How LWN is faring in 2025

https://lwn.net/Articles/1019217/

133•leephillips•9mo ago

Comments

nu11ptr•9mo ago

Is this backlash against the US or indications of a recession that is starting?

abnercoimbre•9mo ago

I'm trying to figure out the same. Por que no los dos?

leephillips•9mo ago

I 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•9mo ago

There 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•9mo ago

It 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•9mo ago

Let's just donate or subscribe because something like LWN must be kept alive at all costs.

wood_spirit•9mo ago

People 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•9mo ago

I 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•9mo ago

^ This * millions of people = recession

Volundr•9mo ago

100%, 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•9mo ago

This 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•9mo ago

The 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.

nyarlathotep_•9mo ago

I think it's a fair assessment that we're in some sort of recession now. Things have been shaky for a while now, but it's getting hard to ignore the cracks, especially with the drops in the most inflated housing markets.

markvdb•9mo ago

Superb publication for anyone into free/open source software. You could do worse than get your employer to get a group subscription...

vlovich123•9mo 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•9mo ago

It'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•9mo ago

That’s what the broader statement is about but this specific statement seems to be implying difficulty accepting payments.

baobun•9mo ago

Also sanctions and AML regulation, I would assume.

jgalt212•9mo ago

> that article feels like a distant memory, markets are falling,

That's incorrect.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/sp-500-liberation-day-recor...

qwe----3•9mo ago

They manage to pay Linus 1.5 million a year, spare me

jzb•9mo ago

The Linux Foundation pays Linus’s salary, not LWN.

GuestFAUniverse•9mo ago

1. 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•9mo ago

Subscribed. 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.

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