[HN Gopher] How LWN is faring in 2025
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How LWN is faring in 2025
Author : leephillips
Score : 111 points
Date : 2025-05-03 16:20 UTC (6 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (lwn.net)
(TXT) w3m dump (lwn.net)
| nu11ptr wrote:
| Is this backlash against the US or indications of a recession
| that is starting?
| abnercoimbre wrote:
| I'm trying to figure out the same. _Por que no los dos?_
| leephillips wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| Let's just donate or subscribe because something like LWN must be
| kept alive at all costs.
| wood_spirit wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| ^ This * millions of people = recession
| Volundr wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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.
| markvdb wrote:
| Superb publication for anyone into free/open source software. You
| could do worse than get your employer to get a group
| subscription...
| vlovich123 wrote:
| > 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 wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| That's what the broader statement is about but this specific
| statement seems to be implying difficulty accepting payments.
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(page generated 2025-05-03 23:01 UTC)