I so agree! I honestly wonder why all the apps want to have all the features and why they can't simply stick to what the site got known for and amplify that. I love this space as it's just words and photos and it felt calming to the mind. I'm not too excited for having videos here as well.
It was FOMO + Revenge. When Elon took over Twitter and destroyed it and then banned Substack links on Twitter, Substack CEO got grumpy and wanted revenge…so NOTES was born, as a F U Elon Musk, we can do it too…and hoped to get some of the Twitter users on Sub. That’s basically it.
Gosh. It all feels like such a childish game in the end. Instead of seeking revenge, keep the social in media by focusing on being a fabulous site where writers can thrive, can be found through whatever option they use because the algorithm works and fix the glitches when they arise. I get that in this era, you want to stay on track with changes, but I never quite understood the FOMO. Apps/Platforms are born to fill a gap, create bridges, there's no need for FOMO if you stay true to why an app is born is the first place. Maybe I'm oversimplyfing things now, it's bedtime for me and getting this news affected me more than I thought it would. 😅
I forgot what I shared yesterday, haha. Thank you for reading. 😊 I do hope that this will just be an option for writers to use and not something you have to use to be seen on this app, like what IG tends to do.
Please for the love of god substack, do not make this into a tiktok-like platform. The videos are honestly too much. I love the simplicity of the blog posts and photos too. I quit all social media and hate that this is becoming one.
It's not becoming social media. That ship has sailed. Substack is social media. They have embraced all the things that they once loudly asserted were wrong with our modern interactions. I love Substack and its core mission, but they are leaving the core behind with every new social media update.
Exactly! This is worrisome. What’s next for Substack - disappearing posted? Avatars? Emojis instead of likes?
It’s worrisome because it indicates leadership is possibly panicking about growth - maybe feeling pressure from sources to “monetize” faster. Maybe from investors. Every new feature lately has been about generating traffic using the “metrics” of success that pertain to the dopamine-distraction-complex… rather than focusing on their own mission and vision.
All of these new cool features mean nothing if Substack doesn’t fix rather more important issues. NOTES algorithm is broken. I have hundreds of followers and not even a single follower sees my notes. If you want to become the new Twitter’, then fix the algorithm first. My notes should be pushed to all my followers / subscribers for max engagement. Else Notes is dead.
As far as I can tell, we also can't track any stats for our Notes. Some Notes do well, others less so (in terms of engagement). It's hard to tell if that's because of the Note itself or it's just not being put in front of anyone.
Right. But Substack wanted Notes to be the new Twitter. If that’s what they want, then get the algorithm right first. Push the Notes to your followers first for more engagement, that doesn’t happen. It’s not normal that I post 5-10 posts daily and none of them get a single like 😂
Very much so. I keep getting fed Notes by someone who I'm not following despite not really being interested in their stuff. But it's fed to me as if I'm following them.
If anyone with dyslexia tried reading the subtitles on MOST podcasts/videos I am quite sure they would only make you worse! In this day and age one would think they had figured out how to do subtitles well!
Substack has too many problems already to jump into this. From what I’m seeing already, it’s losing appeal fast. Junked up with garbage I don’t care to see. A better idea would be having a support and help center manned by an actual person. Currently there is ZERO support at Substack. No way to contact a live person for assistance. Frankly, it’s a ripoff for paying subscribers!
Maybe it is time for substack to create a substack for ONLY writers?
I have NO interest in food/fashion etc.
You have sold your souls substack.
My remaining question is: All the people who came here first and are now 'out-gunned' by new media shit..........how long do you think we will last?
As it is I am getting comments from people offering me all sorts of nonsense: writing lessons for $2,500 a time. THIS is advertising and I do not want to see it.
Yes I can report things but to my mind nothing happens!
The written word is way more interesting compared to video/podcasts are a way of saying we know nothing! I could do a 'podcast' which would be so simple for me BUT if you try to write what you are saying it becomes difficult because there has been no education in the USA for years.
IF everyone HAD to write we would be a better world.
Most Americans do not know how to write they do podcasts because they are unable to WRITE words.
Please don’t bring here the video crowds. It’s the start of the enshitification of the internet. Substack is our safe harbor against stupidity, stupid dances, pyramid schemes and all the gunk happening on Instagram
My first reaction was: Oh NOOO!!! WHY??? And I see that many others feel the same. Substack used to be for WRITERS. This trend is somewhat disappointing; there are already enough tools for endless shallow cacophony and self-promotion.
I first read the headline and thought "ok, this is cool", but then read all these negative comments. I can see where everyone is coming from, but I am going to roll with it and see what comes of it. I think Substack will remain an amazing community with this new feature. We don't have to use it if we don't want to. Can't wait to see how you use this new feature, Kristina! Keeping good energy flowing, even with change.
The trouble is you DO have to use it if you don't want to, that is, if you want to use Notes you have to scroll through videos. There is no feature to stop auto-play. Videos and reading just do not go well together, so those of us that came here to read will have a real struggle now.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out... I personally am OK with the videos, but I totally understand why others might not be. I truly hope that Substack is listening to all of these comments. I know they can't make everyone happy, but hopefully can find a middle ground. I also don't want this to turn into a tiktok or instagram. So far I am enjoying what I see. I also see a different type of creator here on Substack - so I hope we can keep the feature in line with the wonderful content I am seeing every day on SS. Cheers ~
Thanks for the mention 💛 loving the opportunity to post videos in Notes! And loving seeing what others share. I’ve been sharing a daily calm video each day, just a few seconds to take a breath and enjoy the beauty of nature 🤩
But whyyyyy try to do aaaalll the things all the other social media sites do rather than simply tending to what Substack does best???
I so agree! I honestly wonder why all the apps want to have all the features and why they can't simply stick to what the site got known for and amplify that. I love this space as it's just words and photos and it felt calming to the mind. I'm not too excited for having videos here as well.
Fully agree!
They really should stop trying to take people away from other platforms by offering all the features others do.
Of course I'm trying to ascertain if this is written tongue-in-cheek, as it makes an...interesting point if so... 🤪
A little from column A, a little from column B. I like to be funny while speaking truthfully or honestly.
👌🏼
…and give us the “stop autoplay” setting.
Annoying to have videos start right up whilst trying to scroll past them.
It was FOMO + Revenge. When Elon took over Twitter and destroyed it and then banned Substack links on Twitter, Substack CEO got grumpy and wanted revenge…so NOTES was born, as a F U Elon Musk, we can do it too…and hoped to get some of the Twitter users on Sub. That’s basically it.
Gosh. It all feels like such a childish game in the end. Instead of seeking revenge, keep the social in media by focusing on being a fabulous site where writers can thrive, can be found through whatever option they use because the algorithm works and fix the glitches when they arise. I get that in this era, you want to stay on track with changes, but I never quite understood the FOMO. Apps/Platforms are born to fill a gap, create bridges, there's no need for FOMO if you stay true to why an app is born is the first place. Maybe I'm oversimplyfing things now, it's bedtime for me and getting this news affected me more than I thought it would. 😅
Well said...
I forgot what I shared yesterday, haha. Thank you for reading. 😊 I do hope that this will just be an option for writers to use and not something you have to use to be seen on this app, like what IG tends to do.
Yes, it's very frustrating that Substack seems to want to be everything that they claimed they were fighting against.
Exactly!!!
And fix the problems:
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
Please for the love of god substack, do not make this into a tiktok-like platform. The videos are honestly too much. I love the simplicity of the blog posts and photos too. I quit all social media and hate that this is becoming one.
It's not becoming social media. That ship has sailed. Substack is social media. They have embraced all the things that they once loudly asserted were wrong with our modern interactions. I love Substack and its core mission, but they are leaving the core behind with every new social media update.
I agree!! I don’t want to see videos of GRWN or OOTD
🤣
Exactly! This is worrisome. What’s next for Substack - disappearing posted? Avatars? Emojis instead of likes?
It’s worrisome because it indicates leadership is possibly panicking about growth - maybe feeling pressure from sources to “monetize” faster. Maybe from investors. Every new feature lately has been about generating traffic using the “metrics” of success that pertain to the dopamine-distraction-complex… rather than focusing on their own mission and vision.
Substack happens in the inbox.
Writers know this.
Somehow leadership has become confused about it.
Well said. To me the videos are like a death-rattle for this platform.
I sincerely hope not; I've put a LOT of energy into growing my content and subscribers and revenue on this platform.... oh please....
I hope not too, but in any case, I won't be using Notes much anymore.
Hear, hear! Competing with Big Tech on CDNs and performance/UX is a losing game. Focus on strengths, while leveraging winners like YouTube..
All of these new cool features mean nothing if Substack doesn’t fix rather more important issues. NOTES algorithm is broken. I have hundreds of followers and not even a single follower sees my notes. If you want to become the new Twitter’, then fix the algorithm first. My notes should be pushed to all my followers / subscribers for max engagement. Else Notes is dead.
Agreed 💯
As far as I can tell, we also can't track any stats for our Notes. Some Notes do well, others less so (in terms of engagement). It's hard to tell if that's because of the Note itself or it's just not being put in front of anyone.
Right. But Substack wanted Notes to be the new Twitter. If that’s what they want, then get the algorithm right first. Push the Notes to your followers first for more engagement, that doesn’t happen. It’s not normal that I post 5-10 posts daily and none of them get a single like 😂
I cannot even edit something I have written. Sometimes my mind moves faster than my fingers and I still cannot go back and edit!
I ma blocked from Faving this comment?
Very much so. I keep getting fed Notes by someone who I'm not following despite not really being interested in their stuff. But it's fed to me as if I'm following them.
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
Crap, videos are one of the reasons I left Instagram. Our quiet corner of the internet is now ruined
I agree. But also payments and stats are ruined.
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
I have been on substack for a long time. I have never been on Twitter but I imagine substack now as the new Twitter. I am not interested.
There was a time when writers 'wrote' with words. Now we have podcasts/people saying and doing nothing.
Many times I go to podcasts and and there are NO subtitles. I am deaf and I am really sick of writing about this.
IF substack does not make it a 'law' to aid deaf people I am sure we all millions of us can come up with a lawsuit.
How dare you treat us like 2/3rd class citizens because we are deaf!
👏👏
Hello Jenny! I do everything with subtitles!
Thank you.
There should be subtitles anywhere there is video these days. I hope that it happens - good you're speaking up on it :-).
Thanks.
You are one reason I started to add subtitle in my videos for youtube 😊
But I agree, they dont focus on people with disability. I have dyslexia and reading anything on this site is a pain…
Well thank you so much.
If anyone with dyslexia tried reading the subtitles on MOST podcasts/videos I am quite sure they would only make you worse! In this day and age one would think they had figured out how to do subtitles well!
Substack has too many problems already to jump into this. From what I’m seeing already, it’s losing appeal fast. Junked up with garbage I don’t care to see. A better idea would be having a support and help center manned by an actual person. Currently there is ZERO support at Substack. No way to contact a live person for assistance. Frankly, it’s a ripoff for paying subscribers!
Totally agree. For such a great platform that is all about community I was stunned there wasn’t any live tech support even by text? 🤷🏻♂️
Absolutely. Here are the real problems:
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
Was searching for their support not long ago about the bad reading experiance here…. Did I find any…..
Maybe it is time for substack to create a substack for ONLY writers?
I have NO interest in food/fashion etc.
You have sold your souls substack.
My remaining question is: All the people who came here first and are now 'out-gunned' by new media shit..........how long do you think we will last?
As it is I am getting comments from people offering me all sorts of nonsense: writing lessons for $2,500 a time. THIS is advertising and I do not want to see it.
Yes I can report things but to my mind nothing happens!
You can report to nowhere - to a non existing support which fixes not the real problems: https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
I also have no interest in seeing photos of people's lunches, pictures of pets, or any of the other crap I came here to get away from.
```me too.
I am interested in people who write.
The written word is way more interesting compared to video/podcasts are a way of saying we know nothing! I could do a 'podcast' which would be so simple for me BUT if you try to write what you are saying it becomes difficult because there has been no education in the USA for years.
IF everyone HAD to write we would be a better world.
Most Americans do not know how to write they do podcasts because they are unable to WRITE words.
IF anyone wants to write I will help you.
Writers and Readers ✍🏼📖
How do we prevent Substack from turning into Instagram?
OR Twitter?
We go back to the beginning and people have to learn how to write!
By bringing up a storm to fix the real problems. Then they have work for 2 years!
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
We have to write even better stuff 🙏🏻💛
Getting our voices heard on their favorite platform, notes
Please don’t bring here the video crowds. It’s the start of the enshitification of the internet. Substack is our safe harbor against stupidity, stupid dances, pyramid schemes and all the gunk happening on Instagram
My first reaction was: Oh NOOO!!! WHY??? And I see that many others feel the same. Substack used to be for WRITERS. This trend is somewhat disappointing; there are already enough tools for endless shallow cacophony and self-promotion.
I so completely agree!
Hear hear!
So we're just going to continue to become Twitter?
Or worse…
Hopefully not.
Oh hell yeah
This are the real problems of Substack:
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
I’ll only communicate via video, podcast, or something else with visual pizzazz
Great new feature. A new way to connect with others and introduce ourselves and our work. It also helps to connect on a deeper level I think.
I experimented with Notes today and will continue to do so over the next few weeks for a YouTube video I'm creating.
I'll be experimenting with videos too!
I disagree Kristina. There are dozens of real problems which need to be fixed first:
https://substack.com/@duell/note/c-54407143
I first read the headline and thought "ok, this is cool", but then read all these negative comments. I can see where everyone is coming from, but I am going to roll with it and see what comes of it. I think Substack will remain an amazing community with this new feature. We don't have to use it if we don't want to. Can't wait to see how you use this new feature, Kristina! Keeping good energy flowing, even with change.
The trouble is you DO have to use it if you don't want to, that is, if you want to use Notes you have to scroll through videos. There is no feature to stop auto-play. Videos and reading just do not go well together, so those of us that came here to read will have a real struggle now.
Yes!
It will be interesting to see how this plays out... I personally am OK with the videos, but I totally understand why others might not be. I truly hope that Substack is listening to all of these comments. I know they can't make everyone happy, but hopefully can find a middle ground. I also don't want this to turn into a tiktok or instagram. So far I am enjoying what I see. I also see a different type of creator here on Substack - so I hope we can keep the feature in line with the wonderful content I am seeing every day on SS. Cheers ~
Thanks for the mention 💛 loving the opportunity to post videos in Notes! And loving seeing what others share. I’ve been sharing a daily calm video each day, just a few seconds to take a breath and enjoy the beauty of nature 🤩
ohhh that sounds wonderful! Many here aren't happy about the feature, but I love you're doing something beautiful with it.
I understand the trepidation, I thought I would share what I’d like to see 🤩
I like it!!!
😍
As long as we see Joyce Alene’s Chickens😀