Substack is great, but it’s writer-centric; and its business model doesn’t work for the average reader - who wants to pay $80 / month to follow a dozen “stacks”. UnHerd and the WSJ are much more cost effective. There is no refund for long-term subscriptions. The minimum $5 a month is just too high. The website is clunky, and has some nasty glitches (accidentally hit the wrong button and a few hundred dollars are charged to your credit card in less than a minute). What do you do when you subscribe and the writer stops writing? And then of course there’s Stripe. Ever try chatting with Substack help? Substack is great, but . . .
I understand your position. I can’t afford $5/month for every subscription either, so I’m grateful for those who keep things free for a time, offer discounts, or employ a quid pro quo model.
So you are saying anybody can get on this platform and write? No licensing agency? No requirement of higher education? No board of experts to determine if the content produced is safe and/or appropriate for consumption by the general public?
Authors can post anything they want without any centralized government controlled editorial power whatsoever?
This is incredibly dangerous. What if someone accidentally reads something that offends they/them? How will they feel knowing that anybody else can access the platform and read offensive things that they/them feel are actually harming they/them physically, as thoughts often do?
On top of all that, people can contribute directly to authors without a government appointed mediator properly collecting and reallocating a small portion of funds to those experts producing content not full of wrong think?
Substack is great and I am here more and more. MSM makes you stupid and increasingly the old stalwarts of conservative media do too.
However, their subscription model causes fiscal pain. I get that the writers want to get paid for their work and I am willing to do so. However, there are fiscal limits for those of us without some institution to pay the freight. If some sort of package could be offered-x writers for y$- it could bring in enough new patrons to increase total revenue. Average revenue per customer would decline but it not like there is any marginal cost to adding a new subscriber. I think Unherd does something like this.
Reading Yuri today and noticing the smile on my face. You provide a useful distance from the tragedies, Yuri, and help them be a comedy. Reminds me of my sometime motto, "No throne so high it can't be rocked by laughter from below." Now let's get rockin'.
Completely agree Yuri... Substack is the least constraining truly Free platform I am aware of... the caliber of writers and content explored, represents a lot of Humanity's Best... Powerful Synergistic Mojo radiating here, I always check it first when I go online... Let's keep expanding access to those Souls Hungry for a Deeper Understanding ... of the Mystery's of Life..
I have discovered more comrades on Substack than all other platforms combined. In one place I can read excellent political analysis, fantastic fiction, deep theology, gardening tips, heart-warming stories, and snark enough to keep me giggling in the middle of a culture war.
Thank YOU for being a meaningful part of my days. Blessings to you and yours.
Since joining Substack I have dropped the FT and the Economist. I feel so much better informed. Pairing that with WSJ or other reputable mainstream outlets is a great way to stay informed. But what I like best? Tie between Niccolo Soldo’s witticism’s and Yuri’s strong meme game.
Agreed that Substack is a big - and important - success. TBH, I thought Notes would be a dud. I was wrong! And I find there is much more interaction here than at the usual social media platforms.
Notes is basically a dud, and alienates many Substack authors because they are forced to use it. Anything styled after X was always bound to be a failure - it's a format that should have died a long time ago.
Substack and other platforms fighting for free speech can be a wonderful tool and exercise. Substack has some looming problems. First of all every author needs to state clearly guidelines for comments, especially for PAYING subscribers. Substack leaves even the unreasonable up to the author. This can be good and bad. A simple guide is: no promotion of violence, or harm to anyone. Unfortunately, some authors can't take even mild constructive criticism from those that are PAYING to support them and this platform.
Finding great people to discuss things with, and having fun doing it. Substack makes the internet fun again!
Before Substack, chatting on social media was like trying to have a fancy dinner in the middle of an elementary school cafeteria!
Sure, you might get a few points across, and learn a few things, but there will almost always be a food fight, then things devolve quickly.
Substack, because of largely uncensored speech, keeps those people away.
Discussions on Substack are more like what you might experience in person, with regular people. People who laugh when I ask what proof the Irish butter is. 😉👉
Maybe find a sparring partner to do a series a la Siskel and Ebert reviewing subversives and their events, on various metrics like technique, level of propaganda, subversiveness, entertainment factor, overall effect etc. At The Subversives?
Substack is great, but it’s writer-centric; and its business model doesn’t work for the average reader - who wants to pay $80 / month to follow a dozen “stacks”. UnHerd and the WSJ are much more cost effective. There is no refund for long-term subscriptions. The minimum $5 a month is just too high. The website is clunky, and has some nasty glitches (accidentally hit the wrong button and a few hundred dollars are charged to your credit card in less than a minute). What do you do when you subscribe and the writer stops writing? And then of course there’s Stripe. Ever try chatting with Substack help? Substack is great, but . . .
I understand your position. I can’t afford $5/month for every subscription either, so I’m grateful for those who keep things free for a time, offer discounts, or employ a quid pro quo model.
So you are saying anybody can get on this platform and write? No licensing agency? No requirement of higher education? No board of experts to determine if the content produced is safe and/or appropriate for consumption by the general public?
Authors can post anything they want without any centralized government controlled editorial power whatsoever?
This is incredibly dangerous. What if someone accidentally reads something that offends they/them? How will they feel knowing that anybody else can access the platform and read offensive things that they/them feel are actually harming they/them physically, as thoughts often do?
On top of all that, people can contribute directly to authors without a government appointed mediator properly collecting and reallocating a small portion of funds to those experts producing content not full of wrong think?
THIS IS MADNESS!
Great piece on the uses and potential of this platform. Well said Yuri.
Indeed.
Substack is great and I am here more and more. MSM makes you stupid and increasingly the old stalwarts of conservative media do too.
However, their subscription model causes fiscal pain. I get that the writers want to get paid for their work and I am willing to do so. However, there are fiscal limits for those of us without some institution to pay the freight. If some sort of package could be offered-x writers for y$- it could bring in enough new patrons to increase total revenue. Average revenue per customer would decline but it not like there is any marginal cost to adding a new subscriber. I think Unherd does something like this.
Reading Yuri today and noticing the smile on my face. You provide a useful distance from the tragedies, Yuri, and help them be a comedy. Reminds me of my sometime motto, "No throne so high it can't be rocked by laughter from below." Now let's get rockin'.
Completely agree Yuri... Substack is the least constraining truly Free platform I am aware of... the caliber of writers and content explored, represents a lot of Humanity's Best... Powerful Synergistic Mojo radiating here, I always check it first when I go online... Let's keep expanding access to those Souls Hungry for a Deeper Understanding ... of the Mystery's of Life..
I have discovered more comrades on Substack than all other platforms combined. In one place I can read excellent political analysis, fantastic fiction, deep theology, gardening tips, heart-warming stories, and snark enough to keep me giggling in the middle of a culture war.
Thank YOU for being a meaningful part of my days. Blessings to you and yours.
Since joining Substack I have dropped the FT and the Economist. I feel so much better informed. Pairing that with WSJ or other reputable mainstream outlets is a great way to stay informed. But what I like best? Tie between Niccolo Soldo’s witticism’s and Yuri’s strong meme game.
This is the way.
Agreed that Substack is a big - and important - success. TBH, I thought Notes would be a dud. I was wrong! And I find there is much more interaction here than at the usual social media platforms.
Notes is basically a dud, and alienates many Substack authors because they are forced to use it. Anything styled after X was always bound to be a failure - it's a format that should have died a long time ago.
Substack and other platforms fighting for free speech can be a wonderful tool and exercise. Substack has some looming problems. First of all every author needs to state clearly guidelines for comments, especially for PAYING subscribers. Substack leaves even the unreasonable up to the author. This can be good and bad. A simple guide is: no promotion of violence, or harm to anyone. Unfortunately, some authors can't take even mild constructive criticism from those that are PAYING to support them and this platform.
That's what it's all about!
Finding great people to discuss things with, and having fun doing it. Substack makes the internet fun again!
Before Substack, chatting on social media was like trying to have a fancy dinner in the middle of an elementary school cafeteria!
Sure, you might get a few points across, and learn a few things, but there will almost always be a food fight, then things devolve quickly.
Substack, because of largely uncensored speech, keeps those people away.
Discussions on Substack are more like what you might experience in person, with regular people. People who laugh when I ask what proof the Irish butter is. 😉👉
Maybe find a sparring partner to do a series a la Siskel and Ebert reviewing subversives and their events, on various metrics like technique, level of propaganda, subversiveness, entertainment factor, overall effect etc. At The Subversives?
https://youtu.be/zczrs4jZf8Y
I'm with you. It's the best platform right now.
"Right now." The operative. If they make bad changes so does that operative. Human adaptability. Evolutionary advantage makes us properly fickle.
The last meme - "Look at me, I'm the media now" wins the best of Substack. Well done, comrade.
Chris, Hamish, and Mills stand shoulder to shoulder with Elon. Hats off to these courageous men!
Great choice of theme song. 🎶 It's the Substack, baby! 🎶