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Is it really The End?Is it really The End?Posted Aug 1, 2002 17:31 UTC (Thu) by sharkey (guest, #3050)Parent article: Is it really The End? I don't like the idea of moving to a subscription model. It doesn't sit well with me and doesn't seem to fit well with a pro-free/open software site such as this. I don't like the idea of the hassle involved with managing accounts and needing to log in to read the page, or the fact that this will discourage many new readers who haven't read the site before, or many of the younger readers who don't have as much disposable income. The basic idea behind a subscription model is to motivate people who otherwise would not have paid to do so. This is a contrast to the donation model, which provides no direct incentive for individuals to contribute funds, other than the general knowledge that if enough people don't donate, services will stop. It seems to me that you have reached the conclusion that a subscription model might be a practical way to extract funds from readers because readers have just voluntarily donated a relatively large sum of money. This is ass backwards if anything is. What's needed for the donation model to work is communication. If you read over the posts from last week's announcement, one motif you see over and over again is "we didn't know things were this bad". In order for the donation model to work, it's necessary to communicate how much is needed and how much has been contributed. If this information isn't shared, then potential donors will have no clue whether or not their contribution will make a difference. Last Thursday you made your dire straights public knowledge, and the money started rolling in. To conclude from that that you need to introduce a subscription model is mind boggling. Another thing that needs to be considered is the nature of the LWN readership. If you believe Eric Raymond, open source hackers operate in a gift economy. Status is achieved through voluntary giving. It could be that a large number of current donors may walk away if a subscription model is imposed. I've made a donation myself, and I was glad to do so. I'd like to donate more in the future. I have zero interest in purchasing a subscription. It doesn't fit with the relationship I'd like to have with this site or Linux software in general. It's the wrong vibe. I encourage you to keep trying, but don't start locking away content just when your readers have come forward to show that they can provide support voluntarily. If you feel the need to provide more incentives, then sell $50 coffe mugs and $75 tote bags the way PBS/NPR does. Don't lock down the site to only paying members, even if it is for just a few days after a new issue is released.
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Is it really The End? Posted Aug 1, 2002 17:54 UTC (Thu) by emkey (guest, #144) [Link] Reality is that people have to eat, and thirty years of trying purely voluntary forms of making ends meet haven't seemed to meet with much success. I've donated money to LWN in the past and I'll pay a subscription in the future gladly. And I'll do it for the same reason i buy support and CD's from RedHat. Because I believe in the products and the concepts and I want to support them.Communism didn't work, totally free software and content won't either on any significant scale. Still, I think it is possible to create content and software for significantly less then large corporations do. And that's something I'd like to see continue because of the diversity of products and opinions that such models allow for.
Subscriptions vs. donations Posted Aug 1, 2002 18:06 UTC (Thu) by stonedown (guest, #2987) [Link] Some people are more comfortable with subscriptions, because they feel like they are "getting something" for their money. Other people are more comfortable with donations, because they like giving, rather than paying for a service.Ultimately, I like the subscription model, because I think it stands a better chance of keeping LWN.net afloat. Even public radio and public television give away lots of bennies, in exchange for donations. Also, their customers have to put up with interruption of service, due to the fundraising drives. Public broadcasting is what it is, due to the limitations of the medium. Broadcasters can't charge directly for their services, because there's no way to restrict content. So, they either advertise, or they ask the audience to support them with donations. This is a constant battle fought by public radio stations. *Considerable* resources are spent in public broadcasting, in order to ensure that the money keeps coming in. LWN.net is published on the web. Therefore, it has the capability of making some services free, and charging for others, in order to support the business. I think this will ensure a more continuous and predictable revenue stream, rather than relying on people's good will. Waiting a week is a small price to pay for people who can't afford to subscribe, but it provides an incentive for those of us who can afford it and are interested in the very latest stuff. Consider your subscription to be a donation. It's just that, in exchange for your support, you get a special "thank you", in the form of special perks to reward you for *doing the right thing*.
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