A new era for LWN [LWN.net]

When the plans for LWN.net were being laid, back toward the end of 1997, we (Liz Coolbaugh and Jonathan Corbet) set out to create a high-quality news source that would allow the Linux community to keep up with the incredible pace of its development. Plus, of course, we wanted to draw attention to an ill-advised support operation that we were launching at the same time. The support offerings are long since forgotten, but LWN has grown with the community it reports on. LWN, now approaching its fifth anniversary, processes a great deal of news and requires several people for its production. As readers of these pages have been told too many times, advertising does not cover even a fraction of the costs of producing LWN, and similar types of revenue, such as corporate sponsorships, are mostly unavailable.

Back in July, we had come to the conclusion that LWN was not a sustainable operation, and that it was time for us to move on to other endeavors. The result was an amazing and unexpected show of support from our readers, in the form of donations, that caused us to rethink things. An unexpected show of, well, something else from our (former) credit card processor slowed that rethink greatly, but the time has now come. LWN is now at a definitive, and possibly final, crossroads.

We will now try to transition LWN into a subscription-based publication, supported by the readers that benefit from it. If LWN is valuable enough to its readers to earn that support, we will continue to produce it - and try to make it better. If not, well, then we will search for some other way to use our skills in the free software community.

Here's the deal: a basic LWN subscription will cost $5/month, with options for those wanting to pay a little less or a little more. Starting October 3, the LWN Weekly Edition will be available only to subscribers for the week following its publication; thereafter it will be freely available to all. Some other features, such as the ability to receive news via email, will be available to subscribers only. Other new features which we may introduce in the future will also be restricted to subscribers, at least initially. The LWN front page and the news items posted there will remain free, as will our security database, kernel patch page, and various other features of the site.

What this means is that all news posted to LWN will continue to be freely available - if you are sufficiently patient. But we strongly hope that most of our regular readers will consider becoming subscribers in order to have immediate access to our content, and, most importantly, to help keep LWN operating.

Those of you working in the software field may want to consider asking your employers to fund an LWN subscription as a useful tool for your job. Or, even better, have them talk to us about group subscriptions, which can provide access to LWN's subscription content for an entire group, company, or university at substantial savings in cost.

We have a lot of ideas for where we would like to take LWN. We would like to cover many important development projects the way we cover Linux kernel development now. We would like to have Linux in Business coverage that is more than a pile of press releases. It would be great to be able to pay for occasional articles by well-known authors. We will release our site code as free software as soon as we find the time to do it. It would be nice, even, to have a search engine that truly works well for the first time ever.

But first we have to stabilize LWN and turn it into a sustainable operation, and an important part of that process is now in the hands of our readers. With sufficient support from you, we can take LWN forward and make it better than ever: a reader-supported community news resource which need not worry about keeping big advertisers happy. If LWN is worthwhile to you, now is the time to act; please consider signing up for a subscription today.

to post comments

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 16:55 UTC (Wed) by aotheoverlord (guest, #3993) [Link] (3 responses)

Can I make one request? Can you please keep a counter somewhere of either the number subscriptions you receive, or the number of $$$ raised on a monthly basis?

If that's too intrusive to your business, how about a "goal" graphic, where you specify the minimum amount needed (subs or $$$) for a month, and then show us reaching that goal?

Eventually one would hope that you'll have enough annual subscriptions to take care of this so any counters could be removed, but initially it will help us see how well things are going, not to mention make the non-subscribers feel guilty :-)

Also, are you planning to send out (email) reminders when subscriptions expire?

Counters and fancy graphics

Posted Sep 25, 2002 17:04 UTC (Wed) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] (1 responses)

Yes, that sort of stuff is on our list. We just needed to get the basic capability running first...plus there's that little issue of tomorrow's weekly edition...

And yes, we'll send out reminders. How much spam would you like? :)

Counters and fancy graphics

Posted Sep 25, 2002 17:19 UTC (Wed) by aotheoverlord (guest, #3993) [Link]

Actually, spam I can handle. It's reminders coming 6 months before my subscription expires saying that I must renew "NOW" to guarantee continued delivery - that's what annoys me. (Anyone who has ever subscribed to a magazine will know what I mean.)

Anyway, great news on the counters, and continue the good work!

A big ``me too'' on the counter

Posted Sep 25, 2002 19:27 UTC (Wed) by Max.Hyre (subscriber, #1054) [Link]

Hear, hear!

It's always peeved me that public radio sez ``We gotta make this amount in the next 57 milliseconds'', but they never let you in on the big picture. That's a real shame, not only from the how're-we-doin' perspective, but because I suspect they are, in fact, really cash-strapped, and proof might spur on some of the laggards.

I just hope some sort of corollary to Free Software will be clarity in fund-raising. I don't want to see your books---just to know how much you need to make it through this month, and how much is on hand. Once you hit 100%, simply note that you made it until the 1st of the next.

Hrm... while writing this, I think about what I'm asking, and now begin to see some questions and possible downsides: people P.O.ed if you make your nut by the 10th (``What was the big flap? They don't need me!''), people questioning why you need that much, playing `chicken' with the bottom line, &c., &c.

I hope we Loyal Readers are above all that, but it would still be a pain dealing with the schnorring masses who aren't. Change my emphatic request to a Wouldn't It Be Nice If....

Thanks for having the guts and the pain-resistance needed to try making a go of LWN. So long as you keep trying, I'll keep buying.

Best wishes,
Max Hyre

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 17:32 UTC (Wed) by ksmathers (guest, #2353) [Link] (6 responses)

Ok, I signed up. And not even as an out of work hacker. I would however very much like to see a better discount for signing up for a year -- the current rate of $60/yr is just a straight sum of $5/mo, which is IMHO a bit excessive. Usually magazines give about a 40% discount for a year advance subscription, which would get us closer to my personal comfort zone.

In addition it may help you to place advertising if you poll your readership for their job positions, salary, age, and so forth. In aggregate those numbers shouldn't cause any fears of loss of privacy, but they do establish the demographic group you are serving so when you go to HP and ask them if they would like to place an ad they can tell what audience they will be reaching.

All IMHO naturally.

Annual discounts

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:28 UTC (Wed) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] (4 responses)

The lack of a one-year discount is an explicit decision: we kind of want to encourage the monthly subscriptions, even if they cost us a bit more. Should LWN eventually end up closing down, we don't want to let down a bunch of people who have paid for a long time and don't get the service they paid for. Monthly payments also smooth out the cash flow, and force us to live within our real means.

If things look solid in the future, we'll reconsider all this.

About polling readers: we do that at account creation time.

Annual discounts

Posted Sep 25, 2002 21:50 UTC (Wed) by ksmathers (guest, #2353) [Link] (1 responses)

Yeah, I know that you won't be able to refund unused portions of subscriptions if you go bankrupt. Of course I haven't ever gotten a refund from any other news source, online or offline, that has gone belly up either, so I don't exactly expect it. What are you worried about, that I'll put a $40 lien on your house?

Normally magazines will attempt to sell their mailing lists to some competing organization when they die, often in exchange for some coverage of the existing subscriptions, but that always varies. Anyway, I still think you'd be doing both yourself and us a big favor by encouraging the yearly subscriptions.

Annual discounts

Posted Sep 26, 2002 13:28 UTC (Thu) by AAP (guest, #721) [Link]

I agree. I have too many monthly bills as it is. I'd rather pay for a whole year and not worry about annoying reminders for awhile.

Annual discounts

Posted Sep 26, 2002 1:29 UTC (Thu) by freelsjd (guest, #250) [Link]

Play to win! Don't play "not to lose"

Annual discounts

Posted Sep 28, 2002 4:18 UTC (Sat) by tuxave (guest, #4781) [Link]

You should really book subscription income as a liability and only move small portions to revenue as you fulfill each week of a subscriber's subscription. This provides you the benefit of only having money from the current week's payments as expendable as well as building up a cushion with steady predictable revenues for the future.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 27, 2002 17:54 UTC (Fri) by jhoyt (subscriber, #3927) [Link]

LWN is CHEAP at $60/yr. LWN as a magazine that is support
primaryly buy subscription. Printed magazines that have no
ads cost US$100+ per-year and there are not discounts.
The magazines that give 40% discounts make almost no
money from subscription, all of the revenue comes from
ads. And the price for the ads is based on the cirulation
of the magazine. Which is why you have the 40% discount, to
get the cirulation up.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 17:37 UTC (Wed) by jcurious (guest, #2845) [Link]

Woohoo... $120 and I'm suddenly a project leader ;) buahahaha

Upgrading subscription level

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:13 UTC (Wed) by fdesloges (guest, #291) [Link]

It would be cool to be able to upgrade our subscription level.
Being unemployed, I cannot right now afford a Project Leader level,
but I likely will when money starts to flow in again.

Thanks for the great work.. and Good luck!...

Good luck!

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:14 UTC (Wed) by emk (subscriber, #1128) [Link]

I hope you get buried under a big pile of subscriptions. (This is actually a pretty selfish wish, because I'd sorely miss LWN if you had to close shop.) I'm rooting for you!

Oddity in group subscription rates

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:18 UTC (Wed) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link] (1 responses)

You offer two group subscription plans: one for up to ten developers at $30/month, which works out to $3/month/developer, and one for up to fifty developers at $200/month, which works out to $4/month/developer. Is this a mistake? It's puzzling as to why the bigger group should pay a higher per-person rate.

Oddity in group subscription rates

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:21 UTC (Wed) by xorbe (guest, #3165) [Link]

I was just coming back to say the same thing. I agree, it's odd.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 18:44 UTC (Wed) by phubert (guest, #2972) [Link] (2 responses)

Golly! Another Project Leader!
Oh well... not exactly truth in advertizing.

As to 'discounts' .. what is this FOR, anyway?

If we want it to BE, then we shouldn't complain about $60/annum ..
Either we DO want to support this, or we don't.

I use LinuxToday more (please withhold the boos & hisses),
but I want THIS to continue to exist!!

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 4:31 UTC (Thu) by ksmathers (guest, #2353) [Link] (1 responses)

If we want it to BE, then we shouldn't complain about $60/annum .. Either we DO want to support this, or we don't.

Well, as I wrote, I have supported 'this'. Discounts for yearly service encourage more people to join for a year at a time so that I don't have to wonder if the thing will exist next week, or the week after, or the week after that. It also concentrates the membership drive into discreet points in time so people don't get bored with the message.

The multi-rate thing is almost more like NPR (which I also donate money to). I'm confused by whether I'm supporting the site with my membership, or paying for membership. If it is support, then where is my LWN thankyou mug? ;)

A new era for LWN

Posted Oct 23, 2002 16:34 UTC (Wed) by phubert (guest, #2972) [Link]

Yeah, I bought a Linux mug from some site ..ahhh ON THE MUG: www.linux.org .. but the darned thing was too small to USE... gotta be 16 oz.

O.K. lwn.net, you wanna sell mugs for support: make them BIG ..please?

I gave away 5 or 6 of the linux.org mugs .. but no one else is using them, either.. see my point?

Perhaps the Tux Gallery could provide some inspiration for mug designs?
(Yeah, I DON'T know if that would be practical .. but if it IS.. I may have hit on a new source of revenue for lwn.. right?)

Subscription: employed rate vs. not.

Posted Sep 25, 2002 19:52 UTC (Wed) by frazier (guest, #3060) [Link]

I'm between jobs but took out 6 months at the employed rate.

You guys at LWN are the best, please stay that way!

Subscription

Posted Sep 25, 2002 20:34 UTC (Wed) by nick.leroy (guest, #109) [Link]

I just subscribed. I just wanted to say that I'm glad that LWN is still on the 'net, and that I'm glad to be able to help support this great cause.

While I'm at it, though, I'd like to say that I agree that a counter would be a good idea. Speaking of which, how many do you have?

It would also be interesting to see a graph of subscriptions vs. time, at least for the first month or so, or even the first couple of days.

-Nick

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 20:56 UTC (Wed) by ewbish (guest, #3043) [Link]

I just signed up. Been using you for all my 'nix info for so long can't imagine doing without. One think I would like to see though. How about adding a Security mailing list? Yah I know, there are a million of 'em out there, but your security info is IMHO, the best in the business. It would be nice to have a security mailing list to go hand in hand with your security section-things like distro security updates, open source vulnerabilities, etc. Just my .02.

Eric Bueschel

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 25, 2002 21:07 UTC (Wed) by cajal (guest, #4167) [Link] (6 responses)

So I have to ask - if we already donated money a few months ago, will that count towards our subscriptions?

I know that a lot of the donations were voided by your credit card processing company, but I thought that some weren't.

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 25, 2002 21:21 UTC (Wed) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] (5 responses)

No donations have actually been "voided" by the credit card processor. We still don't have all of that money, but most of it has found its way to us, and we expect to get the rest eventually.

We attempted to send email to all donors offering them free subscriptions, and many have responded. A few donors did not give us email addresses, or gave addresses that bounced. If you are one of those, please drop us a note and we'll set you up.

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 26, 2002 3:13 UTC (Thu) by lonely_bear (subscriber, #2726) [Link]

What are the information you needed to identify a doner? I have donated some money through cridit card, and the bill indicated it has been charged. But I did not received any email. I am not sure whether I have left any email address while doing the donation.

Anyway it does not matter. A donation is a donation. I did not expect to get a free subscription at the first place.

Just now I try to do a subscription, but get connection error? any problem?

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 26, 2002 4:44 UTC (Thu) by jcurious (guest, #2845) [Link]

I never got an offer, but it's no biggie.. consider my previous donation a "past due" ;)

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 26, 2002 15:13 UTC (Thu) by Clonezone (guest, #753) [Link]

Well, I donated and I've independently subscribed. I consider the donation retroactive subscription payment. LWN can keep it. They deserve it.

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 26, 2002 16:28 UTC (Thu) by a9db0 (subscriber, #2181) [Link]

I donated, but didn't get the email (or it got filtered).

Not to worry, though. I've been a regular reader since 1998 or so, and I'd call it payment of back subscription dues.

Oh, and your subscription process is blissfuly pain free. Thanks.

What if we already donated?

Posted Sep 30, 2002 20:42 UTC (Mon) by unaiur (guest, #3563) [Link]

This was my first transatlantic debit card operation and it went fine. 15.47 was charged on my bank account. Until now, I thought that the Visa Electron card only works on Europe...

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 21:44 UTC (Wed) by affero (guest, #4182) [Link]

If you like, you can also create an account on affero, and choose LWN as a beneficiary. If you answer a lot of questions for people on forums, mailing lists and IRC you may just get some donations.

Everything helps!

Check my link.

Please help LWN!
http://svcs.affero.net/rm.php?r=creed&p=LWN

Just subscribed as well.

Posted Sep 25, 2002 21:44 UTC (Wed) by tmattox (subscriber, #4169) [Link]

I'm glad to contribute my 2 cents, um, $120, to a wonderful site.
I've been reading LWN for years, not sure how far back.
Great work on the Kernel page, and the rest too.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 22:39 UTC (Wed) by planet12 (guest, #4199) [Link]

Is there any chance of having a "struggling self employed hacker" option at say US$3.75 per month / US$45 per year?

I haven't yet subscribed as I don't feel right calling myself a "starving hacker", but on the other hand the yearly subscription fee for "professional hacker" equates to a weeks worth of food for myself and my family.

Somewhere in between I could probably justify to my wife, considering how useful LWN is to me.

P.S. In the demographic information collection form when creating an account there is no way to specify "I develop both free and proprietory software", which I believe is quite a common situation.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 25, 2002 22:48 UTC (Wed) by mjt (guest, #1515) [Link] (2 responses)

Yeah, great. One thing left to do - at my side - is to figure out
how to transfer money to lwn from here... Never had/used any smartcard
before (there was no need). Check transfer will cost additional ~20%.
Oh well... (Errm, I'm at a strange place in the world... ;)
Ok, ok, so let's try some credit card first time for LWN... ;)

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 6:00 UTC (Thu) by Wuukie (guest, #4282) [Link] (1 responses)

Same here; I don't have a credit card and I spent all my money paying the transfer fees to Western Union while helping Blender3D. ;)

Maybe some day...

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 30, 2002 20:50 UTC (Mon) by unaiur (guest, #3563) [Link]

A debit card also works (at least Visa Electron)

A new era for LWN -- and no strings attached!

Posted Sep 26, 2002 2:58 UTC (Thu) by a_hippie (guest, #34) [Link]

Greetings:

I was very concerned about the fate of LWN following the recent
separation of LWN from who ever it was, oh yeah, Tucows.

The more I think about the issue, the happier I am that Tucows
and LWN have parted. This completely frees LWN of the concern
"biting the hand that feeds it." Now I can be assured that if
the story needs bias views, it gets it; if a story needs global
objective views, it gets it. Yes, the more I think about this,
the better I feel that you are now looking out for us, the readers,
not some browbeating bigwig with a paycheck.

I am looking forward to getting my personal "too poor to pay
attention" subscription!

Please continue making LWN the great read that it has always been.
Next, perhaps you can get all the folks that were lost over the
last year and a half back so we can have all the other departs
return to LWN.

This is my nickel's worth, please keep the change.

Wishing you the best,

tatah

a_hippie

Bug

Posted Sep 26, 2002 5:32 UTC (Thu) by ctg (guest, #3459) [Link] (2 responses)

Either a bug or very confusing... it looks like 12 * $10 == $10

Eklektix, Inc. (LWN.net)
 556 Grant Avenue
 Louisville, CO 80027
 USA
 FEIN 84-1408602
 September 26, 2002


Item(s) purchased


Item
Description
Cost


1
LWN.net monthly subscription at the project leader level for 12 months
$10.00


TOTAL:
$10.00


 Paid via credit card ending in xxxx on September 26, 2002

Bug

Posted Sep 26, 2002 6:03 UTC (Thu) by bombadil (subscriber, #2968) [Link] (1 responses)

Probably not a bug. You subscribed for 12 months on a monthly basis which results in paying 10$ now. Next month another 10$ and so on ...

Bug

Posted Sep 26, 2002 19:09 UTC (Thu) by ctg (guest, #3459) [Link]

I see.

I obviously didn't understand that. I wanted to pay one lump sum. I'm actually mildly annoyed at the prospect of continual debits over the next 12 months. I'm happy for $120 dollars to go in one fell swoop while I have the money for it...

Excellent Timing

Posted Sep 26, 2002 5:36 UTC (Thu) by ctg (guest, #3459) [Link]

I've spent 6 months being a starving hacker... but have just got a three month contract... and have been paid. I was going to by a wireless card for my notebook (after mortgage payments etc) - but for the same price I can buy a subscription to LWN and read about all the security problems with 802.11b instead of encountering them. Which seems a far better thing to me.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 9:46 UTC (Thu) by pointwood (guest, #2814) [Link]

Just signed up. Thanks for providing such a great news site!

Hard to justify

Posted Sep 26, 2002 14:22 UTC (Thu) by kbee (subscriber, #4468) [Link]

I have read with sympathy about your struggle to find a way for LWN to pay for itself. I sent a donation at the end of March because I think you provide a valuable service, and I'm a fellow supporter of free software. However, I can't justify the subscription terms you've set up.

I agree with what some posters said - that you are playing 'not to lose' by offering subscriptions on a monthly basis in case you go under. For me as an individual, should you go under, I would just consider it a donation to free software.

I think $60 is too much to pay annually when I can wait a week and get the news for free. PC Magazine is going for $35/year. I know it's not a clean comparison because they are print, and they offer free access via the web site.

I would suggest $40 on an annual basis, tops, and make me wait a month to get the free version. Make it hurt a little. Or only make part free immediately and make part subscription only ala Salon. The second suggestion is less in the spirit of free software though.

Keep trying, and thanks for the open discussion.

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 14:30 UTC (Thu) by mdarmistead (guest, #4472) [Link]

Just subscibed at the $5.00/MO rate. A $5/mo hit on the credit card is fine. Consider this: If you buy one soda per day from a vending machine at work, (here in OK a can is .50) given four - 5 day work weeks, you spend $10.00 per month for a liquid that runs through your body and is eliminated within 24 hours! So, for LESS than the cost of a single soda per day, you can get LWN for the whole year. Now, maybe we ought to do a cost comparison for those people who daily drink $TARBUCK$ coffee.......

divide yearly subscription

Posted Sep 26, 2002 16:05 UTC (Thu) by kay (guest, #1362) [Link]

Hi,

I subscribe for 3 month but dont like the monthly paying.

May be you can divide the 12 month subscription period into 3, 6, 9 and 12 month. So I can donate aehm subscribe with one payment for a given period of time.

alternative you can extend the monthly subscription to 3 and 6 month.

Kay

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 20:38 UTC (Thu) by dkite (guest, #4577) [Link]

My first internet subscription. Best 5 bucks a month I've ever spent.

Keep us all informed. If 5 ain't enough, let us know.

Derek

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 26, 2002 22:07 UTC (Thu) by barbara (guest, #3014) [Link]

I've just signed up. LWN is the best site for Linux news, IMNSHO.

As others have said earlier, please consider annual, quarterly, and bi-monthly payments as well. Play to win!

Barbara

Lycka till!

Posted Sep 26, 2002 23:10 UTC (Thu) by Jerker (guest, #4582) [Link]

I hope my subscribtion can be of any help.

I have suggested a site-subscription to my university library...

Good luck!
Regards,
Jerker Nyberg.
Computer Science student, Uppsala, Sweden.

Future Plans

Posted Sep 27, 2002 13:50 UTC (Fri) by amh (guest, #1902) [Link]

I seriously hope that LWN succeeds -- I've just signed up for 12 months.

I wanted to mention that one of the best things about LWN at present is its small overall size, plus very high S/N ratio. I'm not sure I would welcome it becoming much bigger, because then I could skim it in half-an-hour a week.

Just my tuppenorth.

Andrew Hilborne

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 27, 2002 14:11 UTC (Fri) by tor (guest, #4684) [Link]

Ok I signed up for a year ($60) after seeing Larry McVoy's
posting on lkml.
From another intenational subscriber,
Tor (Norway)

Text based Ads

Posted Sep 27, 2002 14:28 UTC (Fri) by Odinson (guest, #1402) [Link]

Please don't stop ads for subscribers. I occationally find interesting products through them. I'm sure you get some revenue from them and the sooner you get on your feet the better. Since they are so unobtrusive I really have no problem with them.

Now if they where 2 min flash pop up adds...

shiver

A new era for LWN

Posted Sep 27, 2002 14:43 UTC (Fri) by leews (subscriber, #4690) [Link]

I've read LWN since the beginning, and I congradulate you for sticking with it through thick and thin.

Just signed up. Keep up the good work.

WS (from Singapore)

Possible to get a bill?

Posted Sep 30, 2002 16:57 UTC (Mon) by zmi (guest, #4829) [Link] (2 responses)

Hey LWN,

I'd like to subscribe but wanted to know whether I can get a bill for that? That's a question from several people here, because their company would pay for it.

Hope you go on!
zmi

Possible to get a bill?

Posted Sep 30, 2002 20:02 UTC (Mon) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] (1 responses)

The subscription process provides an "invoice" page at the end of the process. If you need something on paper, drop us a note, and we'll see what we can do.

Possible to get a bill?

Posted Oct 5, 2002 19:28 UTC (Sat) by zmi (guest, #4829) [Link]

OK, that should be enough for the finance. I didn't go that far in the beginning, because I was not sure that this will be there.

You should do something on that: A lot of developers could have their company pay the subscription, but they would need a bill on paper, with an account number where money can be transferred to. A lot of companies here in Europe do not have credit cards, so that's for sure a big problem right now. Fix that, and you might have a lot of other subscriptions.

I subscribed for 6 months at once now, because I dislike to pay always a litte bit (in fact, it would cost me more because my finance advisor bills me per booking line). If in 6 months you still exist, I will book for another year.

Good luck, and greetings from Austria/Europe,
zmi

A new era for LWN - Please offer yearly lump sum subscriptions!

Posted Oct 1, 2002 0:00 UTC (Tue) by pgoetz (guest, #4931) [Link] (2 responses)

I understand your desire to "not charge people for services they haven't received" in case LWN goes out of business, but I think you're making a serious mistake by not offering the option of paying for an entire year at once.

Never mind the annoyance of having a $5 charge on my credit card every month. (I would select a lump sum payment for this reason alone). A more serious issue is that I can't get reimbursed by my company given this payment structure. If I paid a single $60 for one year and got an invoice, I would take it to my local bean-counter and get a crisp new $60 electronic transfer at the end of the month. As it is, it's simply not worth the bother of going through the paperwork to get $5 reimbursements every month.

For this reason, I'm 100% certain you're actually costing yourself subscriptions by not offering a lump sum payment option! As cynical as this might sound, people are a lot more relaxed when spending the boss's money and might not even be losing sleep over the fact that they won't get their full value out of a year's subscription. Please reconsider this ill-advised decision, as I've been reading LWN for a long time and would like to see you all stick around.

btw, I bought a subscription anyway, of course, but I'm probably not canonical.

A new era for LWN - Please offer yearly lump sum subscriptions!

Posted Oct 1, 2002 14:47 UTC (Tue) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] (1 responses)

But we do offer one-payment subscriptions. We just don't encourage them for the reasons I've outlined above. But if you want to pay in one shot, just select that option in the subscription process.

A new era for LWN - Please offer yearly lump sum subscriptions!

Posted Oct 8, 2002 12:42 UTC (Tue) by ortalo (guest, #4654) [Link]

I have been given access to the October 3 edition, and I'd be happy
to extend it, but is it possible to "extend a subscription" for more
than one month?
As a non-US (european) reader, I suspect that my bank will charge some
money for the euro/dollar currency exchange. I'd rather keep that
cost low in proportion of the total subscription cost (whoever
pays it: LWN.net or me :-).

I'd really like to go to a 6 month or 12 month subscription extension.
(And I promise I will be reasonable and not extend too much so that
you do not get too much money too fast... :-))

Overseas payment options

Posted Oct 2, 2002 13:00 UTC (Wed) by Benno (guest, #5100) [Link]

I'm from overseas and have been an avid reader for over a year, what i'd like to know is how best to get the $120 to you, would an IMO suit? and where should i send it?

Congratulations!

Posted Oct 2, 2002 15:27 UTC (Wed) by dlpierson (guest, #5124) [Link]

As a survivor of a website .com, I have some idea how hard it was to
make this decision. Hope my $10 a month helps.

One quibble on account creation -- I left the "what type of development
do you do?" unanswered because you had no answer for someone who develops
both proprietary and free software.

Good luck,

Dan Pierson

Just wanted to say that cookie handling works

Posted Oct 9, 2002 1:30 UTC (Wed) by TheOneKEA (guest, #615) [Link]

Mozilla 1.0.1 is now fully supported with cookies; LWN's cookies stay in my cache and log me in when I come to the site. Great job y'all :)