I hate to follow up to a thread that might actually be profitable for
me, but I felt I had to clarify a few points - especially if there are
new linux users out there reading the thread. 

If people feel they want to send me money (indirectly or directly) as a
token of appreciation, that's very much ok by me (surprise, surprise),
but a token of appreciation is all it is going to be.  Yes, I'll be able
to pay off my machine more quickly or even get a bigger harddisk or
whatever, but sending me money won't get you any better service - this
is definitely not a "registration fee" or anything like that. 

The above just means that (a) even if you don't send any money I won't
mind in the least that you use linux, and when I answer questions etc I
won't check if you sent me money first. And (b) even if you sent me
money, any features you propose/want will get no extra priority. In
fact, trying to make me feel guilty over money ("after all, I paid you
$20 for this") is likely to get the exact opposite reaction.

Finally, I won't give any guarantees of what the money will be used for:
if you add some kind of message giving preferences ("use it to pay off
your computer"), I'll naturally follow them within reasonable limits,
but I might just use them to pay off my "beer&pizza"-debts (*), which
might be against your religion or whatever. 

So, the result of all this? If somebody thought I was despairing about
my monthly payments, that's not true, and frankly, I'll get the computer
paid off even if nobody sends me a cent, even if it might take me a bit
longer.  Also, there are others that have contributed to linux, and I
won't give them anything (not because I'm a selfish bastard, but simply
due to practical reasons).

If any of the above reasons made you decide I don't really need the
money, I just ask you not to mail me about it.  I /don't/ want to know
about any money I might have gotten, but didn't.

                Linus

(*) Yes, beer is reasonably costly over here in Finland, but no, my
debts aren't really that big.  Quite small, in fact, considering..