We need to talk about the future...

Here in the US, we just celebrated Thanksgiving. If you shared in the celebration, I hope yours was a wonderful and joyous day. Thanksgiving is a holiday all about gratitude (as the name might imply). So let me just say that despite all the hardship and uncertainty, I'm so incredibly thankful for the life I live, the opportunities I've received, and the friends I've made throughout my career.

In particular, though, I'm thankful for all of you; the readers here on The Bryant Review. Over the last 9 (or so) months, the articles on this site have garnered nearly 400,000 views. Let me say that again: four hundred thousand views.

This is an absolutely astonishing number to me. When I started this site, it was a generic Wordpress blog that was littered with my personal musings.

Now? We're aggregating the writings of four other amazing authors who are telling stories about the struggles of indie developers, and promoting free, ethical, and humane technology.

I'm so incredibly proud of the work we're doing and I want to continue betting on myself, the team we've assembled here, as well as a bright, open future.

But there's a problem...

I need your help

As you might know, I've been dealing with some health issues over the last two years. You may have also heard about the unstable situation in the US surrounding healthcare.

Suffice it to say, my health insurance premium will nearly quadruple in price in 2026. And that 3x increase is with the ACA's subsidies.

However, there's a very real chance that ACA subsidies will not be renewed. If the are not, my premiums will increase by a factor of ten.

Either way, I can no longer afford my health insurance. But I also I have a disability that requires multiple daily injections. Without health insurance, my medications would be completely out of reach for me.

This means that I'm being forced to choose between living & working my passion independently (which is what I've done for the last six years) or finding full-time employment and abandoning what I consider to be my life's work.

In my 11 years in the public eye I have never asked for money. I've never needed to. I've had a Patreon and I've thanked the folks who've decided to pledge their support. That's it.

Now, I'm placed in the unenviable position of e-begging.

And I get it. I'm not the only one in this boat, right? So many of my fellow Americans are needlessly suffering because of our derelict, morally bankrupt leaders.

Yet I can't help but feel embarrassed. Not that I have to ask, but because I'm in a position where asking for your support is even an option for me. There are so many others who must feel even more helpless than I do right now.

Frankly, I lead a frugal (even austere) life. I don't have much use for comfort, I don't take vacations (or even days off), and I don't see value in convenience.

I have made countless decisions meant to maximize my independence. In the past, I've foregone job offers from huge companies so I could remain free from the demands of unscrupulous businesses and stay true to our shared values.

Yet the last year or so, especially, has pushed me up against a financial cliff's edge. Increases in groceries, medical bills, electricity cost, car repairs, and heating. A 3x increase in my healthcare premium? That will push me over the edge.

I don't know what I'm going to do, but I do know that I'm exhausted. And I also know that if I cannot make ends meet and have to find regular employment, I won't have the time or energy to put into The Review, let alone my channel.

And that's the last thing I want.

I feel like we're on the cusp of something amazing. Not only because I've been at this for over a decade–but because of how far we've come in that decade. Because of the trajectory I see us on. Because of Steam Machines and the growing adoption of Linux, the explosion of free software projects and a cultural shift towards a better world informed by ethical, humane, and open technologies.

I want to be here to document it. I want to help contribute to it. I want to stick with this and witness a better future together.

I only know how to bet on myself. It's what I've done my whole life. And, for the most part, that's been a good strategy. I believe if we can get through the next two or three years, we'll come out stronger as individuals, as a society, and as a species.

So if you find value in the work I'm doing here and if (and only if) you can afford it, I'd ask you to consider pledging monthly support here on the site.

If we can hit $500 per month here on The Review, it will give me the breathing room I need to continue. I know we are a long way out, but every bit helps!

The best way for you to contribute to my work is here on The Review. But there's also my Patreon campaign.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your continued support, and thank you for making this all possible.

About The Author:

Gardiner Bryant

I'm an educator, free software advocate, and storyteller. My passion lies in Linux gaming, self-hosting, the fediverse, and the human stories behind the tech we use every day. I believe in privacy, justice, community, and integrity.