The problem isn’t that Elon Musk owns Twitter – it’s that you don’t
It’s time you had your own private social network
If you’re into writing and reading, few games on the internet are more fun than Twitter at its best. The witty one-liners, the quick retorts, the spectacular insults—it’s a heady cocktail for wordcels. But while we may be convincing ourselves that we’re participating in discourse in the public square, we’re actually in a cage, making a spectacle of ourselves for little more than weak dopamine hits and a few pretend friends. The real prizes go to Twitter itself, now under the control of Elon Musk.
When you publish your thoughts on Twitter, you are doing labor for that company. Yes, you get followers, but you can’t take them with you. Unless you count Super Follows (do you?), they can’t pay to support you, either. You’re the product, not the customer. Twitter needs your mind so it can satisfy its real customers: advertisers.
For the same reason, you don’t have real agency on Twitter. The machine decides who sees your posts and what gets amplified. The machine decides whether or not your post, or even your account, can stay online. The machine decides what you see. And this problem is true of all social networks. When it comes to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, the rules are the same. You don’t own your audience. You sublimate your will to those companies. You’re in the cage.
But we think there can be something different.
We’ve been saying that Substack is about more than just newsletters and that the communities people are building on this platform are like private social networks. We’re only beginning to execute on an expansive vision of a new media economy, one that will be richer, more valuable, and more exciting than any that has come before it. And we’re moving fast. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll release a slew of new features that allow writers and readers to hang out with each other, reference each other, share each other’s work, and show their status on the platform.
We believe that the next era of the social internet will be about deep relationships over shallow engagement; signal over noise; and ownership over serfdom. When people have the power over platforms, rather than the other way round, we can have more rewarding social experiences and healthier discourse, where we seek to understand our neighbors rather than score points against them. When the network is funded by paid subscriptions, not ads, trust relationships trump viral content.
The Substack model allows for a different view of social networking because it’s based on new rules. We should all be uncomfortable with the idea that a singular figure can hold dictatorial influence over a social platform that ultimately derives its power from the collective contributions of its participants, who don’t get to share in its riches. We’re not into the idea of a handful of social networks utterly dominating the collective consciousness, but we’re very into the idea of millions of writers and creators having more control over the social internet, specifically in the form of their own spaces where they set the terms of engagement. That kind of dynamic represents the old promise of the internet, where power accrues to the people. That we have somehow reached the point where digital powers go exclusively to already-dominant aggregators, an almost irreversible rich-get-richer effect, is a perversion of all that was good about the early internet. This is not what we dialed up for.
Okay, so perhaps we can’t quite build a utopia. Few can honestly claim they will, though many techno-optimists will try. The truth is we’re capitalists just like the other guys—but the way we make money is different. Our company makes money only when you do, which means we are literally invested in your success. What’s more, you can leave at any time. We make it easy. Unlike on Twitter—or any of the other major social media platforms—you aren't “locked in” on Substack. You can take your content, mailing list, and payments relationships off the platform with a few clicks. That puts pressure on us to keep proving that the value we deliver justifies the fee you pay us. It’s a good pressure—it’s why we build world-class publishing tools that make running a media empire simple; it’s why we take care of customer support on behalf on Substack writers; and it’s why we continue to invest in building network effects into the product. Today, more than 40 percent of all subscriptions and 12 percent of paid subscriptions on Substack come directly from our network.
We don’t think Twitter is going to disappear anytime soon, nor should it. It has its uses, and even cage fights can be fun. But it’s time for a real alternative—one where people, not machines, have control; one where writers and creators can make reliable incomes from the work they do on the platform; one where important conversations can take place with nuance instead of snark.
It’s time to move beyond the era of Big Social using platform lock-in and attention traps to monopolize our minds. We shouldn’t need to fret so much about a dictator holding dominion over a vast digital media empire. The power should reside with the people. The power should reside with you.
You can expect to hear a lot more from us on these matters in the days ahead. Come build with us.
Over a decade ago, my book publisher told me that it was absolutely critical to generate a social media following in order to help sell my next title. I dutifully followed the advice (more like command) and built up a robust-at-the-time group on Facebook. It took time, attention, some money, and alot of creative output on my part. And yet, I continue to have to feed the beast and hope--as Hamish says--that the algorithm will like me with each continuing day.
There is nothing more empowering than controlling that destiny here on Substack. My following here's isn't quite as big, but I still reach many more people with each post than I do with an average one on Facebook. And it's guaranteed.
So glad to be here and exercising so much more freedom over my fans. Thanks all at Substack!
Neal
p.s. I could write another screed on how it's publishers that should be the ones creating their own sizable direct channels to their readers, but somehow that seems a lost cause.
It’s a lost cause because a lot of readers don’t buy because of the publisher. This is less true in niche houses like poetry or Buddhist stuff.
Agree with that, but given the amount of content--and authors--that the big 5 publishers have at their ready, they could have founded a robust site, at the very least like LitHub and their social channels could be much more than one bookcover after the next. IMO.
Yes!!!
As a tiny publisher I believe it is both myself and the authors responsibility to have social networks in which to market books too. It is that initial push and hope of pre-orders that effectively make a book viable a lot of the time. I don’t have any stats, but if a author has an audience of 10k+ that are quite engaged, it does give confidence that the book will sell.
Quitting Twitter after 14 years has been an odd experience, but a refreshing one. There are things I miss, but ultimately I found that it diverted my attention from things that brought me more joy - writing longer-form content on Substack and in other places, for example. I found that the chemical hit of approval (or disapproval) sent me on an up-and-down rollercoaster that became dangerously familiar. I had a lot of fun there, and got a LOT out of it. If I were a purist I'm sure I wouldn't be on social media at all! Ultimately it helps to whittle down one's presence to the sites that bring one happiness, and that's different for everyone. I'm glad to have more time to focus on writing here and elsewhere. I learn so much from many writers here.
Did you quit Twitter due to Elon purchasing it? That seems odd. He seems to be motivated by allowing more voices into the conversation. It was a “whatever the government narrative is” platform that will now be open to those allowed to question state narratives. As a writer (and a lover of the first amendment), I assumed that would draw more people to Twitter. It is weird to see people, who had no issues with Twitter when it engaged in censorship, leave when that censorship is relieved, at least a little.
Having said that, I too love the long form conversations and reporting that can occur on platforms like Substack and through podcast. Through those outlets, like Rogan’s show and reading writers who were banned for questioning the truthfulness of the pandemic narrative (which were all proven correct over time), it allows the reader or listener to actually hear an issue be discussed in depth, and it covers both sides of an argument that just cannot exist in 280 characters, especially when at least a quarter of the responses are most likely bot accounts.
So I would encourage you, if you’re interested in finding truth and not just a like minded audience, to continue to engage on Twitter, Substack, and other outlets. This is the only way to have the debates necessary to keep those in power checked by the press (which is currently just a propaganda arm for the Democrat Party, except Fox News, which is just propaganda for the Republican Party) and “We the people.” There is a shift occurring, away from those cheerleading operations and toward actual debate. Your voice is needed (and everyone else’s) to find the answers to what type of society we want. Do we want the social compact outlined in our declaration and constitution, or, are we going to continue to see it be degraded by those who swore to uphold and defend it, specifically, politicians and the press?
Nope. I'm an addict in recovery, and have found certain social media platforms to be more addictive for me personally. You can check out my post about it here though. https://sarajbenincasa.substack.com/p/quitting-can-be-fun
That makes total sense. Thanks for an adult response, unlike some of the other responses, which are further exhibits of the points I outlined. Congrats on your recovery! One day at a time!
If you really believe that Musk has any genuine interest in facilitating the publication of increased diverse opinion and/or freeing up content without mitigation of the simplistic, abusive and quarrelsome, then I'm surprised. Clearly you are intelligent and articulate and in favour of genuine discourse. My feeling is that all indications are that Musk is not of similar ilk.
Jesus, dude. Calm down.
LOL... Amen.
Thanks James for this important comment. I thought the same thing. Been scratching my head in disbelief for two years as so many went along happily with censorship of every kind.
Not on Twitter but I am excited to see many voices returned to this outlet so once again open conversations can ensue
You’re hilarious. Your understanding of Elon, Rogan, and the pandemic is hilarious. You are one of the silliest clowns, and for that i thank you
Yes, the “you are one of the silliest clown” argument is incredibly powerful and totally the retort of a mature adult. Tell me you’re a Leftist without telling me you’re a Leftist.
Inform me, please, on the “pandemic” and the “treatment.”
What ingredients are in the “vaccine?”
Does the “vaccine” prevent infection or transmission?
Did government officials, from Trump, Fauci, And Birx, down to Biden and his regime, claim that the “vaccine” prevented infection and transmission of the virus?
Where did the virus come from and how did it get released? What evidence do you have to support any claims you make?
Is it constitutional for the government (or anyone else) to require someone to inject unknown drugs into their bloodstream in order to keep their job?
Why were certain doctors censored on Twitter and other platforms for their information regarding the early treatment of patients with Covid?
Did states with draconian lockdowns and mask mandates decrease the spread of the virus compared to states who did not?
Were the lockdowns and mask mandates constitutional? If so, where in the Constitution provides the federal government that authority?
These are just a few questions that would be answered already if you lived in a free country with a free press. What we have is government propaganda arms. They are not interested in being honest (I mean we’ve had 9,000 hearing on Jan 6th where apparently 500 boomers are capable of overthrowing the greatest government and military on the earth without using a single firearm), they are interested in their “team” winning “elections.” The Right has their own propagandist, but there is only one channel for that. What we need is a citizenry that desires to hold both sides to what the Constitution says, and nothing more or less. However, I feel like the blue koolaid has stained your dress due to how quickly you sucked the bottom out of that cup!
Twitter is going the way of unregulated, unsafe social sites. Such unsafe platforms are literally trolled by machines and it's users are regularly victims manipulated by these troll farms, hate accounts and disinfo algorithms, often encouraged or paid for by foreign entities that have zero interest in democracy or the health of it's people. Telegram, Rumble for example are nearly all Ru operations designed to convert users to extremism, spread disinfo and act as a collective place for extremism and hate. Ask a real OSInt researcher who studies this, it's factually clear, but they are crushed by opposition and greed and people like you spreading falsities about constitutional rights.
Such sites are often strongly associated with Ru disinfo operations. It's literally the modern day version of active measures or ideological subversion flowering from it's cold war roots.
See this:
https://youtu.be/tR_6dibpDfo
Once you hopefully make the connection, you'll realize how wrong you are, and see how it's infected our social fabric as designed. These aren't single users with one account, it's a machine, a disinfo engine.
But you do you, or are you Ru too.
Think: Digital Red Dawn
They didn't send military equipment to destroy democracy like in the movie.
AMEN!
I used to follow you on Twitter, Sara. I quit the bird app when Elon started going for it, and I’m so happy to have found the writers I love on Substack!
Happy to hear that, oh my goodness. Thank you!
Great points. I think there is real evidence, for al to see, that the 'tech bubble' has brought with it many issues. Corruption of the large companies involved, censoring of free speech, rampant profiteering. I quit twitter, though I'd only used it for a couple of years. Perhaps the most important thing is that we all start really engaging with our own communities again - real, physical ones, you know, the ones where we grew up and that kind of thing(!). 'Tech' is very concerning in many ways. Perhaps we can accelerate it's decomposition to some degree by simply moving away from it as far as possible. Perhaps the rest, the more dire and odious consequences of tech, or at least potential ones such as the lunacy planned by very large companies regarding our privacy and i.o.t and its extensions will need campaigning.
Good for you for getting off!
Currently giving the chat feature a try, and I'm into it
Ok, dumb question probably, but where do I find this chat feature?
Apparently, you have to have an Apple phone for that feature. https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/10410279875092-How-do-I-start-a-Chat-thread-
:( apple can suck my fat one
Sad to read, given the content of the article to which these comments are attached. Perhaps, anyway, it's better that you stick with Twitter or Facebook where such facile responses are ubiquitous.
oh look a clever retort, pity i dont have twatter or facecrap accounts. i bet you do though.
my point obviously went over your head, i dont like apple and wouldnt use it if it were the only option. customer lost until they move elsewhere
Your point did not go over my head. Indeed, its puerile & pointless articulation was about as far from subtle as could be.
That you don't like fruit is irrelevant to this topic. That you don't like Apple is your own affair but in this context, not rational as neither is the general one underlying your comment, ie. that if one doesn't like something one shouldn't use it, even if it is the only option. There are many, many, aspects of life and its artefacts, etc. that most, if not all, of us don't like but we use them anyway for many different reasons.
Continuing the base nature of your comment, in your response, is even more sad.
if you want to use products that not only are massively overpriced but made by virtual slave labour crack on but dont lecture me on how to speak, if you dont like it move on
1. I don't wish to use products such as you describe.
2. I haven't lectured you on any topic, let alone 'how to speak'.
3. On the basis of what you've written, I can't imagine that I am ever likely to willingly follow any direction from you to do anything.
4. Apropos of 3. if by 'move on' you mean 'leave Substack', then it is clearly you who ought to do that as you add nothing to the platform.
1. great
2. yes you have, thats pretty much what you were doing by suggesting i should be on twatter.
3. thats fine, i dont care what you do or dont do
4. by move on i mean, ignore the comment that offends you and dont bother replying, save us both some time and energy that could be better spent by us both
Wrong again.
No, what you have to say is neither valid nor pleasant.
If you don't care what I do or don't do then why persist in telling me what to do?
I will continue to call out irrationality, inaccuracy, rudeness and abuse when I see it.
If you are really concerned with your own time and energy, let alone mine, then why persist in attempting to defend the indefensible or attack me for exposing it? That, of itself, is contradictory to your statement that" " i (sic) don't care what you do or dont (sic) do"
All I wanted to know was when there will be an android version and when might it be available on desktop as well? Thank you
They say soon.
I found way more interesting and productive than on Twitter.
Suggestions for possible improvements for Substack:
1. Consolidation of Newsletters Option:
One of the biggest issues I find Subscribers have is they find publications are effectively flooding their email inbox, so they have to choose to keep deleting emails (to see their other, important work or personal emails) or unsubscribing from Substackers who are 'too' frequent. It also discourages free subscription expansion, and I imagine bandwidth wise it might be an issue for Substack servers if it goes exponential in adoption.
I think this could be solved if Subscribers got a single email a day (at a time of their own choosing) that lists all of the new Substack articles from their various subscriptions that have been published publicly. That way they get a single email that is a list, it no longer clogs up their inbox, and Substack can reduce bandwidth overheads.
2. De-lineate Likes and Comments Notifications:
Currently Substack have an email notification option that toggles *both* likes and comments. It needs to be separated. Personally, notifications about likes as an author seeking to engage with the public aren't particularly useful, and they become a time drain because they have the exact same heading as comment responses on emails.
This makes it very time consuming to respond to comments in a timely manner, especially if you get a lot of likes and comments, because you have to manually check emails to see which are likes and which are actual comments.
3. Have An "Online Only" Option
One of the biggest issues in journalistic reporting is you may, from time to time, be required to issue corrections or retractions for inevitable human mistakes. The problem with this is, you cannot 'retract' or 'correct' a mistaken or erroneous email, which inevitably means you must fire off another email - thus adding one more email to the spam flood counter - in order to notify users of the error, that might have already been corrected on the online version.
I'm aware emails can't really load dynamic content, so what is needed is an option that essentially shows the title and sub-title of the article, and then prompts the user to read online, that way ensuring they are reading the latest (typo-free) edition.
4. Use Sub-Section Delta Changes Instead Of Entire Article Updates
Currently if you want to correct a section - say you're like me and sometimes make an illiterate spelling mistake - you have to load up the *entire* article to correct one word. Wikipedia solves this issue by allowing individuals to edit *sub-sections* of an article.
There's a number of advantages to this. One, it reduces bandwidth overheads for both server and client, which lowers networking costs. Two, it allows writers to more quickly make corrections and changes, without eating into EG mobile data if you're say, a journalist on the move in remote locations.
5. Tracking Data For Unsubscribes For Specific Articles
Ignoring unsubscriptions is a type of toxic positivity, and knowing what articles the public don't like or aren't interested in can help refine a writers' style. Maybe the article wasn't as good quality as it could have been. Currently, unsubscription notices are sent via email, however the option to unsubscribe is often at the bottom of a newsletter. It can therefore be inferred the specific newsletter, in part or in whole, spurred the unsubscription, and that data would be useful to know.
For example, MrBeast - second largest YouTuber in the world at time of writing - on YouTube uses viewership retention rate drop-offs to work out which part of his videos do not work for the audience, so he can remove those unwanted aspects. So capturing which articles were unwanted can give writers crucial feedback, as there may be a trend or an issue to fix.
6. Prompt For Optional Feedback On Why People Are Unsubscribing (And Give It To The Author)
Another issue is currently Substack has no optional feedback form from unsubscribers to let authors know why they chose to unsubscribe. Were the newsletters too regular? Low quality? Topic too offensive for them? Not regular enough? Did not feature the topics they subscribed for? Perhaps the writer was a fraudster? Or maybe they'd like to leave a comment remarking why?
7. Provide Substack Authors With Access To a CSV File Of Their Metadata
I had to build a tool to manually webscrape metadata from Substack, but it is slow, inefficient and cannot provide real time updates. That metadata allowed me to analyse what readers enjoyed from articles, spot trends, and work out what sort of messages promoted growth.
It would be more practical - seeing as other people don't have access to my tool and I don't intend to maintain it for public use - to be able to download article metadata in a .CSV format (this is a widely useable spreadsheet format that can be ported and used on many OSes and read by many software packages). This would aid writers in making decisions and spotting trends.
8. Provide Article-by-Article Timeseries Breakdowns
Another feature Substack could add is a timeseries marking when likes, comments, shares and other interaction events occurred. One thing I'm still blindly guessing is what time of the day my readers actually interact with my Substack at because I don't know when the majority of likes happen.
This wouldn't require any additional data as knowing when a like was pressed is as simple as recording the timestamp of when that happened; likewise shares, subscribes. Comments already have timestamps. Essentially, an 'engagement metric' that shows time-of-date.
9. Audience Origin Breakdowns
Another missing feature is knowing what country most of your subscribers are from (inferred from IP). I like to tailor my topics to accommodate where my audience is from. Americans won't be interested in British law, and British people won't be interested in American law. Currently, I randomly mix the areas of coverage, but it would be nice to know where most are from so I can infer topics of interest and bring them higher quality reporting for their interests. It doesn't need Subscriber specific breakdowns, just an aggregate data that gives a percentage of how many X are from America, how many Y are from Europe etc.
Some ideas.
Like these
Very good ideas that if implemented would be very beneficial. I hope your reply gets read as data is everything. I particularly like the consolidation idea.
I ended up on here because I wanted to get a message out and a few people told me that I needed to use substack for that purpose. My substack ended up taking off and in the space of 8.5 months I've gotten almost 18,700 subscribers and 1.5 millions views despite having no following prior to entering here. That is an amazing degree of reach and something that I 100% owe substack for facilitating.
The thing I really like about this platform is that it incentives making good quality content and being genuine, which is very rare on the internet (I would not want to spend my time being a content creator otherwise), and has an audience which is also extremely receptive to it. I am also astonished that substack gives you access to your mailing list and makes it easy to export (as that is extremely generous on their part).
You all have a great business model and I hope I can continue to support it!
That's really incredible! I've had a (much smaller) but similar experience here in the past 3 weeks with almost 8K views! Congratulations to you—you have a new subscriber too!
Impressive! Did you write anything on Long Covid yet? We are nearly a couple of years in...
Indirectly but not directly, still need to put more things into place first.
Ok! Let me know if you want feedback or quotes from this end.
Midwestern doc..... I just wanted to say that I found your substack first and that led me onto more stacks after that.
Appreciate your writing more than you’ll ever know. Thank you
Thank you. That is very kind thing to say :)
That is an incredible following in such a short amount of time. I have just started a marketing guide for small businesses on Substack, and wonder if I could interview you please about your phenomenal growth?
in the late 2000s those of us who were blogging noticed a drop-off in the comments sections as twitter rose in popularity. so you are talking about reversing time here. might happen
Having come to Substack as a Twitter exile, I have been most pleased with Substack's independence from governmental pressures (so far!), as well as the ability to formulate ideas that require more than 2 sentences, or a bunch of disconnected tweets in a thread. A third point that is important is the "dopamine hit" nature of some social media such as Twitter is much attenuated on Substack. In that sense, it feels like a "healthier" platform. We'll see how Elon Musk evolves or restores Twitter. There may well be a place for collaboration between the two platforms in as yet unknown ways
I really enjoyed meeting you here :)
Why, thank you!
I was permanently suspended from Twitter 4 years ago. I started writing on Facebook, and developed a lovely following~ a community of like-minded people, which has felt nourishing. I'm on Substack (love it), Linked-In, Tumbler and Truth Social, as well. Today I opened another acct. on Twitter, and they somehow recognized me and froze my account again. I'm hoping Musk brings us all back from Twitter exile, but I suppose it'll take several weeks. Anyhow, I'm a blabbermouth with some wisdom, irony and present-day political vitriol to share, and I'm thankful everyday, I have found platforms that enable me to share my truth~ whether it's carried in my YouTube videos, or the aforementioned venues. I've written penetrating, thought-provoking materials since my 20's~ and it's utterly marvelous to share them with a worldwide audience, rather than keep 'em tucked away in a desk drawer.
Agreed. Invest in your own brand, not someone else's.
I don't really think Substack and Twitter are in the same space (sorry). We need an alternative to Twitter, but Substack is something else. Don't get me wrong, loving it!!
I disagree. I think that people (at least a significant portion of them) are rejecting shorter-form, more commercial interactions (sitcoms, terrestrial radio, cable news) and replacing them with longer-form and more complex media (JRE/podcasts, bingeable tv, foreign films/anime, etc.)
Why wouldn't it be the same with words? Twitter ----> Substack & Medium? I get what you're saying, I just disagree.
To be clear, there will always be a place for short-form updates, links, quick videos, and jokes...and I think Twitter is very good for that.
It's also an incredible journalism outlet, but Substack is much more flexible.
The strength of Twitter lies in the real time responses to major events, however the shortform promotes a loss-of-depth which leads to misunderstandings as writers are forced to omit context and details. It also essentially stifles any deep thoughts or insights, and the presence of 'Twitter threads' - chains of Twitter messages by the same author writing on the same topic - shows it is several sizes too small.
Twitter would be perfect, if people were.
Substack is a more realistic place to unfold and unpack your ideas without compromising your message or your integrity (by accident or on purpose!)
agree with you there. twitter is actually good at what it's for... one-ish liners... not deep thought engagement.
Agree. I was quite wrong 20 years ago when social sites began, that more intellectually built social sites would reveal the true power of like minded brains. "Papers", articles, journals would be cited between nerds in these interest areas, information and thought would flow more easily than our arguably monolithic educational and science containers where such knowledge (or at least aspects of the process around knowledge) requires significant investment or time.
Gotta go, I may need to elaborate more. Idea was my Student Research Library project no one's ever heard of 😉
I am an active Twitter member, and have had very little experience of the Twitter wars, although my account is heavily shadowbanned due to the two topics on which I focus - all things related to Julian Assange, and the coronavirus madness.
Twitter is very definitely a different thing than substack. I use Twitter as a signpost facility - pointing to (supporting or highlighing) events and articles on those topics. My own writing is a tiny percentage of what I am sharing. My substack works in reverse - my own writing as maincourse, within which I point to the work of others.
I don't see these styles of platform as being in competition at all. They are complemenary.
BTW a good alternative to Twitter is on the way. Look in to Panquake. https://twitter.com/PanQuakeDev
I used to use Twitter primarily to follow writers / independent journalists that I respect. Luckily, many of them migrated to Substack and I was able to ditch Twitter during the whole Elon fiasco.
For a complimentary short-form site, I like Counter Social, as it tends to deplatform science / election denier types.
Nice! Substack is great for sure! And I’m glad to see Musk get Twitter. Many good things to come from that.
Good for you. I have no interest in seeing Twitter post-Elon.
That’s fine. I actually didn’t use it before, as bad as it was, but I’ll definitely consider using it now that it’ll hopefully improve a lot.
Looking forward to the next steps. I'm interested in chat function after popping in on Slow Boring last night but it has a bit of a chaotic feel, too. One thing I experimented with at my New York Times #dotearth blog in the early days was inviting my readers to post video greetings in the comment space (the code allowed me to do that with YouTube videos) that served as a calling card. I still vetted them like any comment but they added a humanizing form of connectivity. This was the first one, from Wang Suya in Japan. I can't believe it was 14 years ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONKJsYF-dXI Keep up the good work. Glad I moved here.
Video greetings is a great idea.
Here's what I want to say to potential subscribers: "Look, you can come browse my feed, read my original fiction, listen to my podcast and original music, watch my videos, and even hang out with me online. Substack is like the corner café where the Lost or Beat generation artists would meet to exchange ideas, riff with each other, and move their medium forward. We are the Media Generation, creating and hanging out online. Come spend some time with us. Come to Storyslinger on Substack."
Free speech is the foundation to your success. If you protect it and empower writers, you will succeed. Big Social is failing because of censorship and lack of transparency. Let one thousand substacks bloom! https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-repeat-history-part-2
Idea:
Create a feed of all the latest posts published by Substack writers
on the http://substack.com front page?
Love it!
Sorted by topic/category, customisible by the user, with a recommended promotion of similar Substacks.
Essentially, kinda like how one discovers new video creators on YouTube.
Yes! I also love the organization of “Hacker News”:
https://news.ycombinator.com/
Absolutely! Anything that improves discoverability of Substackers would be a boon!
Don't be "a reply guy". Be "yours truly reply guy".
You're going to have to beef up the platforms content discoverability if you really want to increase engagement to "compete" with social networks. It needs an indexed full text search, the ability to filter results by date, as well as Substack specific attributes like toggling paid vs. free and seeing only results for stacks that have posted within a certain time frame. Nobody wants to browse through an egregious number of newsletters that launched two years ago, and somehow show up at the top of a search/discover even though they have written next to nothing. It makes the platform look like a ghost town.
This is a huge problem with social networks. They want you to find popular people and give them increased engagement and the false notion of being an authoritative voice (blue check anyone). Social networks are not interested in new users building ground up organic followings anymore because it uses up resources that they want to dedicate to accounts that generate clicks and views for advertisers. Discoverability is last on their list of priorities. Substack needs to think differently than that, and get users discovering new content, not people. Flip the script so the content is king again.
Brian, this is what I touched on in another comment on this thread, although I think you've laid it out more cleanly. This article mentions the standard social media algorithms that sort of force people toward what the algorithm has decided is worthy without noting that Substack also does so.
On Substack, it occurs algorithmically and manually. The former is evident in overall discoverabilty, as you've mentioned, as well as - on a more granular level - on magazine layout "popular post." Both guide readers to what others have decided, not necessarily what the reader may want.
Manually, it occurs - as I mentioned earlier - via Substack promotion of folks who are already up the ladder, so to speak. I think Substack could really be different if it flipped that dynamic around, at least some of the time.
Absolutely! The sooner the platform can get to that state the better. I think it will benefit both the big names and the small voices that are coming up through the ranks.
I've never been a fan of the Twitter model with its super short form. There's not enough there to develop an idea, except for certain threads.
Social media algorithms do promote the "rich get richer" scenario as algorithmic popularity begets popularity, much as a snake can eat its own tail.
I've noticed that Substack also goes this route and hope that maybe you will consider changing it up, at least sometimes. What I mean by this is that Substack promotes (in various articles, interviews, etc.) stacks that are already popular, that is to say those that are in the least need of promotion. A similar phenomenon occurs in listings. If at times smaller publications also received some Substack level love, both the creator and Substack could benefit.
However it goes, I'm enjoying the ability to have control over my odd (weird?) fiction and appreciate the work that you've put into the tools that make it possible. I get value and inspiration here, both from the Substack articles and various authors of fiction, essay, and other commentary. Thanks.
"I've never been a fan of the Twitter model with its super short form."
It is very Orwellian, isn't it? Akin to the abolishment of vocabulary to a handful of double-meaning words, the shortform effectively stifles speech and encourages shortsighted, kneejerk, out-of-context, rapid-fire messages, better optimised for a rapid barrage of insults than the deep philosophical leanings.
I think Substack's format reverses that trend, without (somehow) hitting the issues that plagued Blogger or WordPress. I think it is the much needed context in the modern information age.
Yes, you've said it quite nicely. Shortsighted, knee jerk, and frequently way the hell out of context. Attempting to go deeper on Twitter mostly doesn't work. Seems people like the entertainment value found in who can cut the "best" insult in the fewest characters.
Amen.
I abhor small talk. The twitter format forced me (before permanent expulsion) to be concise in my thoughts and delivery. In some ways, it was great discipline... but I often contend that small talk comes from small minds~ and given the plethora of left-leaning, woke saturation on that platform, perhaps it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. I still look forward to being reinstated, once Musk cleans house and restores sanity over there, but it'll never again be my favorite social media pitstop, 'cause I have way too much head and heart to impart. :~)
What does left leaning mean? This is the kind of generalisation that I would have thought is an example of what Substack might abhor. It appears to be an insinuation that any ideas that might embrace social values in contrast to total individualism is bad. As for WOKE; it's another of those generalisations that is meaningless apart from the fact that it implies something or someone is somehow bad.
Depends on who's using the term, and how it's being used (obviously). Aside from being grammatically incorrect, racially derived, driven, sanctioned and turned into a colloquialism during the Biden-time administration, I hate it as much as I detest the too-often, overused greeting "hey," which makes full grown adults sound like the teenagers who gave birth to it. I for one, wanna reinvigorate the adjective, "bitchin!"
"As for WOKE; it's another of those generalisations that is meaningless"
Actually, the term is often used to refer to a subset of political actions, practically always in relation to 'social justice', who would historically often go around screaming people needed to 'Wake Up' and declaring they are already 'awake' [woke] and that everyone else was 'asleep'.
So I would reject the assertion it is 'meaningless'. It has history and connotations, and the colloquial political usage by people has relevance to them.
That is an interesting and good explanation of the term, WOKE. As you rightly say it is used in relation to social justice. But there is nothing wrong with 'social justice' itself so it would appear that the negative connotation has got to do with people who, you explain, are screaming at others to 'wake up' to these social issues around justice. The problem, I see, with your definition is that 'WOKE' would equally apply to people who have different opinions on social justice and also scream loudly that they are in the right.
It would appear to me that what is really at the heart of this matter is the alarm that the term 'social justice' evokes in many people. Even the word 'social' triggers reactions of hate for anyone who might use such terms and somehow this term WOKE appears to engender this violent reaction to anything prefaced with the word 'social'.
I'm an Irishman and European and we live in a Republic that embraces social justice and ideas around social responsibilities around all our citizens especially, for example, those who find themselves seriously disadvantage through lack of educational or work opportunities. We don't always fully live up to our responsibilities but we do take them as necessary criteria for a civil society.
As an outside observer of American life I think the USA is really in a perilous state. The term WOKE has somehow become a mindless catch-word implying someting sinister about thos e who use it.
"But there is nothing wrong with 'social justice' itself"
"Social justice" - like many shallow, virtue signalling terms - often doesn't actually involve any sort of social justice. People who work under it try to abuse white kids telling them they're racist simply for being white (which is such a meta-level of paradox and hypocrisy), telling companies to remove customers who say things they don't like (if you've ever been censored or deplatformed on Twitter you can thank the so-called 'social justice' movement), whilst often engaging in fraud and financial corruption themselves.
Case in point, the BLM leader who took $14 million to buy a mansion and never split the money with the other BLM members.
None of those examples you cite have anything to do with social justice. Social justice is a well defined idea. You are conflating the idea of people who conveniently misuse the term. It's like people claiming to be Christian who in effect adopt the most unchristian-like attitudes in their daily lives and attitudes towards other.
The one example I give - BLM (Black Lives Matter) explicitly identify themselves as a social justice organisation (https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-lives-matter-growth-new-social-justice-movement/).
The individual who purchased the mansion not only identifies as BLM, but as one of the co-founders (
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/controversial-blm-co-founder-doled-out-8-million-of-groups-money-for-canadian-mansion-financial-records-show). I could also reference the black businesses that were destroyed during the BLM protests (https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2020/09/06/no-justice-as-blm-burns-black-owned-business-in-rochester/).
There is no enforcing body nor rulebook nor bible akin to Christianity for 'social justice' in which to scrutinise or compare, and unlike a religion where some sort of deity who enforces some rules is implied, there is no specific standard or gatekeeping that occurs in this context.
Social justice is defined by a combination of those who identify as the group, and what the group as a whole does in response when they commit crimes or hypocrisies.
I reject the association myself. I do not need to identify with an arbitrary movement in order to be fair handed with people.
Of course one does not need to be a member of a specific group to adopt the principles of social justice which in global terms covers Human Rights, Access, Participation and Equity in society. However specific groups like BLM is an example of racial inequality which is most definitely a social justice issue. So BLM does legitimately come under the umbrella of Social Justice. The same goes for any sub-group of society which is unfairly treated because they belong to that subgroup.
How some people behave within any subgroup is entirely a different matter but does not necessarily de-legitimise the group as a whole or their founding principles.
" one does not need to be a member of a specific group to adopt the principles of social justice which in global terms covers Human Rights, Access, Participation and Equity in society"
I don't consider it to have any principles, and certainly I would not be dictated to by some "global terms". After all, being fair handed is not the same as being dictated to by a global corporate set of groupthink ideologies that are out-of-touch with reality.
"How some people behave within any subgroup is entirely a different matter but does not necessarily de-legitimise the group as a whole or their founding principles."
It does if they proclaim to be bringing black equality and then disenfranchise black people without being called out in any meaningful context by the group. I'd call that a fraud or a scam.
"specific groups like BLM is an example of racial inequality which is most definitely a social justice issue. So BLM does legitimately come under the umbrella of Social Justice"
This contradicts your earlier point where you said:
"None of those examples you cite have anything to do with social justice. Social justice is a well defined idea."
How comes you couldn't recognise it as social justice before if it is a "well defined idea"?
You are right. I should have been more specific in my response. That's the danger of making sweeping statements which I did. I've since clarified my thinking on that.
“While we may be convincing ourselves that we’re participating in discourse in the public square, we’re actually in a cage.”
Very accurate insight, applicable to (probably) all platforms of social media. Thank you.
Was just writing about this earlier. I love the SubStack platform and give them credit for their success. However, we must remain aware that on any social media platform we operate in the belly of the beast. We must rely on their good intentions which is unsupported so far by other Silicon Valley corporations. It is nice they are playing nice but why and for how long? We need to hear more from SubStack on this topic. Digital technology is a tool and like all tools helps carry out the intent. I for one wish to know if Amazon Web Services or other corporate associates of the US Government are involved. So much resides in the details.
This one was absolutely full of gems.
I won’t discount the experience of others and have seen for myself how horrid Twitter can be. But I try to curate my own environment and have found it to be informative and entertaining. I also don’t argue like I used to. I’ve deleted so many replies and left things alone. So far my feed has been fine.
Subscribers here are tuning into you, who you are, your work, your insight... that’s tougher on Twitter. The reason I came to Substack was to put up my own shingle for my own work instead being beholden to curation, hot topics that sell, or publication rules. I wanted to put up a thoughtful essay or poem under one banner. Substack has been great and the community is great. I look forward to expanding the social aspect and sparking discussions on my work.
I can never tell what makes people go viral, what their magnetism is, but that’s never been me. I can only be who I am and no one else.
I love how Substack is not Twitter--and that we have ownership over our communities is huge. But: some of what I'm reading here raises questions. "Show their status on Substack"? Why do all systems have to run on status, and follower counts, and likes? One of the greatest things Substack has OVER social networks is that it feels intimate and inclusive, and about real connections and not status or "winning" for the day. It's a long game, and not about the shallow pride of having one viral post. I worry that if you socialize Substack, the heart of what we writers love might change, too.
Good points
Thank you. I’ve been saying this for years. Renters have zero control; they live off the whims of others. Ownership is the only answer.
If you notice the World Economic Forum is preaching that in 2030, and the new paradigm, means owning nothing and being happy at the same time. This is impossible. The elites want us to own nothing (I'll let you decide who the elites are) and become a serf class again. The new lords or landowners are technocrats, big tech, pharma, and you get the picture. They can buy and sell the new serfs, or us, at will. Do a simple search on serfdom and compare with how most of us live today. You can't help but notice the similarities.
Let's hope this platform stays true to form and never censors anything. For a case study I refer you to the Larry Flint case in the 1970s in the Supreme Court, and other state court cases involving Mr. Flint. Law students at one time were required to study this case as First Amendments studies.
So again, please stay true to the idea of ownership and use this platform as long as they stay true to the principals of free speech.
I think another reason to avoid resource dependence on Twitter is because there are lot of ties to US government at this present time, including the ongoing lawsuit on how they've colluded to violate Americans' First Amendment rights, and the issue that Elon has a financial conflict of interest in he proactively receives contracts from the US government, besides other noticeable issues.
I explain it in more depth here:
https://thedailybeagle.substack.com/p/elons-sinister-plot-at-twitter
This is spot on! Substack is my new favorite social media platform and I really appreciate the connections I've made on here and the dialogues that can form.
Just today, I published a newsletter that amplified the work of others on the platform, and hope to do more of that: https://heathracela.substack.com/p/wednesday-walk-a-cabbage-recipe-swap
I agree with most of what you say except for the part where you say you don't think Twitter should go away. I disagree. It's destructive, needless, and exhausting, like all social networks. I quit both FB and Twitter years ago and haven't looked back. I wrote about it here:
https://bobsassone.substack.com/p/the-web-was-a-better-place-before
I cut my social media teeth on Twitter, back when ya didn't have to worry about being muzzled or punished/banned for crimes you never committed. It has a place in our landscape. Free choice is best offered with options. :~)
Thank you for the article, hooked into a topic my guest author discussed this week, so I provided a link for my readers. Hope this okay.
Excited to see what (more awesome bits) you’re cooking up!
Curious to see how this develops. We were talking about this some in the last "office hours". I do feel like the quality of conversation I have with other Substack writers is far better than anything I find on the "usual suspect" social media sites. Some of that quality, I think, is due to the fact that we're all writers who are trying to build community, and we're more likely to talk to each other about motivation, craft, etc instead of harping on each other's politics or calling each other morons. That said, I'm a little nervous to see a little of that fb-comment-thread vibe seeping into some of the comments on this post. I would hate for that atmosphere to develop on Substack. I'm tentatively hopeful about these developments, but I think a lot will come down to fostering small communities, where people are less likely to sling mud, and keeping the focus off engagement. It's the hyper-focus on engagement that promotes all the sludge on fb and twitter to the top.
Yes!!!
Very well said. Substack sure has a bright future. I am beyond thankful to Substack for giving me, and plenty other independent writers - a platform to freely express ourselves. Keep it going.
Right on! I wrote about this is a recent article of mine. I think 95% of social media users still think they are using the platform, when in reality the platforms are using them. You are the product. Just like corporate cable media. Their customers are Walmart and Pfizer. You are the product they are using to barter their exchange. Let's take back the control.
Only my late dog has a Twitter account and she took off for the afterlife on a passing breeze last week. We miss her but not the Twitter account. Twitter and Musk are simply passing irritating reminders there are always psychopathic kleptocrats in our midst. The trick is not to feed them or so my dogs would say.
Another big problem with Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn I see is the fact they're all "closed" communities. Good luck reading past a few posts without registering for an account. Substack feels way more like blogs used to (and authors can easily host their substack newsletters on custom domains).
I often ignore Substack self-promotion, but this one rings true.
What makes "information" different today than say, 1990? Easy.
In 1990 one had to go out and GET the information. You had watch TV at a certain hour, pay for magazine or newspaper. In other words, it took a modicum of discipline and expense to get information. Anything consumed without sacrifice makes for a flabby body or mind.
Man I wish I had my blog done on why I’m bullish on the creator economy
Excited to hear about new developments.
Good stuff, but Substack is the same problem: you don't own it and you are the product. The newsletter model (including being paid) is definitely an improvement, but it isn't "social media" in the same way as Twitter and Facebook. Yes, there can be community in the comments, but that is where it stays.
This feels like this has happened in some other website before. And it didn't turn out great. I don't know, but Substack becoming into a more social-media like platform doesn't ring the greatest bells. Then again, maybe that's just me and I'm remembering wrong. I'm new here on Substack, so I guess I've yet to see more of it.
#tarhetedindividuals, #targeted justice, #CPTSD,
#@adamweilacher , yeah I definitely need my own complete venue for blogging, info passimg etc
Distributed social networking must come before we all get consumed.
Excellent post. I agree. The direct relationship with readers is crucial, also owning your subscription list. I like how SS owns the fact that they’re obviously profit-driven but are fostering a healthier environment simply because they derive their money from different methods than Twitter, etc. I’ve always viewed Twitter as a cesspool; it’s not the (digital) public square because so few people are actually on it. I’m so glad about the democratization of digital platforms. Long live Substack.
Just shared this on Instagram and wrote a post around writing on social media a few hours ago. Thanks for giving Substack to us.
Apparently Twitter isn't making money, or Musk does not want to rely solely on advertising. Musk is floating the idea of users paying $20/month for the blue checkmark. And Stephen King (the author) did not like that one bit.
Yeah heard about that
Facebook, Twitter, etc. have developed into public utilities ! We need these companies because nowadays government & government agencies also use them to communicate with us. Hence Fb, Twitter, are now utilities same as your cable provider, your phone company, your power co.
Yet there is no oversight for Fb, Twitter, like there is for said utilities. There are no rules they have to follow re. their customers. A power co. cannot cut me off without warning, if there is an issue it has to give me the option to remedy it, etc. No such things exist on Fb, Twitter, etc.
Fb, Twitter, can do what they want with their "clients". Your account can be cancelled from one day to the next. No reason has to be given for the cancellation. No remedy is possible to fix what went wrong (if anything went wrong). No chance is given to save your content.
I can call my power co., or email them, or write to them. No such "luxury" with Fb, Twitter. No customer care - that costs money and spending money one their clients is the last thing the want to do. Why are we putting up with these so-called social media monsters ? Why do we not ask for oversight to level the playing field ?
I like the vision
I think Substack should be federation above the webpage whereby any participating author can have their own nation that enables their audience to meet and interact above any webpage as well as collaborate across author nations. The tech is arriving now. We talk about it at https://metaweb.substack.com.
I started my substack few weeks ago.
I have 5000 followers + on twitter and i'm trying to bring them here.
I love the experience.
My substack is growing.
Thank you for the opportunity.
I’ve been curious about how that’s done here, moving other platform followers to SS. Good luck on yours!
I'm writing some threads.
Then giving a link in the end towards my substack.
I also have a telegram channel with 1000 followers.
I link to my substack from time to time.
And finally have some product, everyone buying my product automatically enter my sub newsletter.
Cheers
https://twitter.com/viamvirtus/status/1585665933279895553?s=20&t=-EAEf0kqjpncsERBEl7odw
Why this obsession with numbers of followers? What does it mean to have thousands of followers? Have you some control over these followers? Why are they following you? Has it any meaning for you? I would really like to hear your response to these questions if you have the time and inclination to elaborate on this idea of followers.
There's no obsession with followers.
It's just metrics who can be useful for other creators who want to jump on substack.
Of course, i do care about them.
Or i wouldn't publish a daily post for free since a year +
That's ok. I'm just puzzling over this phenomenon of followers and especially very large numbers of followers. Why are 5000 thousand people following you? Is it for entertainment, information, advice or learning? Have you analysed or profiled in any way who your followers are?
I just like to sit down in the morning and write something.
I think I would have been much more successful if I had focused on a niche.
People like to compartmentalize their feeds.
Knowing exactly what they're going to read.
I try to do just the opposite: write things they won't read anywhere else.
As I analyze my data, I have topics that stand out (tips on journaling, tips on breaking mental barriers, my own little stories ...) but I try not to look too hard at the analytics.
I don't want to be a slave to topics.
Have a great day.
Citations, references and reputational scoring of sorts would be helpful features. Links as 'references' have their limitations; formalizing citations and references between papers in a palatable way might also enable better integrity and inherently connects those authors and their followers.
Digitizing some of the format as substack features that we already use in education and science communities. Further, enabling cited authors to elaborate, contextualize or even reject another authors reference to their works, for example.
Very insightful. I’m still going to pump out horse massage jokes, they’re way too addictive. But with less panic.
I like the optimism in this piece, and most of it is called for. The part about being able to up and leave Substack with a few clicks is simplistic, though, even if it doesn't matter that much (since the email list is really the most important part of moving your followers with you). I'm seeing more and more that substack is a private social network as you say. Hundreds of paid-subscriber-only comments per post by some of the more popular writers here prove that it can work and is working.
I find it difficult to bust out of Substack to a wider audience due partially to algorithms on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. When I was on Wordpress, my blog was a Google news site. This doesn't seem to be working on Substack. So I've lost distribution. Also, in my opinion, Substack needs to provide access to a good advertising platform.
This was completely eye-opening. I was so inspired that I had to write a post about it.
It's in spanish, if anyone would like to check it out and support a newcomer and writer!
https://proyectoneurogenesis.substack.com/p/ya-es-hora-de-repensar-la-forma-en
Hearing research on the trend away from Social Media towards safe, supportive community online through culture changing platforms for positive change & cohesion in such communities benefiting not only the users but rippling out to our larger communities, nation & the world. These safer communities charge for membership & have governing guidelines & membership requirements that foster safety, free speech that does not harm but supports a common goal for good or learning & growing as better & healthier (in body & soul) citizens of our nation & the world,
Cultural supportive community! ❤️❤️❤️
Are you reading my mind?
After reading “The Extended Mind” by Annie Murphy Paul and “Building a Second Brain” by Tiago Forte, I’m thinking about what a truly social network would look like.
There are others out there working on these ideas. Like this, https://nesslabs.com/digital-garden-set-up
What you suggest for Substack is a “take it out of the box and turn it on” approach. I like that.
Thanks Kay,. I still dream of a post monetary world, but perhaps that's because I'm financially secure. The reality is everyone have families to raise, bills to pay and so forth and so on, so of course earning money is a prime mover. I live in a dream world! But the idea of paying an annual fee to Substack for them to host a pro bono community is ok with me. Besides my own content isn't worth paying a dime for. I'd be the first to admit that!
So true!
I love what Substack is doing and how is empowering everyone to become a writer. I’ll be really interested on how to grow my Spanish newsletter and if the team have planned product features on this matter. Is there a way to see Substack public roadmap for what’s coming next?
Perfect! We're like serfs on the farms of big tech social platforms. Only our email list and website belong to us. Can't wait to hear about the new features.
Looking forward to the new features. Thank guy
Nicely said. I'll take quality over shallow any day. The peer to peer engagement is essential in healthy communication and it can get lost in the vastness of Twitter, among others
Amen Brother! Substack is waaaayyyyy better that Web 2.0 social media.
Social Media is a time suck that gives little back. I don't feel the same about writing for substack and sharing with my readers. I know if they leave a comment we've established a connection.
"The machine decides who sees your posts and what gets amplified."
As demonstrated when I tweeted my latest Substack article to 3,200 followers: 24 hours later, zero likes or retweets.
https://twitter.com/_starkrealities/status/1587500728029007872?s=20&t=ldFU7WFbTeBl4eeO8BnJ8g
How about start by offering Substack in languages besides English? That would really kickstart global private communities. Just a thought :)
Global private communities already exist on Substack. You can write in any language (in my case Bulgarian). The platform is in English, but so is Fb and Tw.
Can’t love this more! I’ve been feeling this way for quite a while. I’ve been known to mutter to myself often, “Harrm, step away from the Twitter feed. Twitter doesn’t love you.” 😂 I’m working on a piece for my own substack offering tips for finding likeminded folks in your local area!!
I'm grateful for the opportunity to be of use to my community while not beholden to Twitter. But how to find new audience members? I'm pivoting to Reddit, where there's a very established community that is hungry for the kind of information I can provide. Substack is a vital part of my business.
I think the Twitter, FB, IG models are not relevant for writers. My Medium following makes it feel like my own little pond in a big archipelago and I like sub model that pays writers and gives unfettered access to the content without ads. My Substack is truly around building a community with a focus, in my case, the writing and creative lifestyle. So far so good but I haven’t gone paid yet. Two different places, two kinds of writing. I’ve got a third in mind that will put that together.
It's still very difficult to convert free subscribers, and at 800 quality short stories since late August 2020, I don't see how spending time chatting with existing readers is going to drive new subscriptions any more than the quality and consistency of content should have. I'm grateful in some ways to Substack for giving my writing a home, but I'm gonna need to see more exterior eyes coming at my work before I feel like I approach having my own little Twitterverse.
Oh wow, I love this post. That the current state of social media is "a perversion of all that was good about the early internet" -- so true, and for quite a while. That there is an alternative, and that I'm part of it, is exhilarating. More than anything, I appreciate the courteous, supportive communication on Substack -- very rarely, hardly ever have I seen an aggressive or confrontational comment. That means so much.
Keep going. Substack is only going to get bigger and stronger and better. ✨
Yes!
"We believe that the next era of the social internet will be about deep relationships over shallow engagement; signal over noise; and ownership over serfdom."
A-fucking-men!
By the way I hope these annoying network and sync failure message are an indication that Substack’s growth is straining its resources! It would be nice to have this fixed though.
I write nearly every day on Substack. I used to publish on twitter but no longer. I stopped last week when musk took over.
Keep writing!
Twitter at least doesn't allow you to delete replies to your post. Substack does. That effectively limits the ability to fact check and/or disagree with an author. One particularly egregious example is an author who I have communicated with on Facebook, telling him of his factual error. He promptly blocked me, and when I replied to the article here, he deleted my comment. That should not be allowed. He should say "thank you" and correct his article.
This platform CAN expose bad creators. You could do it right now.
Tweet about it—better yet, write about it. Expose them for being dishonest creators.
The problem is, if it's not directly on the article, the people who have read the article won't know the truth. It's like when a newspaper puts out an error in a story on the front page, but later retracts it with a small blurb inside the paper.
This is true. But I do think this should be restricted to journalism/serious non-fiction. Creative / Fiction Substacks shouldn't have to concern themselves with this extra (but now that you explain it so well, necessary) worry.
Agree
Bam, look at us. Solving. Problems.
LOL, that's what an exchange of ideas is all about. It doesn't always end in agreement, but at least the information is out there.
Uhm, HOW does one delete replies to a post? I just founda spam-comment, a self-promoting (with a link) reply that doesn't relate in any way whatsoever to the subject I was writing about. I'd like to remove it.
It shows you here. https://on.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-substacks-moderation-tools
Thank you!
Sounds awesome. I already love having my newsletter on Substack and enjoy participating in Writer Office Hours. It will be great to have more ways to interact with readers as well as writers!
substack is pretty cool. thanks!
Well said, Hamish. The difference between the social networking of Substack and other “Big” social Media platforms is subtle, yet profound. I’m a huge fan! Keep it up.
Yes. the closed AI on twitter makes it obsolete imo. Why doesn't SS integrate with other platforms is what I don't get. It pushes to Twitter, but nothing for sharing easy on TruthSocial, Gettr, Insta, Facebook, Parler... break out of it.
I look forward to trying the chat feature and the other new social features. Substack should become a tightly integrated network of independent nodes and try to achieve the right balance of integration and autonomy.
First off Hamish....
Elon is just another billionaire who wants to build space ships to Mars...
I dont give a damn what he owns!
Substack will go away to not only because it too is controlled but many want the people to pay for it..
BUT I luv the way you push the "collective"
Please send me no more emails from your personal column.........
The issue is fundamentally free speech. Not Elon. It always comes down to the desire to stop the sharing of views and arguments some people find distasteful or not in line with their values. And that has to stop. It's is throttling a free society driving views which need light and argument underground and permitting only one kind of debate. So science religion sexuality and ethnicity become corroded because Noone can share their views and Noone can argue their case. This has been allowed for a decade or more and has had the effect of corrupting democracy. Provided you don't decide to curtail remove or shape one sided opinion you will thrive because the next generation of social media will be all about how we allow human discussion to flourish.
Yes. YES. 💯❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dear Hamish - it's working. THANK YOU!
yes
New rumors have surfaced that Musk is contemplating buying Substack. I hope those are only rumors. This, in my view, would be a troubling development.
Very well-written and all very valid points, Hamish. My biggest social audience is on Twitter, which is the only reason I still haven't left the platform. I'd love to take them with me, but writing to more than 1K people individually is honestly an overwhelming thought. Thank you for providing us with a platform where we can be seen, heard and appreciated as writers and artists.
I have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. As many gen-zennials, I grew up in the era of it's inception. I've rode the waves of transformation—climbing off for a period in 2017-2019ish. In recent years, I simply used it as a digital journey. A place to speak the thoughts facebook isn't built for. Until now, Substack is providing an avenue to further develop and segment. I love it here.
I think you are misjudging Twitter 2.0 under Elon Musk; he really cares about a free speech town square like platform, all inclusive but not allowing overbearing posters to impinge on others.
Suggesting it might be worth considering joining forces with Twitter 2.0 and see what can be worked out.
For reference, please read at least Ashlee Vance's bio (the only one authorized by Elon - and the sotry of how that happened is well worth reading) - and the more recent video by Munro Associates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1nc_chrNQk
An interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
Speaking of Twitter, let me know what you think and leave me a tweet! I will respond and have an argument with you! So lets go
https://twitter.com/BriefTheNation/status/1591917072090628096?s=20&t=RixhXxA0gE_gSGUyeajlhQ
https://twitter.com/BriefTheNation/status/1591917072090628096?s=20&t=RixhXxA0gE_gSGUyeajlhQ
If anyone is interested, I am starting my own Substack and wouldn't mind people reading and possibly sharing if you like it! Its called Brief The Nation and here is the link. https://open.substack.com/pub/briefthenation/p/russian-threats-to-us-space-based?r=wiu74&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I envision online communities being formed around "location", and then, within each physical location or town or city, forming groups of like-minded individuals around subjects that they care about. So, I've decided to build small localized online communities. As like minded groups gather online and are able to utilize offline capabilities as well (since they live near each other) solutions and ideas rooted in authentic caring and heartfelt causes & subjects will start to spread.
I feel that we rely too much on money and authority figures to solve things because we have not had the means to find those with whom we share interests and concerns for our heartfelt interests. If you have garden space that is not being utilized and I have seeds to plant, but no yard, what will we be able to accomplish if we unite around the idea of sharing and caring and growing? I intend to find out...
Great post. I like to explain people about avoiding content lock-in using the analogy of hotels, rented space and homes: https://thoughts.jatan.space/p/start-a-blog-and-get-a-domain. Likewise I explain them about how closed socials lock the connection to your audience: https://thoughts.jatan.space/p/avoid-blogging-platform-silos
“It would be better that you cover, live, the destruction of American and world communities alike, by the murder of the world’s innocents, including infants, children and their mothers; to cover the stories of the many families when their homes and communities have been destroyed by the forces of predatory capitalism, to bring “democracy” to the many people suffering by the many allied proxy wars and occupations throughout the world.” P. 24, Volume 2 of The Government’s Child.
Fully agreed; I don't want Trump encouraging riots, racism and jealousy!
Twitter without ability to sensor; now will allow him in, as Musk now fully owns it 🤦🏽♀️
Elon is planning to take on Substack directly.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1589011108891066368
A-freaking-men! This post is a breath of fresh air that looks forward instead of staring down at the ground. I’m excited for Substack’s innovation. After a year of re-platforming here, I’m only seeing upside.
You are obviously of the opinion that a respectful, considerate, responsible "town hall" can be created digitally in the form of a forum, chat, blog, etc. In my opinion, that is not likely to happen anytime soon. I believe it overlooks the type of people that are likely to be attracted to this form of communication, or at least underestimates the affect those problematic people have on the flow of information, and on the respectful, considerate, responsible participants.
It also overlooks the issue best described in an old Eagles song; the lyrics goes, "Call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye". Even if you're able to create something that starts out grand, money will move in. Ironically, the same money that destroyed every other endeavor that you now despise.
So, I'd really like to have hope. Seriously, I think the basic concept of these forms of communication are solid. The problem begins as soon as you add people and money. Good Luck.
Very well said.
While I agree in theory that we are the product on Twitter, I'm not sure exactly how to build a strong following for a beginning Substack blog when I'm just one of hundreds of blogs without name recognition. How do I get people to find me? I feel that Twitter and other SM are a useful but time consuming necessity.
This is extremely valuable and useful. It's a revolutionary idea. The big social networks have turned us into robots. They use their machines to control our minds and activities. They say go when they like and say stop when they like. It's time to do something better. Great thought.
We're betting big on substack
This is really promising. Good job 👏🏼 Today I sent out the new chat feature news letter. I love it. Great idea to connect and create your own community. Couple of things I’d love to see here in the future: 1- the ability to upload files directly in the chat, I’m a coach and I share resources with my clients, eventually I hope to convince them to come here. 2- be able to go live, video or audio ( Aka twitter spaces) or both. I’m sure you have much more ideas to share. Looking forward to it.
Thank you Substack! This is what it is all about. The time has come for "Visionary" thinking! The only way to break free from the mammoth greed machine is to go on an independent route. Everything that is going on in the world is in the process of Reformation. Writing on Substack as an independent real person, is a perfect example. It is time to break free from the old paradigm and explore new territory as we blaze our own new trail. As people recognize authentic leadership and appreciate/value honest work with integrity at the core, they will not simply follow, they will learn from the premium example and integrate the knowledge into their own thing.
Great piece of writing.
LOL... I think there's too much cerebral-ism going on here, and I'm sorry I commented! You can intellectualize and mentally regurgitate a topic, until it's just a bunch of words that lose meaning within the verbiage. YIKES!
Happy to make the move here to Substack
No one can fix, understand or determine the worlds problems with a word count. As heavy subjects find their way onto twitter its just too difficult to convey a fuller picture so the conversations devolve into spats, because why explain, it's alot of effort with multiple tweets, far easier just to call someone a name. I think twitter was built in a different time, when we was at a desk or could only access it at a desk, which gave time between being at the computer to let things simmer down.
Well said. And yes in American we MUST maintain the public voice over Government.
We the citizens ARE America!
Truly appreciate this platform. Thank the staff.
This was an amazing post. Deeply honest & an entirely true representation of where things are currently. I'm excited to continue creating content on this platform :)
Hi Hamish!
I'm new to substack to sorry If my questions are somewhat misinformed. I'm a musician in a band and I recently started onboarding our social media followers onto substack. I'm Still thinking how to best leverage the platform to suit our interests and one idea I came up with was to have a post be a sort of "Hyper-advanced-liner-notes/concept-breakdown" for an album, sort of a mini-magazine with text, image, sound and video. Is there an option where we can Pay-wall just a single specific post? I feel most music followers unfortunately would not be open to a recurring subscription, but might be up for a one-time payment every time there's a major release. Thanks! Ed
The business model of Twitter and other social media platforms is based on the manipulation of the user’s perception. I seriously doubt Musk would put an end to this, if only because he is hooked himself.
The direct subscription relationship on SS is way better for we writers 🤯🔥
thought to ponder
Look forward to seeing what y’all do. I’m enjoying substack as something different that I can’t quite put my finger on yet. Maybe it’s that you engage with a piece of writing first and then people with and about it as a response to the piece of writing.
YESS NEW FEATURESSSS
To be honest, we needed this BEFORE elon purchased twitter.. and nobody cared?.. this is the problem.. Now when I see people write about that we need an alternative - I ask, where were you 3-5 years ago when politics, global events, news were corruptly manipulated? If you didn't care then, its pointless now 🤷🏻♂️
Substack rocks! Only missing piece is micropayments... I suggest you check bitcoinsv.io
I like the term "pretend friends" . That says it all about the artificiallity of the connections on social media. So how we depend on that for our business or work future!
I like the term "pretend friends"
I have recently moved my blog to substack and have been very impressed and pleased so far. One of my big goals is to facilitate the creation of real community, so I was disappointed to hear that for now the chat system is Apple only. But let me say that the value of substack to a writer is real. The possibilities on this platform do remind me of the original promise of the internet. So thank you.
This is idealistic but extremely naive. Ownership always belongs to someone. Every network has a bottleneck, and aggregates into a Pareto power-law distribution.
The illusion of decentralized freedom allows Power to hide behind a decoy.
Obviously, I believe in Substack's mission, and am grateful for a platform that protects Content Creators — because you understand the value proposition of this ecosystem. Substack is one of the most important websites of the current zeitgeist, and is flourishing, and now resembles the Golden Age of the blogosphere ten years ago.
But you should learn from Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Paypal — companies than began with supremely idealistic missions, moral crusades, and then were subverted, corrupted, and transformed into the opposite of their original ideals.
Google's founders wrote early documents about how advertising created perverse incentives that would sabotage the value of search results — this prescience didn't stop them from becoming the ad-corroded company they are today.
Paypal and Twitter were both founded by Libertarians who believed in Radical freedom, open dialogue, and Bitcoin... but look how intensely they censor today.
Similar to the 80-20 rule, ownership and CONTROL will always coalesce into the hands of a small number of decisionmakers.
I'm totally fine with you being in control Hamish, as long as you are upholding principled freedom of expression, and support for the current authentic, vibrant ecosystem of writers, authors, storytellers, pundits, physicians, and scientists that exists.
So far, Substack is doing a beautiful job.
A well written and persuasive piece, and I so, so want to believe it. However, after basic curiosity drove me to investigate the Twitter type environment, including forums, blogs, etc, I have come to the conclusion that “snark” as you put it, is a powerful and driving force in these types of communications. It also seems to be contagious, like mob mentality, driving individuals who wouldn’t normally be snarky, to behave in a manner that is uncharacteristic. This is an issue even here, on Substack, but my experiences here have been the least bad. So at least it’s not frightening (yet) here on Substack.
It’s satisfying to read someone lay out the true setup of social media, but trying to tell people that they are just dupes, apes in a cage that are fed a steady diet of whatever makes them bounce off the walls and through shit at each other, is like trying to tell a devout Christian that Jesus was just a regular really cool guy. Forget it. They must go the way of all dupes; they have to learn for themselves. So, I would anticipate that social media will go from bad to worse before it gets better or goes away.
I truly hope you prove me wrong.
You make some really good points about how the Internet can be used and this message resonates with me (so much so that I've shared it with others too!). I agree with the heart of the message regarding supporting each other and valuing integrity and transparency. Thank you for sharing this message!
This is awesome.
I need more visibility on Substack to get more subscribers, honestly. I don't have much of a social network online or offline.
This site seems to reward users that *already* have a following.
Exciting times ahead! Thank you Substack.
I'm excited by the sizzle; eager to taste the steak.
On the strength of the sizzle alone, I cloned my Medium contents to SS this AM.
If the steak proves-out, I'll primary those URLS...
Please produce some videos about the new features and how to navigate them - something to help fast adoption.
If the features are good - and especially if they can replace the social networking utility we're getting from Twitter, we're totally on it - and promoting.
Thanks.
Reading such a refreshing take on media has given me a tiny dopamine hit.
So
Excellent. You guys are nailing it ⚡️⚡️⚡️👏👍
I'm sorry, Substack is different how? It's still someone else's playground. I'm not saying there's much alternative to that these days but I attempted to move a mailing list to Substack a couple of months ago and my imported list was declined. It's not like it was thousands of subscribers, less than 500 all of whom had opted in through my website form. But just like Twitter and Facebook if you are declined or FB jailed or what have you there's no way to escalate it and speak to someone. No way to ask what happened. It's just here's a help article and good luck. I don't know if a live human being made that determination or AI like on other outlets but it still comes down to the same problem of limited access to customer service. I just went elsewhere. My list was not massive but it was not worth the effort to start over from square one with substack. So telling me that Substack is the Messiah is a rather poor argument.
Well that's a valid point. I have been asking the same question in regards to substack and hoping, somehow, they may have avoided the 'materialist fascism' of many other 'tech' platforms. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. First sight of such symptoms as 'cancelling' or trying to censor free speech, and I will leave it.
i always enjoy hamish's vision / i have a similar one / although i have never twittered in my life i do post weekly on substack / my 'private network' remains small even after two years but i enjoy it / bigger isn't always better / well unless you're trying to make money
Remember how we all had to be friends with Tom in Myspace? He was just a picture of a guy no one really knew or learned much from. Well with Substack the script is once again flipped, because so many of us are thankful to automatically be in the loop with Hamish.
Very well put, the democratization of social media is a good thing rather than algorithms and authoritarians choosing what we post, like, and read. But someone is gonna push back and say, "Yeah, but do you wanna give Donald Trump a platform to push more stolen election lies."
1) I am not following the trajectory. You don't like Twitter because it's snarky. Your alternative would not be snarky? Dan Rather's Twitter account showcases his master snarker talent. Why would he not snark were he to switch to Substicker? 2) Recently, when I searched for "Steady," the top result was a "sponsored" referral to a Substacker who is opposite on the spectrum to Rather. Who paid for that?
When can we stop giving to the capitalist machine though? Can Substack exist beyond capitalism?
I write here on Substack and really enjoy it. BUT...why is the privatization argument solely focused on Elon? Does no one care that Zuck created a de facto monopoly when FB acquired Instagram and WhatsApp? And does no one care that TikTok is by extension regulated by the CCP which is a direct national security threat to the United States? And does no one realize uber wealthy individuals (think Bezos, Bloomberg, Murdoch) own most traditional media platforms in America?
There is no such thing as "free speech" and there never has been. Elon is playing the game rulers have played for millennia. Control the channels of communication and you control the population.
Personally, I think there is a much bigger play here that is being overlooked. Let's talk about the AI/machine learning impact of owning media channels, especially when Tesla is deep in the weeds of developing autonomous humanoids.
What Elon does with Twitter in the future is far more important than what he's doing with it right now: https://amandaclaypool.medium.com/is-this-why-elon-musk-really-bought-twitter-1dbf34b99c53
I also wonder if we can have a web3 Twitter that runs itself like Bitcoin. Do we even need any humans to “own” a Twitter?
Yassssss though Twitter does feel like Elon Musk’s personal blog now, but I’m here for it.
I’m convinced. Just deleted all my social media apis on my phone. Thank you for creating this extraordinary resource !
And it's purely coincidence that your pushing this idea right after Twitter ownership has changed hands correct? Had Musk not lurchased Twitter you'd still have published this right?
So true! Can’t agree more, @Hamish. It’s time for a more user-empowered model than what social offers. In fact I’ve just published a story with the same sentiments looking at it from personal vs. business brand perspective: https://visualstorytell.substack.com/p/what-is-your-personal-brand
Well said! And to echo comments below, I appreciate the timely rollout of the Chat feature. Both the service and Chat feature feel like a version of the "just small enough room" delight experienced during a certain finite window with many other social networks (thinking back to Flickr, for example) before they cross the proverbial chasm.
The Free Software Foundation might have an interest in participating in an effort like this.
Perhaps Substack could create a non monetary community where there were no writers charging for any tiered levels of subscription. Substack isn't a charity, so the business model would be for writers creating content in this nonmonetized community to pay Substack an annual fee for the privilege a lã Amazon Prime. This Substack gets paid and we utopians get our egalitarian, non money seeking community.
I don't want to say I'll never charge, but I like to give back to my community of romance writers this way. This is one way to do so. Many people stopped and helped me on my journey and are still doing so. This is one way to give back. Paying a small fee after one year, or something like that is acceptable to have a platform like this.
I although have been a Twitter account holder for a few years, I never was a constant tweeter or into it, especially during the censorship oppression of 1st Amendment rights Twitter dictated. I’ve only recently returned since the rumor of Elon Musk taking over & STILL only indulged sporadically.
yup private communities, the point is to take out all the crap on normal social media
Wait wait, just because I don't own Twitter doesn't mean it's *not* a problem that Elon does...
You read all headlines literally? You're going to have a bad time here...
The real utopia will arrive when we stop monetizing everything including our writings and discussions. Substack is as guilty as everyone else here, part of their marketing is an enticement of making a second income off of paid subscribers. I started a newsletter here- created it and will maintain it as a free forum. I strongly urge all content providers to do the same.
Love this! It’s every reason I started writing here, and a final nudge to post one last time on Twitter. Here’s to community!
I like the way Substack has continued to evolve, giving authors and readers more options on creating and interacting. And I’m counting on it to continue!
https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/its-the-relationships-stupid
Hermetic anti-social networks are where it's @.
"We believe that the next era of the social internet will be about deep relationships over shallow engagement; signal over noise; and ownership over serfdom."
THAT is an incredible piece of prose. I want to meet you one day, just to tell you that THAT was good.
"Signal over noise..." especially...
And very fitting with the theme of my own Substack (and now self-proclaimed, self-owned social media network), Audio Issues:
The overall premise of this initial series is a 5-part multimedia / “true story” / family drama / cautionary tale set to music. It includes songs, lyrics, explicit and censored versions, photos of me, my travels, nature, + my life, and TONS of literary, film, and of course, musical references. They all make their own music!
Please take a listen, take a look, and feel free to hit me back with any questions about anything.
And I am now a subscriber! Thank you for your words. I hope you like my music :)
I would love to see substack then into something like a digital republic.
https://extelligence.substack.com/p/my-twitter-product-roadmap?utm_source=%2Finbox&utm_medium=reader2
I wrote this roadmap for twitter but substack cold equally do the same thing to transform the internet and social media.
I wonder if it makes sense for Substack to offer a feature that rivals Twitter — something that has a character limit and a central feed of short-form content for those who want that sort of thing?
In any case, I agree with the premise of the article. Creators should own their feeds and their connection to their audience.
Twitter no longer works like it used to, but neither does Google. It used to be that you could enter a topic or question and you would find links to closely related topics. Now, you get page after page of what amount to advertisements called "sponsored listings". Some are related to what you want to find but many are way off target.
FSF are you listening? We need an alternative search engine that is free of these misdirection's.
It is too early to judger where Twitter is going, but if you try to build an alternative on Substack you will make a crucial mistake: paying attention to what others do instead of improving your own product.
Before trying to explain why Twitter should not be replicated here, I will list a few things that in my view need to be improved on Substack:
- Managing subscriptions is laborious.
- Making recommendations is difficult. Maybe I am not that bright, but I couldn't figure out how to recommend a post, other than "like". Organise the saves. Help readers to build their Substack libraries, thus making it more useful and stickier.
- The Stats are poor. I cannot see an overall snapshot of my posts, country of origin, and which posts are favourite. This is the single biggest area that can be improved.
- Finding Substack publications could be better. Maybe have some sort of rating, a summary of readers perception, etc.
- I admit I am not ready to invest in writing, but I want to. Substack is simple, is beautifully made for just writing, but it can be better. If you really want to promote Private Social Networks, invest in technology to make it easier for writers to group, to collaborate, make it easier for readers to organise their inbox feed by category, preferences etc.
Twitter is an exceptional platform for distribution and discovery of information. Substack can greatly benefit from that. You should recognise the power of Twitter in promoting Substack. This is how I found out about it.
As the conversations below can attest, chatting on Substack will quickly evolve to look like Twitter banter. Why chat when you can comment? I hope you stay focus on Substack and make it the best publishing platform ever, rather than try to make it a social network Twitter style. Let the writer take their content to the world wherever they want and let Twitter worry about how to manage the discourse. Otherwise you will open the Pandora box of vile political argumentation which will antagonise writers/subscribers. Once you start that, there is no end to it, and you will have to worry about content moderation, just like Elon.
I hope you are not upset by my feedback. I listen to your podcasts and I liked them. Substack is made in that spirit and it should stay like that, and get so much better, like nothing else. It is the difference between reading a book and reading short arguments. Substack is a retreat, an invitation to contemplate, think, not argue. I surely hope it stays that way.
I've posted some 19k tweets, according twitter. And I don't have a Blue Check. I just tweeted twitter that if they don't blue check me, I'm done. I quit daily posting on FB a couple of years ago. Now I reply to friends I really know. Otherwise, I don't go there much any more.
Promoting my Substack NL on twitter is a waste of time for me. Perhaps there are too many folks posting about picking stocks and selling covered calls and cash secured puts. There are a lot of bad sites out there, and it's hard to get noticed
My twitter followers aren't worth transferring to Substack. I think they're mostly people who want me to follow them, not folks who care about my tweets.
On Substack, there are so many newsletters that are competing for time and dollars, that, I think, you have to be a famous politician or celebrity to really make it big.
So, as on twitter and FB, most of us are working for Substack for free.
I make my money trading, not writing a NL. I write the NL to record my thoughts and help a few friends who subscribe for free, not to make money, which looks pretty impossible.
Hi Hamish, interesting article. I thought you might be interested in a great example, from just today, where Substack has indeed been able to function as a 'social media for the good'.
I have two readers of my serialised music themed novel - challenge69.substack.com - neither of whom know me, or each other, yet I've been able to introduce them, to their mutual benefit!
Samfire is a singer/songwriter/producer from London, just starting out on her musical career, while Benjamin Kryze is a Computer Scientist from France who writes 'Small Ears', a music orientated Substack that centres around interviews with emerging artists.
I've just plugged them together, which means Ben gets an interesting new post for his site and Samfire gets some welcome extra exposure for her music. A genuine Substack win/win.
Tim
Hi,
Interesting article on a currently relevant theme.
I am going to add, if no-one minds that I think the problem is with 'tech' itself.
The reason I think this is a problem is that -
Tech is almost entirely pervasive currently. I think this may be problematic.
The main reason, perhaps, for this, is that I think, though there are undoubtedly useful points about tech the companies which offer such services represent problems. The main problems they represent are -
Abuses of power
Corruption
Potentially, the power to subvert human society.
These, are really big issues. I think it is the case, we, as humans(!) have come so under the sway of the 'convenience of tech' that we have been prepared to forget ethical issues which are, it seems sure, inseparable, therefore from the 'rise of tech'.
For example, the companies in question, whether twitter, facebook, youtube, instagram or google are involved in such activities as -
- suppresion of free speech
- corrupt lobbying
- abuses of power in general
These are cearly having real (detrimental) impact on societies, including,
- dehumanising people
- putting forward a model of 'humans as tech'
- treating people merely as products.
These are real issues which we should all, it seems certain, be looking at.
Many thanks,
Much kindness.
I am amazed by the level to which people devolved to garnering worth from social media compared to direct personal interaction. My post below from a couple months ago addressed that, and you may like it.
https://joelelorentzen.substack.com/p/we-the-silent
Thanks Joel. I will have a look.