Welcome to mini-LWN [LWN.net]

Here at LWN, we normally try to follow through on our promises to our readers, but we thought you would forgive an exception. Rather than skip the weekly edition entirely this week, we decided to put out a reduced version so that we don't get entirely buried as the news piles up.

Here's a status update: much of the last week has been taken up by a new and unforeseen event: our credit card clearing house decided that all those donations you folks have been so generously sending our way might be fraudulent, so they seized all of our credit card receipts, including those for advertising. They went so far as to yank some funds back out of our checking account. Need we say that we didn't need this?

The situation, as of this writing, is unresolved, though it looks like we may be heading towards a solution. Meanwhile, we are cut off from cash (other than from PayPal, a small piece of our income stream), spending time with lawyers, and generally not doing much that is actually useful for LWN or its readers. We also need to shop for a new credit card clearing company.

So it may take us a little longer than expected to get our subscription system in place - and to be able to actually charge for subscriptions. We're still working on it, stay tuned.

(Lest there be any misunderstanding: it should be said that we have absolutely no complaint with our credit card processing company. TrustCommerce operates a solid, Linux-friendly credit card gateway, and has always been very supportive of LWN.)

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Welcome to mini-LWN

Posted Aug 8, 2002 6:02 UTC (Thu) by Strike (guest, #861) [Link]

Hmm, I think if I look _deep_ into my heart I might be able to forgive this. Oh wait, there it is, right on the surface :)

Any way, I am sure we all hope that the situation pans out with the donation money and whatnot.

Need some help with that company?

Posted Aug 8, 2002 6:36 UTC (Thu) by eyal (subscriber, #949) [Link]

I think you should just ask, and we will flood that f?$@ing company with emails to make it clear that our transactions aren't fraud.

Welcome to mini-LWN

Posted Aug 8, 2002 16:37 UTC (Thu) by dmallery (subscriber, #635) [Link]

i smell a nice seven-digit lawsuit. that would fix your cash flow.

i will subscribe instantly. tell me when.

dave mallery

Welcome to mini-LWN

Posted Aug 8, 2002 20:28 UTC (Thu) by stonedown (guest, #2987) [Link]

This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The money truck finally arrives at your unloading dock, and the truck gets impounded. I hope you guys are laughing and not crying over this. Those bonehead beancounters at your credit card clearing company are a bunch of creeps.

If I find out my credit card wasn't charged, I'll be sure to donate again, and this time I'll use Paypal.

Strange quirk of fate

Posted Aug 8, 2002 22:10 UTC (Thu) by TheOneKEA (subscriber, #615) [Link]

I'll bet you guys laughed your heads off when you heard about this. I know I had a little chuckle beforehand.

I don't plan on subscribing until I actually have some coin laying around, but I will certainly remain an adherent to LWN. Good luck!

Welcome to mini-LWN

Posted Aug 9, 2002 7:48 UTC (Fri) by BogusUser ((unknown), #1717) [Link]

Hmmm.. Why not just say it is a charge for a "back issues" service rather than "donations" (and put a link to old.lwn.net/archives on the "thank you for your donation" page)..

.....which, in a way, it is.