I very much enjoyed reading this essay. I too am conflicted about the fact that extremists entities are finding opportunities to develop streams of income via Substack and also, no doubt, using their publications to radicalize and coordinate others into the currently genuine threat of Fascism becoming normalized in our liberal democracy. Especially given that I also must take into the factor of my having invested a small amount of money into the Substack stock option offering that took place earlier this year via a website known as WeFunder.
In any event Substack serves a valuable purpose for me, and as such I think that it worthwhile to stay and fight this issue out right here on the platform itself; for as you mention perhaps the perspective individual publishers like us can make a difference not only with our words, but also by supporting one another fiscally within reasonable parameters.
Thank you, Robert. We definitely are seeing this through the same lens. You opened my eyes a lot yesterday. And… crap… I just realized I, too, invested. Doesn’t that mean we have a larger voice? Since we’re shareholders?
I am glad I discovered you and your publication. I had the immediate sense from reading your notes that you would appreciate the items that I shared with you yesterday.
As for the investment aspect, you are absolutely correct; as shareholders, no matter how small our part might be it is still a part of the whole, and from my perspective that means our concerns should not only be heard but directly addressed by the Substack founders, all of whose names are signatories to the prospectus offering if I remember correctly.
Given how easily is seems to have been to forget about the investment aspect I wonder if others such as Katz Johnathan Katz or Marisa Kabas or any number of other signers of the SAN letter might have invested and simply forgotten about it and the part it rightfully plays in this situation.
Robert, I am in a quandary as well. Until this news surfaced, I was blissfully happy with Substack. It had become important to me. I was so disappointed to read about the laissez-faire attitude regarding content that is overtly fascist. I started a moratorium on articles by me that few people will miss to be sure, (I’m a newbie with a miniscule following), but I don’t want to leave. I’ve posted an appalling interview with Chris Best today. I hope someone will see it. And for what it’s worth, I continue to decide what to do about Substack, or, how to get back to publishing here. I don’t want to back-pedal. I’m demoralized by all the apolitical Substackers blythly wishing each other a happy new year, and otherwise acting like nothing happened.
Most of Substack is a-political. Most of the US is, too. Recipes and travel tips and stuff. Stay here and stick with us. The silver lining here is that many of us who care have found each other.
It's hard for me to assume this attitude. I'm an expat who left the US because I didn't like the direction in which the society was moving. That was over twenty years ago. I will figure this out, though. After all, TwitterX is full of heinousness, and I have an account there. I need that account, the way many people here need their accounts for one reason or another. It's all pretty absurd.
Thank you for your responses to Elle Griffin's Open Letter. I am not a paid subscriber there, so I couldn't weigh in. She seems hopelessly naive. I am struggling with my own decision about leaving Substack; I don't think Substack's recent 'gesture' toward removing the worst of the worst (after getting confronted by Casey at The Platformer) is going to change things much.
I agree on the not being sure. But… we just found each other. And my fav writers, like Joyce, are still here. But Elle is hopelessly naive. Being a paid subscriber showed me that.
No, it does not. Until S.A.N started screaming fire in a burning building, I had not seen a single statement, quote, or screed about racism, White supremacy, or even seen a swatstika.
However, since S.A.N started screaming, I started watcing S.A.N, who now have gone beyond Nazi/WS/WN, said it about content moderation.
What makes anyone else qualified to say what I can and can not read, watch, or talk about?
I very much enjoyed reading this essay. I too am conflicted about the fact that extremists entities are finding opportunities to develop streams of income via Substack and also, no doubt, using their publications to radicalize and coordinate others into the currently genuine threat of Fascism becoming normalized in our liberal democracy. Especially given that I also must take into the factor of my having invested a small amount of money into the Substack stock option offering that took place earlier this year via a website known as WeFunder.
In any event Substack serves a valuable purpose for me, and as such I think that it worthwhile to stay and fight this issue out right here on the platform itself; for as you mention perhaps the perspective individual publishers like us can make a difference not only with our words, but also by supporting one another fiscally within reasonable parameters.
Thank you, Robert. We definitely are seeing this through the same lens. You opened my eyes a lot yesterday. And… crap… I just realized I, too, invested. Doesn’t that mean we have a larger voice? Since we’re shareholders?
I am glad I discovered you and your publication. I had the immediate sense from reading your notes that you would appreciate the items that I shared with you yesterday.
As for the investment aspect, you are absolutely correct; as shareholders, no matter how small our part might be it is still a part of the whole, and from my perspective that means our concerns should not only be heard but directly addressed by the Substack founders, all of whose names are signatories to the prospectus offering if I remember correctly.
Given how easily is seems to have been to forget about the investment aspect I wonder if others such as Katz Johnathan Katz or Marisa Kabas or any number of other signers of the SAN letter might have invested and simply forgotten about it and the part it rightfully plays in this situation.
Robert, I am in a quandary as well. Until this news surfaced, I was blissfully happy with Substack. It had become important to me. I was so disappointed to read about the laissez-faire attitude regarding content that is overtly fascist. I started a moratorium on articles by me that few people will miss to be sure, (I’m a newbie with a miniscule following), but I don’t want to leave. I’ve posted an appalling interview with Chris Best today. I hope someone will see it. And for what it’s worth, I continue to decide what to do about Substack, or, how to get back to publishing here. I don’t want to back-pedal. I’m demoralized by all the apolitical Substackers blythly wishing each other a happy new year, and otherwise acting like nothing happened.
Most of Substack is a-political. Most of the US is, too. Recipes and travel tips and stuff. Stay here and stick with us. The silver lining here is that many of us who care have found each other.
It's hard for me to assume this attitude. I'm an expat who left the US because I didn't like the direction in which the society was moving. That was over twenty years ago. I will figure this out, though. After all, TwitterX is full of heinousness, and I have an account there. I need that account, the way many people here need their accounts for one reason or another. It's all pretty absurd.
Thank you for your responses to Elle Griffin's Open Letter. I am not a paid subscriber there, so I couldn't weigh in. She seems hopelessly naive. I am struggling with my own decision about leaving Substack; I don't think Substack's recent 'gesture' toward removing the worst of the worst (after getting confronted by Casey at The Platformer) is going to change things much.
Anyway. I wrote a bit about that here:
https://crankyolddan.substack.com/p/why-the-internet-sucks-and-what-you
I agree on the not being sure. But… we just found each other. And my fav writers, like Joyce, are still here. But Elle is hopelessly naive. Being a paid subscriber showed me that.
well I suppose expecting someone who writes fantasy fiction for a living to not be hopelessly naive is.... hopelessly naive.
It promotes Nazis.
No, it does not. Until S.A.N started screaming fire in a burning building, I had not seen a single statement, quote, or screed about racism, White supremacy, or even seen a swatstika.
However, since S.A.N started screaming, I started watcing S.A.N, who now have gone beyond Nazi/WS/WN, said it about content moderation.
What makes anyone else qualified to say what I can and can not read, watch, or talk about?
Hey, you know that there’s a Mute and Block button on this thing, right?