So the idea is: to combat the attention economy, adopt all of their tactics, lingo, and tools and hope that Substack doesn't become another wing of the attention economy? I came here to get away from all this...
Notes changes turned my feed into every other social platform. You just added gambling. I must not be seeing how this keeps Substack a haven for writers if users can monetize without even setting up a publication. Sounds like you're courting casual grindset users to beef up all the metrics.
Skip steps! Money in a flash! Jump to the head of the line!
I can understand how one might look at Substack's features, notice that they look like the features from legacy social media, and conclude that it's all just the same and will produce the same results. But Substack is only the same as legacy social media inasmuch as an electric car is the same as a gasoline car. Yes, many of the features look the same—there's a steering wheel, a chassis, and pedals—but the underlying power system is completely different, in a transformative way.
The reason Substack is different is because of the underlying business model. It's a completely different game. That's what I laid out in this paragraph:
"The Substack model prioritizes ownership for creators and agency for subscribers. Creators own not only all their content but also their relationships with their subscribers, making them less vulnerable to the vagaries of social networks. At the same time, subscribers can vote for the kind of culture they want by directly supporting the creators they most trust with subscriptions. The vast majority of the revenue generated by this model—9 out of every $10—goes to creators. Substack can only succeed when they succeed."
Hamish, I won't deny the model is different. I've been to your SF HQ, and spoken with your team! I love much of what you're doing.
But when I see platforms shoehorning multiple features in quickly, it feels like trying to be everything to everyone. That's the dilution that often sacrifices depth for scope.
As a reader I am blessed to have substack. There are so much good information here, great writers, I wish I could afford to subscribe to very many of them. It is cost prohibitive to me. However they are all worth every penny. If it weren't for substack, I would not be informed of what really goes on in this world. I can't trust the news, I can't trust the most other social media sites, so where else can I go aside from PBS and the AP to get the news I need to know. Where else can I go besides tik tok and Instagram to get a clue of any kind of what the young people are thinking and doing? YouTube straight if I want to know how to do something or want a short bit of Entertainment for the day, but substack writers go deep, and do their homework by sharing where they got their information from. I realize it's hard to trust yet another social media platform not to get greedy and start stealing people's work and stealing our personal information for advertiser gain. However if that begins, we all know what to do about that. Ditch the platform... As I have ditched the Washington Post, the New York times, do not use X unless I'm looking at proof of something, Don't use TikTok but can still see it through Facebook,... You get the point. The only reason I even look at any of them is to get a feel for what is generating people's thoughts and their responses to that. We all know we're being played by just about everyone for the king of cash. Don't give it to them unless you see they are doing good work, take it away if they stop.
Great points, De. I share and resonate the same reasons for loving Substack. Blessed to their writers and the tech stack/features they've integrated so far.
Getting rid of the advertising does not do anything to fundamentally change the attention economy. You have been perpetuating this myth for years but it falls apart if you think about it for 30 seconds. Substack looks sounds and acts like social media. Substack has the *exact same* incentives to harvest attention as all the other platforms. Lots of platforms are sharing some money with creators now. The problem was never advertising, the problem was always VC funded companies with a growth at all cost mentality and this is just another one. The users have noticed.
As someone who works for a company that earns revenue from distributing ads, I wouldn't say the incentives are exactly the same. Companies with ad-based revenue models demand growing amounts of attention because they get paid for every ad impression and click that they are able to produce from their platform. In turn, these companies optimize for keeping users engaged (eyeballs to the screen) for as long as possible. Substack, on other hand, earns revenue (currently) from subscriptions to publications. While it is very much true that Substack succeeds when more readers engage with features like Notes (because they are exposed to new authors to which they can subscribe), I wouldn't say Substack is as beholden to engagement/attention as a place like Youtube, because so long as you the reader are paying your subscription fees, they don't care quite as much whether you are viewing Notes or not. They do very much care that authors are creating content that is worth subscribing to, though, and I believe that content is often richer than the type of content we find on alternative social media platforms.
Also, in contrast to a place like Youtube, I am guessing shareholders are/will not be asking Substack how many "reading hours" their userbase accrued the prior quarter. Instead they will be asking questions like how many new subscribers they obtained.
In short, Substack does likely strive for more attention/engagement than Hamish is letting on, but it is not nearly to the same extent as alternative ad-based platforms.
My incentive with Substack has always been the ability to seamlessly document the topic I'm interested in, own it, and publish it elsewhere if the need arises, the underlying plumbing of it works I care less about, as long ownership is guaranteed
Please give us stats on how many "followers" are being converted into subscribers paid or free, as I personally don't believe this feature works for my publication.
I can't answer a little bit about your particular site. If you had not invited me to it, I wouldn't have known about it. Because of the other people I read generally I would eventually get to you. One problem I have, personally is that I don't have a lot of money for subscribing to each person. I would love to have a $20 a month subscription to five authors here. I already have them picked out and yes you are one of them. My mind hasn't really grasped how to subscribe to each one separately and keep track. But I will get around to it soon. I do like to read for at least a month to see if I just ran across one good article or two or if they are all pretty good. I'm fairly new to Substack and found it through Heather Cox Richardson. So far I am loving it. A lot like The Marginalian. If the authors make more money by having their subscribers on their own web pages, I would rather support them that way. But Substack gives me a way to find the best writers in the same way Pandora helps me find the best music for me. So long as you continue to own your content, which is very important to me even as a reader rather than writer, I will continue with substack. If that changes I will look at them as I do at Amazon and tell them to stick it.
I just got here a week or so ago after learning of the platform by way of a writer’s work. I love what I see so far but I am concerned. Ironically, I saw this notification last night as I was texting someone about SS and how different it is from social media platforms.
I am now dreading the possible Clubhouse effect. Once a vibrant hub of cultural and intellectual exchange, it is now more like audio Twitter without a discernably unique identity. Just 4 years ago, membership was by invitation only; creatives, educators, entrepreneurs, health and wellness professionals, etc. connected with like-minded listeners, learners, and potential business partners and customers. It was common to attend dynamic discussions with hundreds of other listeners without there being much toxicity. Then they opened the app up to anyone who wanted to join, removed the requirements for establishing a club, and ignored the concerns of their long-time and most influential users as well as the mounting complaints of harassment and bigotry running amuck. Starting two years ago, we have been bombarded with the CONSTANT addition of features that make no sense and the removal of ones that do, making the app less user-friendly every step of the way.
Many people have left, some having written articles online as to why. I have stopped having panel discussions on important topics such as colorism, education, and the adultification of Black girls since so on the app prefer ratchet rooms and their lawlessness. The few original users are holding on while repeatedly asking "Why..." and encouraging us to move on to newer, lesser-known audio-based apps.
I came here encouraged to hone my writing skills in peace for a marginalized audience without the constant harassment I get on and from Facebook itself. Now, I wonder if within a year SS will be just like Clubhouse with people asking “Remember when this was…” as they are searching for a new, safer place to be.
I hope not because I like it here so far. But this also already feels familiar, and not in a good way.
The orange square on your home screen should give you two options: post a note or make a new Substack post. I edit in the Substack post feature when I’m on the go. You can also go in Safari off the app and edit existing drafts as well. It’s like signing online on your laptop but in Safari on your phone.
I tried doing a post on the go via the app, but hit the character limit very quickly while dictating. And juggling via publish/unpublish to get it on my laptop to finish was a PITA. But I do see potential there.....
...just in case you stumble across this at some point, I just wanted to humbly say "Thank You" for creating Substack.
I'm a dad of 13, grandpa, illustrator and storyteller, that just wanted to create the kind of heroes my kids could actually look up to. Personalities they could emulate. I've been telling my stories since 1990…and in 2005 sold ¢.97 PDF comic book downloads and made a living doing it. Before Kindle, before Marvel, DC, or Image.
…but I've always struggled. I think it was because I couldn't directly connect with readers.
So many gate keepers. So many greedy platforms. So many times I had to start over.
Then I found Substack…as a READER.
THAT is how you got my attention and kept it. I HATED reading on my phone, but when I tried your app, it was the best reading experience I'd ever had on my phone and I loved it.
When I saw all the tools I could use to tell stories AND interact with readers in real time, I moved all my storytelling to Substack.
I love it here. I'm connecting with my tiny community of readers, which continues to grow…and I ONLY share fiction, not writing tips and such. My readers are here just to partake of stories.
Thank you for that, Hamish.
Oh, I just gave a class for WorldAnvil (at the request of the owners) on why all their 2.6 million users should come use Substack (hope you don't mind).
After telling my stories for nearly 30 years….I think I might actually have a shot at being successful.
You helped make that possible for me.
…and I wanted you to know that I know it.
That's all.
[…we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming…]
"If you come up with an idea for an article in the shower, you can be making money from it by breakfast. If you’re good at expressing your ideas through voice and video, you will be able to 'go live' and watch paid subscriptions roll in as you talk."
Hyperbole much? You make it seem like just post and, ABRACADABRA, you're instantly discovered by thousands and the money "rolls in." That's not the case for the majority of us.
Thank you for turning into the same thing as every other social media company. Big Tech should rule the world and none of us should have free speech online.
Have you tried therapy, my dude? This attitude is why many of us left sociopathic social media. Pwning and ratio culture is bad for your personal relationships and soul.
I guess I’m failing to understand how it’s like every other company - when what other companies give you exact metrics on how much money you make? Which companies let you get directly paid for what you share and post? Which make sure you audience get it delivered to their inbox? What platforms give creators 90% instead of the company keeping 90%? Which allow you to keep your email list?
I think this model will be the essence of free speech for everyone instead of just the well-healed Who with their friends can turn it into a business Enterprise. You are thinking of free speech for only those who can pay for it. The only free speech that some people can afford is standing on the street corner shouting their story. Never be afraid of competition.
I know you are dictating, but doesn't" well-healed" refer to someone who has recovered from illness, while "well-heeled" should make us think more of someone who can afford to go to the shoemaker when he's "down on his heels"?
Please explain what you mean by there is no such thing as free speech online. ?? I don't get your remark. I think there is a lack of communication here.
Here too. Substack Notes is the only social platform I know that doesn’t provide any analytics. And when I delete the iOS app and reinstall later, it knows it’s me, that’s new for social apps.
I’ve been impressed lately using the app on my iPad. I’ve had a Substack account for a while, but the process to publish articles was so clunky and unwieldy I didn’t use it much. The arrival of Notes with its ease of use lured me back to the platform, and the recent improvements to the publishing process means I’m much more likely to publish articles now as well. Nice work.
A NOTE I posted to a friend complaining about the new improvements I happen to love:
I appreciate your passion for maintaining the quality and integrity of the Substack community. Your dedication to your craft, evidenced by your impressive output of 300,000 words and growing subscriber base, is truly admirable.
While I understand your concerns about this new feature potentially diluting the platform, I'd like to offer a different perspective based on my own experience as a writer and content creator.
As someone who primarily uses mobile devices, this update actually enhances my ability to maintain a professional approach to my writing and visual content. My iPhone has become an indispensable tool in my creative process:
• I draft most of my work in the Notes app.
• Nearly 99% of the photographs I use in my Substack posts come directly from my iPhone's camera.
• I use dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming apps to refine my language and explore creative expressions.
• Photo editing apps allow me to enhance and prepare images right on my phone.
• I use a fact checker app directly on my iPhone for brainstorming, info-checking, and refining ideas.
• Voice recording apps help me capture thoughts and rewrites on the go.
• I use productivity apps to manage my writing schedule and deadlines.
• Research apps and mobile-friendly databases give me access to information wherever I am.
Having the option to publish directly from my mobile device allows me to maintain my writing routine and visual storytelling even when I'm away from my desk. For instance, I'm planning a month-long trip, and this feature will enable me to keep my publication schedule without interruption, including both written and visual content.
I believe this update isn't about lowering standards or turning Substack into another social media platform. Rather, it's about providing flexibility for writers and creators who might have different workflows or circumstances. It doesn't change the core value of thoughtful, quality content that Substack is known for.
The ease of publishing doesn't negate the need for careful consideration and editing. If anything, it might encourage more writers to share their ideas and visual stories, potentially enriching the community with diverse perspectives and content.
I greatly respect your viewpoint and the work you've put into building your subscriber base. Perhaps this change could be seen not as a threat to professionalism, but as a tool that allows writers and visual storytellers to focus more on creating content, regardless of their physical location or preferred device. In fact, having these tools at our fingertips might even enhance our ability to capture and share moments of inspiration as they occur.
Thank you for your eloquent content on this new and improved business model of substack. I ditto your comments 100% to people who don't see what you and I think is a wonderful model.
What is still missing is an upgrade to the discovery process. Substack always shows me the same small group of newsletters, who all have tens of thousands of subscribers. Maybe this is the Substack business model: look at how fantastically successful everybody is. It is hard to find the smaller publishers who may have something insightful to say on a topic I am interested in.
I’ve had difficulty with posting on the app using my iPad, and have had to go through Safari.
Another bugbear is the quantity of emails. I’ve had to alter my settings to push notifications only, and now worry I might miss posts. Please could you consider a weekly round up by email to cover new articles and posts from people I’m following, or daily at a pinch?
Can I be dumb and ask what the specific changes are? I knew there was editing/drafting in iOS (yet to be in Android) from the post a few weeks ago. Maybe it's too early and I'm not reading properly haha.
Primarily two obstacles: Very limited functionality of the app, and also having to set up my publication before I could have a real presence. I'm still thinking through my own publication presence.
Finally, I'm not sure if this update addresses the other barrier I've seen. When I've shared a substack post with somebody who isn't on substack they often end up saying that they couldn't see the post because they had to pay, and yet I knew the post was a free post. I think what they've been seeing was that you needed to set up an account to be able to see (at least on some devices). But the whole experience of the user who's not yet in substack has made me concerned about starting a publication because it seems like there is a barrier for people to get past before they can see it if they're not already in the substack community. This issue has been highlighted by critiques that mention substack is a great platform if you have an audience to bring with you but a harder platform if you're building your audience.
So the idea is: to combat the attention economy, adopt all of their tactics, lingo, and tools and hope that Substack doesn't become another wing of the attention economy? I came here to get away from all this...
Notes changes turned my feed into every other social platform. You just added gambling. I must not be seeing how this keeps Substack a haven for writers if users can monetize without even setting up a publication. Sounds like you're courting casual grindset users to beef up all the metrics.
Skip steps! Money in a flash! Jump to the head of the line!
I can understand how one might look at Substack's features, notice that they look like the features from legacy social media, and conclude that it's all just the same and will produce the same results. But Substack is only the same as legacy social media inasmuch as an electric car is the same as a gasoline car. Yes, many of the features look the same—there's a steering wheel, a chassis, and pedals—but the underlying power system is completely different, in a transformative way.
The reason Substack is different is because of the underlying business model. It's a completely different game. That's what I laid out in this paragraph:
"The Substack model prioritizes ownership for creators and agency for subscribers. Creators own not only all their content but also their relationships with their subscribers, making them less vulnerable to the vagaries of social networks. At the same time, subscribers can vote for the kind of culture they want by directly supporting the creators they most trust with subscriptions. The vast majority of the revenue generated by this model—9 out of every $10—goes to creators. Substack can only succeed when they succeed."
Hamish, I won't deny the model is different. I've been to your SF HQ, and spoken with your team! I love much of what you're doing.
But when I see platforms shoehorning multiple features in quickly, it feels like trying to be everything to everyone. That's the dilution that often sacrifices depth for scope.
As a reader I am blessed to have substack. There are so much good information here, great writers, I wish I could afford to subscribe to very many of them. It is cost prohibitive to me. However they are all worth every penny. If it weren't for substack, I would not be informed of what really goes on in this world. I can't trust the news, I can't trust the most other social media sites, so where else can I go aside from PBS and the AP to get the news I need to know. Where else can I go besides tik tok and Instagram to get a clue of any kind of what the young people are thinking and doing? YouTube straight if I want to know how to do something or want a short bit of Entertainment for the day, but substack writers go deep, and do their homework by sharing where they got their information from. I realize it's hard to trust yet another social media platform not to get greedy and start stealing people's work and stealing our personal information for advertiser gain. However if that begins, we all know what to do about that. Ditch the platform... As I have ditched the Washington Post, the New York times, do not use X unless I'm looking at proof of something, Don't use TikTok but can still see it through Facebook,... You get the point. The only reason I even look at any of them is to get a feel for what is generating people's thoughts and their responses to that. We all know we're being played by just about everyone for the king of cash. Don't give it to them unless you see they are doing good work, take it away if they stop.
Great points, De. I share and resonate the same reasons for loving Substack. Blessed to their writers and the tech stack/features they've integrated so far.
De: My popular "Critically Thinking about Select Societal Issues" is free <https://criticallythinking.substack.com>.
Thank you! I checked it out and this is fascinating! I appreciate you inviting me to join.
And?
Are you bringing more self-inflicted problems that serves your interest or are you actually bringing solutions? (to which you have given zero. 0.)
Getting rid of the advertising does not do anything to fundamentally change the attention economy. You have been perpetuating this myth for years but it falls apart if you think about it for 30 seconds. Substack looks sounds and acts like social media. Substack has the *exact same* incentives to harvest attention as all the other platforms. Lots of platforms are sharing some money with creators now. The problem was never advertising, the problem was always VC funded companies with a growth at all cost mentality and this is just another one. The users have noticed.
As someone who works for a company that earns revenue from distributing ads, I wouldn't say the incentives are exactly the same. Companies with ad-based revenue models demand growing amounts of attention because they get paid for every ad impression and click that they are able to produce from their platform. In turn, these companies optimize for keeping users engaged (eyeballs to the screen) for as long as possible. Substack, on other hand, earns revenue (currently) from subscriptions to publications. While it is very much true that Substack succeeds when more readers engage with features like Notes (because they are exposed to new authors to which they can subscribe), I wouldn't say Substack is as beholden to engagement/attention as a place like Youtube, because so long as you the reader are paying your subscription fees, they don't care quite as much whether you are viewing Notes or not. They do very much care that authors are creating content that is worth subscribing to, though, and I believe that content is often richer than the type of content we find on alternative social media platforms.
Also, in contrast to a place like Youtube, I am guessing shareholders are/will not be asking Substack how many "reading hours" their userbase accrued the prior quarter. Instead they will be asking questions like how many new subscribers they obtained.
In short, Substack does likely strive for more attention/engagement than Hamish is letting on, but it is not nearly to the same extent as alternative ad-based platforms.
My incentive with Substack has always been the ability to seamlessly document the topic I'm interested in, own it, and publish it elsewhere if the need arises, the underlying plumbing of it works I care less about, as long ownership is guaranteed
"the problem was always VC funded companies with a growth at all cost mentality."
Precisely this.
"The problem with cheap consumers is that they demand everything and pay nothing."
Please give us stats on how many "followers" are being converted into subscribers paid or free, as I personally don't believe this feature works for my publication.
Liz: I second that! Not sure I fully understand the point behind followers.
I can't answer a little bit about your particular site. If you had not invited me to it, I wouldn't have known about it. Because of the other people I read generally I would eventually get to you. One problem I have, personally is that I don't have a lot of money for subscribing to each person. I would love to have a $20 a month subscription to five authors here. I already have them picked out and yes you are one of them. My mind hasn't really grasped how to subscribe to each one separately and keep track. But I will get around to it soon. I do like to read for at least a month to see if I just ran across one good article or two or if they are all pretty good. I'm fairly new to Substack and found it through Heather Cox Richardson. So far I am loving it. A lot like The Marginalian. If the authors make more money by having their subscribers on their own web pages, I would rather support them that way. But Substack gives me a way to find the best writers in the same way Pandora helps me find the best music for me. So long as you continue to own your content, which is very important to me even as a reader rather than writer, I will continue with substack. If that changes I will look at them as I do at Amazon and tell them to stick it.
Agreed.
🙂catcha 22. Business v arts but necessary. bring on the jugglers…
"Sounds like you're courting casual grindset users ... " Exactly.
Sounds like you Love capitalism but don't want free Enterprise (competition) on which capitalism is supposed to operate.
Pal, I would never say I love capitalism.
Me love it… and really hated socialism while I lived it live and for real
The dozen jobs I've created at my company suggest otherwise, but who am I to spoil the fun you're having replying to every soul here?
I just got here a week or so ago after learning of the platform by way of a writer’s work. I love what I see so far but I am concerned. Ironically, I saw this notification last night as I was texting someone about SS and how different it is from social media platforms.
I am now dreading the possible Clubhouse effect. Once a vibrant hub of cultural and intellectual exchange, it is now more like audio Twitter without a discernably unique identity. Just 4 years ago, membership was by invitation only; creatives, educators, entrepreneurs, health and wellness professionals, etc. connected with like-minded listeners, learners, and potential business partners and customers. It was common to attend dynamic discussions with hundreds of other listeners without there being much toxicity. Then they opened the app up to anyone who wanted to join, removed the requirements for establishing a club, and ignored the concerns of their long-time and most influential users as well as the mounting complaints of harassment and bigotry running amuck. Starting two years ago, we have been bombarded with the CONSTANT addition of features that make no sense and the removal of ones that do, making the app less user-friendly every step of the way.
Many people have left, some having written articles online as to why. I have stopped having panel discussions on important topics such as colorism, education, and the adultification of Black girls since so on the app prefer ratchet rooms and their lawlessness. The few original users are holding on while repeatedly asking "Why..." and encouraging us to move on to newer, lesser-known audio-based apps.
I came here encouraged to hone my writing skills in peace for a marginalized audience without the constant harassment I get on and from Facebook itself. Now, I wonder if within a year SS will be just like Clubhouse with people asking “Remember when this was…” as they are searching for a new, safer place to be.
I hope not because I like it here so far. But this also already feels familiar, and not in a good way.
This is so well said.
Well, nobody has to use Notes unless they want to do so. I'm glad they added it as it has been a big help to me and to other writers too, I suspect.
Same here, I love Notes so much.
Different strokes for different folks.
Don't use it.
I was able to edit a piece on my phone while I was waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Amazing!!! Thank you 💥
I don’t see a way to do that! How?
Are you on iPhone?
I’m on an iPhone
Do update it to the latest version. Either that, or just wait when it rolls out to your country/state.
Same!! It’s super neat 👌🏻
I haven't seen the change yet, but thanks for confirming! I've wanted to do the same for a long time while on the go. Very helpful!
Yeah man, now you can finally do it.
You got this!
Wait…from the app? Bestie, help me.
The orange square on your home screen should give you two options: post a note or make a new Substack post. I edit in the Substack post feature when I’m on the go. You can also go in Safari off the app and edit existing drafts as well. It’s like signing online on your laptop but in Safari on your phone.
Mwah thank you!! I’ve been editing from safari on my phone but wanted to check and see if I was missing something else.
You got this, Caroline 🧡
Appreciate you!!
aye~ 👍🏻
I tried doing a post on the go via the app, but hit the character limit very quickly while dictating. And juggling via publish/unpublish to get it on my laptop to finish was a PITA. But I do see potential there.....
@Hamish
...just in case you stumble across this at some point, I just wanted to humbly say "Thank You" for creating Substack.
I'm a dad of 13, grandpa, illustrator and storyteller, that just wanted to create the kind of heroes my kids could actually look up to. Personalities they could emulate. I've been telling my stories since 1990…and in 2005 sold ¢.97 PDF comic book downloads and made a living doing it. Before Kindle, before Marvel, DC, or Image.
…but I've always struggled. I think it was because I couldn't directly connect with readers.
So many gate keepers. So many greedy platforms. So many times I had to start over.
Then I found Substack…as a READER.
THAT is how you got my attention and kept it. I HATED reading on my phone, but when I tried your app, it was the best reading experience I'd ever had on my phone and I loved it.
When I saw all the tools I could use to tell stories AND interact with readers in real time, I moved all my storytelling to Substack.
I love it here. I'm connecting with my tiny community of readers, which continues to grow…and I ONLY share fiction, not writing tips and such. My readers are here just to partake of stories.
Thank you for that, Hamish.
Oh, I just gave a class for WorldAnvil (at the request of the owners) on why all their 2.6 million users should come use Substack (hope you don't mind).
After telling my stories for nearly 30 years….I think I might actually have a shot at being successful.
You helped make that possible for me.
…and I wanted you to know that I know it.
That's all.
[…we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming…]
This is awesome and I agree with you.
"If you come up with an idea for an article in the shower, you can be making money from it by breakfast. If you’re good at expressing your ideas through voice and video, you will be able to 'go live' and watch paid subscriptions roll in as you talk."
Hyperbole much? You make it seem like just post and, ABRACADABRA, you're instantly discovered by thousands and the money "rolls in." That's not the case for the majority of us.
Thank you for making it easier for people to post. God bless
Thank you for turning into the same thing as every other social media company. Big Tech should rule the world and none of us should have free speech online.
Womp womp. Go build your own version of Substack. Best of luck! 👍🏻
Simping for big tech is so cool 🤡
Have you tried therapy, my dude? This attitude is why many of us left sociopathic social media. Pwning and ratio culture is bad for your personal relationships and soul.
Have a peaceful Saturday, bruh.
Have you tried minding your own business and not being a virtue signaling pussy? Ratio your own Idiocracy
You posted a comment on a public discussion platform. Maybe try a free community college education that is likely available to you.
Guys who peaked in high school are the social media spree shooters, who duck and cover, when called out for being bitter and fragile bullies.
Going to the farmers market, on foot. Look at my localvore virtue and weeeeep.
Bye, bish! ✌🏽👌🏽🤣
Cry more pussy
Right, because Big Tech is beautiful and has a vagina!
You’re taking up for one that’s censoring me… thanks
No one is censoring anyone, mate.
lol - thanks for proving your ignorance. Have a good one
I guess I’m failing to understand how it’s like every other company - when what other companies give you exact metrics on how much money you make? Which companies let you get directly paid for what you share and post? Which make sure you audience get it delivered to their inbox? What platforms give creators 90% instead of the company keeping 90%? Which allow you to keep your email list?
I think this model will be the essence of free speech for everyone instead of just the well-healed Who with their friends can turn it into a business Enterprise. You are thinking of free speech for only those who can pay for it. The only free speech that some people can afford is standing on the street corner shouting their story. Never be afraid of competition.
I know you are dictating, but doesn't" well-healed" refer to someone who has recovered from illness, while "well-heeled" should make us think more of someone who can afford to go to the shoemaker when he's "down on his heels"?
There is no such thing as free speech online, I know first hand.
Please explain what you mean by there is no such thing as free speech online. ?? I don't get your remark. I think there is a lack of communication here.
Every platform is censoring more than ever and there’s now a centralized database they use thanks to Elon and Dataminr.
What about here?
Here too. Substack Notes is the only social platform I know that doesn’t provide any analytics. And when I delete the iOS app and reinstall later, it knows it’s me, that’s new for social apps.
You sure did go from you’re not being censored to being a smart ass. You exposed your own bullshit. 🙏🏼
I believe this will be key to attract readers. That’s a good thing.
Substack is amazing 🧡
I’ve been impressed lately using the app on my iPad. I’ve had a Substack account for a while, but the process to publish articles was so clunky and unwieldy I didn’t use it much. The arrival of Notes with its ease of use lured me back to the platform, and the recent improvements to the publishing process means I’m much more likely to publish articles now as well. Nice work.
Same sentiment with you, haven’t tried on iPad, thanks for the suggestion!
Serious question: From the perspective of a voracious Substack reader, how will this change make SS any different from FB or X?
A NOTE I posted to a friend complaining about the new improvements I happen to love:
I appreciate your passion for maintaining the quality and integrity of the Substack community. Your dedication to your craft, evidenced by your impressive output of 300,000 words and growing subscriber base, is truly admirable.
While I understand your concerns about this new feature potentially diluting the platform, I'd like to offer a different perspective based on my own experience as a writer and content creator.
As someone who primarily uses mobile devices, this update actually enhances my ability to maintain a professional approach to my writing and visual content. My iPhone has become an indispensable tool in my creative process:
• I draft most of my work in the Notes app.
• Nearly 99% of the photographs I use in my Substack posts come directly from my iPhone's camera.
• I use dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming apps to refine my language and explore creative expressions.
• Photo editing apps allow me to enhance and prepare images right on my phone.
• I use a fact checker app directly on my iPhone for brainstorming, info-checking, and refining ideas.
• Voice recording apps help me capture thoughts and rewrites on the go.
• I use productivity apps to manage my writing schedule and deadlines.
• Research apps and mobile-friendly databases give me access to information wherever I am.
Having the option to publish directly from my mobile device allows me to maintain my writing routine and visual storytelling even when I'm away from my desk. For instance, I'm planning a month-long trip, and this feature will enable me to keep my publication schedule without interruption, including both written and visual content.
I believe this update isn't about lowering standards or turning Substack into another social media platform. Rather, it's about providing flexibility for writers and creators who might have different workflows or circumstances. It doesn't change the core value of thoughtful, quality content that Substack is known for.
The ease of publishing doesn't negate the need for careful consideration and editing. If anything, it might encourage more writers to share their ideas and visual stories, potentially enriching the community with diverse perspectives and content.
I greatly respect your viewpoint and the work you've put into building your subscriber base. Perhaps this change could be seen not as a threat to professionalism, but as a tool that allows writers and visual storytellers to focus more on creating content, regardless of their physical location or preferred device. In fact, having these tools at our fingertips might even enhance our ability to capture and share moments of inspiration as they occur.
Thank you for your eloquent content on this new and improved business model of substack. I ditto your comments 100% to people who don't see what you and I think is a wonderful model.
What is still missing is an upgrade to the discovery process. Substack always shows me the same small group of newsletters, who all have tens of thousands of subscribers. Maybe this is the Substack business model: look at how fantastically successful everybody is. It is hard to find the smaller publishers who may have something insightful to say on a topic I am interested in.
Thank you!
I’ve had difficulty with posting on the app using my iPad, and have had to go through Safari.
Another bugbear is the quantity of emails. I’ve had to alter my settings to push notifications only, and now worry I might miss posts. Please could you consider a weekly round up by email to cover new articles and posts from people I’m following, or daily at a pinch?
These changes are fantastic!!!
Can I be dumb and ask what the specific changes are? I knew there was editing/drafting in iOS (yet to be in Android) from the post a few weeks ago. Maybe it's too early and I'm not reading properly haha.
Thank you this is a terrific change that addresses barriers that have been in my way.
What were they?
Primarily two obstacles: Very limited functionality of the app, and also having to set up my publication before I could have a real presence. I'm still thinking through my own publication presence.
Finally, I'm not sure if this update addresses the other barrier I've seen. When I've shared a substack post with somebody who isn't on substack they often end up saying that they couldn't see the post because they had to pay, and yet I knew the post was a free post. I think what they've been seeing was that you needed to set up an account to be able to see (at least on some devices). But the whole experience of the user who's not yet in substack has made me concerned about starting a publication because it seems like there is a barrier for people to get past before they can see it if they're not already in the substack community. This issue has been highlighted by critiques that mention substack is a great platform if you have an audience to bring with you but a harder platform if you're building your audience.
This is fab news! 🙌
Great news. Thanks for these wonderful updates.
CK! 🧡