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Alexander Kurz's avatar

First time I thought substack is going in the wrong direction was when I saw that the "Read in Browser" button had disappeared. Now it only says "READ IN APP".

One reason why the internet is dysfunctional is that platforms try to enclose users in apps instead of using the browser as a universal interface. To put it in a slogan: Apps are fiefdoms, browsers are interoperable.

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Alexander Kurz's avatar

I just started to read Doctorow's "The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation". It has a lot of good background information on how Facebook and other platforms try to lock users into apps.

One was hoping that Substack would be different.

If Substack forced us into an app (in order to make switching costs high for us later) then they would already be on their way of enshittification (one of Doctorow's apt terms describing the way all internet platforms seem to go).

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