I was delighted that Jon Corbet pinged me to say he was finally implementing a supporter option for LWN.  It's been about 12 months since I started asking about it, and 6 since I started asking publicly.  When it finally arrived, in classical FOSS brand-suicide style, it was named the "Maniacal supporter" option.  I don't think Jon believed anyone would actually pay more "for nothing", but curiosity finally won out.

But he's wrong: people want the consistent commentry and in-depth analysis that only dedicated experts like Jon can provide.  And we know that if they don't get enough money, they'll have to stop writing and take day jobs; this is not some abstract charity.  I want Jon to be comfortable and LWN financially secure and able to concentrate on what they do best, which seems to be a rare skill in our community.  This is a start in that direction; I welcome your suggestions on what to do next...