Benefits for LWN subscribers:

• Primary benefit is helping keep LWN publishing.
• Subscribers get immediate access to all site content and extra features.

Unison:

• MIT-licensed programming language since 2013.
• Focuses on cloud computing to simplify distributed system development.
• Stores code in an append-only, content-addressed database.
• Code is named like Git tags using hashes based on structure.
• Editing code alerts Unison and presents problems or offers updates.
• Renaming doesn't break code; different versions have different hashes.
• Can update functions without breaking existing code.

Abilities:

• An effect system to track code's needs.
• IO ability for general I/O operations.
• Custom abilities for specific functionality.
• Programmers can mock abilities for testing.
• Abilities make testing distributed programs simpler.

Funding:

• Unison Computing offers Unison Cloud.
• Allows running Unison programs on managed hardware.
• Money goes to core developers to continue work.
• Project accepts outside contributions and remains open source.

Drawbacks:

• Not designed for multi-language programs.
• Unison Share needs custom tools as code isn't text-based.
• Upgrading libraries has partial solutions like small libraries, abilities, and patches.
• In active development with performance and bug issues.
• Not widely packaged yet; downloads available from releases page.

Overall, Unison presents an alternative approach to software development with unique features and challenges.