Jason Kottke's giving it all up for blogging.
The long time weblogger has left his job and wants his readers to help him out and let him edit his blog full-time. Yes, you heard me right.
I'm asking the regular readers of kottke.org (that's you!) to become micropatrons of kottke.org by contributing a moderate sum of money to help enable me to edit/write/design/code the site for one year on a full-time basis. If you find kottke.org valuable in any way, please consider giving whatever you feel is appropriate.
This will be a one-time "fund drive" lasting 3 weeks, you may make contributions via PayPal, credit card, or check, there will be some great gifts as an incentive for you to give (more details here), and your contributions will be the primary means of support for the site. And yes, I have absolutely no idea if this will work and I'm completely nervous and exhilarated by the challenges ahead.
Is this a case of genuine attempt to do something new - or is it just Jason putting your money where his mouth is?
I'm not sure. I admire Jason, who is a great observer of the net, but I do scoff a little at the idea that he's "attempting to revisit the idea of arts patronage in the context of the internet". Some say it's just cyber begging - after all, on the surface does it seem that different from SaveKaryn or the regular fundraising drives by Andrew Sullivan or hosts of camgirl types?
Some think so. Over at our sister Newsblog, Jane Perrone says that "as someone who does get paid for writing and blogging, I have to applaud Kottke's brave move", which is a fair stance.
But he's got a lot of friends, and a lot of readers. At the very least it will be interesting to see the outcome: will he be living in the lap of luxury off the contributions of his avid readers, or blogging daily about the hardships of existing in abject - and self-induced - poverty?
So fingers crossed for him - he might just make it through...
