could be, but I'd be surprised. I think it is much more likely that people are being more frugal in their spending, as a precaution. Sadly something like LWN is fairly easy to eliminate from your budget. Given the uncertainty the Trump administration has generated, I think a recession could be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Technically the economy might be strong enough, but we don't know Trumps long term plans, or even his plans for next week, so precautionary spending restrictions may end up triggering a recession of sorts. There are so many project and organisations, similar to LWN, that I want to support, but it adds up quickly if you're not careful.
- mongol 1y agoIt may be irrational but I cancelled a substack subscription of a US-based writer that was highly critical of Trump. On one hand, it is counter productive, but on another hand my spending is limited and I will do my utmost to support the European economy instead.
- ofrzeta 1y agoLet's just donate or subscribe because something like LWN must be kept alive at all costs.
- foundnigger 1y ago[dead]
- wood_spirit 1y agoPeople all around me seem to be cutting back on discretionary spending. These aren’t lwn subscribers, just normal people leading average lives, but I extrapolate that lwn subscribers are in the same boat.
- Volundr 1y agoI have a number of home improvement projects that I had planned on tackling this year, but I've decided I prefer those funds liquid. Same with getting a newer car. While nothings harmed my economic situation yet my confidence in pretty much everything, the stability of the job market, the economy, the country itself it at an all time low. Even here in red state territory that seems to be the general vibe.
- massysett 1y ago^ This * millions of people = recession
- Volundr 1y ago100%, and yet I don't think I can rationally act differently. It's not like if I just keep on like everything is normal that'll save the economy. It'll just put me in a worse spot if what I'm expecting does indeed come to pass.
- KerrAvon 1y agoThis is exactly right. If you’re old enough, you might recall George W. Bush insisting people should go shopping; the point was to encourage people to spend their way out of his recession. Didn’t work!
- dragonwriter 1y agoThe encouragement was mostly post-9/11 and the recession ended in November, so if it wasn't effective, it sure at least coincided with recovery. (The recession started in March, well before 9/11, but the attempt to encourage shopping to deal with the perceived problem was a post-9/11 thing.) The Bush recession is often perceived as longer and deeper than it was because of the poor distribution of gains (in part due to the tax burden shift of the Bush tax cuts) of the expansion that started in late 2001 and ended with the Great Recession.
- markvdb 1y agoSuperb publication for anyone into free/open source software. You could do worse than get your employer to get a group subscription...
- vlovich123 1y ago> Further attacks on global trade could make it more difficult for us to accept payments from outside the country, even when the buyer is willing. Is this because of retaliatory tarrifs or is the US taxing services as part of the tarrifs? Would setting up a subsidiary help work around this?
- ModernMech 1y agoIt's probably a secondary effect of any tariffs. When people are uncertain about the future one of the first things they cut back on is entertainment subscriptions. LWN losing subs would be leading indicator of economic turmoil, so setting up subsidiaries is unlikely to help any.
- vlovich123 1y agoThat’s what the broader statement is about but this specific statement seems to be implying difficulty accepting payments.
- baobun 1y agoAlso sanctions and AML regulation, I would assume.
- jgalt212 1y ago> that article feels like a distant memory, markets are falling, That's incorrect. https://www.barrons.com/articles/sp-500-liberation-day-record-376d6e5d https://www.barrons.com/articles/sp-500-liberation-day-recor...
- qwe----3 1y agoThey manage to pay Linus 1.5 million a year, spare me
- jzb 1y agoThe Linux Foundation pays Linus’s salary, not LWN.
- GuestFAUniverse 1y ago1. Has nothing to do with LWN 2. Compared to a bunch of useless CEOs, that's not much for a leading role in one of the most important projects on the planet.
- ary 1y agoSubscribed. All this money I’m saving boycotting spineless American companies is coming in handy. If LWN is worth $16 a month, and it is, then so is The Atlantic, ProPublica, etc. We collectively need to make a habit of financially supporting actual journalism and doing so loudly.