In older terms, the other platforms are billboards. Substack is a GUILD in the fullest sense, protecting the skills of masters and trying to train apprentices.
Over time, I read less and less from the so-called mainstream media.
Instead, I now spend most of my time reading Substack, and I love it.
All I want from my Substack writers is that they have the courage to tell me what they really think and please enjoy your paycheck without guilt. Your service is valuable!
It isn't necessary to assume bad faith to be cautious about Facebook and X. It may well be accurate that Musk intends to build his own Substack-like product for X. He's so tone-deaf with people that he doesn't understand that alienating them in the meantime is a bad idea.
Meanwhile, the fundamental premise of Facebook, for a consumer like me, is that they get to decide what is shown to me. Not me. No deal.
I for one will cheer the demise of the "silo" that doesn't ever want its' "eyeballs"- to look outside its confines, and demands content producers pay up for access to them. I hope it all withers and fades away.
Writers do ideas, which, as we all know, are dangerous to the status quo. That the left has become the right in my lifetime proves two things: 1) anything can happen anytime, and 2) a lifetime isn't very long. I enjoy your takes on the music (and the biz), thanks for your contributions.
Hear, hear. I've deleted all social media and gone "all in" on Substack. Keeping up "out there" just didn't make sense for me, anymore. I didn't want to play that game, mostly because it had gone so mainstream that it no longer felt interesting to me.
Conversely, here on SS, there's a life to this community that's hard to explain. As you said, Ted, it comes down to values. All communities need a code of conduct, a certain set of ethics on how we agree to comport ourselves while we interact with each other. This goes beyond mere terms of service and gets down to the understood exchange of value we are all participating in.
Blogging was like this back in the early-ish days (2006-2012). We were all trying to help each other figure out a thing no one fully understood at the time. It was fun and interesting, and every few months, there was new technology or techniques to play with.
Most readers of blogs, especially early on, were bloggers themselves. Same with podcasts and podcasters. I get the same kind of vibe on Substack. There is a certain kind of respect one writer gives another that readers don't always know how to give.
For example, Ted, I can see the tremendous amount time, energy, and thought you put into your publication. It is an impressive amount of excellent output. I tip my hat to you and watch what you're doing carefully, because you've got a lot figured out—namely, I think, that it's an all experiment and the goal is to keep playing. At least, that's my takeaway.
Anyway, can we get along? Maybe. I think what writers need more than media is community. This goes back to the days of the Inklings, Bloomsbury Group, and so on. Creators need safe places where they can work out their craft and figure out what to make next. I like that this is place where I can do just that.
Once more you put your finger on the crucial point: the dominant social media magnates want one thing more than anything else: control. They steal “content” and throttle access. They promote what is good for their business, not what is good. Sadly, they reflect the hollowed out culture we now see generally predominating in our world.
It's really a quite simple concept. When you refuse to pay for content and make your money from advertising, you have to keep the eyeballs on your site/app. The content needs to be sufficiently interesting to keep you there long enough for the ads. Or you keep scrolling looking for sufficiently interesting content. They rely on the subset of the population who enjoys cat videos and music that all sounds the same.
I am thankful for this platform; introduced to it by a friend who our peer group has considered a grade above, figuratively & literally, in many ways. Personally admitting to being more of a student of the bar vs. the Bard (while at U of Iowa). Being on here with what I feel are extremely intelligent folks who do not attack someone like a scorned Hexenbiest (been waiting so long to use that!!). Thank you for the forum and look forward to communication that helps retain my faith that all is truly not lost...yet.
One in four posts on Instagram are paid ads, two out of four are influencer ads and one out of four is the squirrel I follow. I barely look at it anymore (except to catch up on the squirrel). Facebook is worse. I have not seen any friend's post on Facebook in ages. It's all just groups, pages, suggested reels. It's where my brain goes to die. I am grateful to Substack in ways I never imagined. It's like life has returned.
This is on the record so here goes. When I entered the realm of Substack as a journalist battling a chronic, incurable illness I had high hopes for it being different from Twitter and other social media. As Notes launched you could say there was this sort of 1990s coffeehouse vibe, an avenue in which writers collaborated with artists of other ways--and perhaps other or greater means. The means part of my message is important, however, for what I discovered in a very short time is the very reason I fell disheartened by social media. There was 1 percent controlling not only the majority of the paid subscribers on the platform--there was also a sort of unwillingness to help other artists who may be new and/or down on their luck. Instead of truly being that beacon of hope for journalists, when journalism surely could have used that kick in the rear to produce great writing, select writers were too busy supporting those they already knew and trusted--rather than helping those in need. Some even proclaimed they were coaching on the platform, but as far as I'm aware the definition of being a coach is taking someone to a place they can't get to by themselves. Again, I was hopeful that this platform was going to not be a money-grubbing, self-centered service that writers and artists of all shape and size can benefit from. But I found that the best recourse for me was to dot com my newsletter and let my own ethics and values shape my personal journey going forward rather than call out certain individuals for acts I found were unethical and reminded me of the very lunch table during high school that they were proclaiming was different.
When every writer is self-promoting on Twitter, they all get drowned out and lost in the crowd.
Same thing could happen to Substack. Following 100 writers? Who's got time for that? Do writers with a decent following get free access, or are you paying a grand a month for that?
Same thing will happen to Substack. We're drowning in content, and much more needs to be written about that. (So we can drown faster? haha). I know Ted has written about the sheer volume of songs out there, no doubt far worse because you no longer need a record label or an expensive recording studio.
Baskin-Robbins may be great, well they were before we got the premium brands with more cream like Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. But nobody can eat 31 flavors at once. Myself, I don't eat the stuff at all. Sugar's actually poison.
In older terms, the other platforms are billboards. Substack is a GUILD in the fullest sense, protecting the skills of masters and trying to train apprentices.
So far, Substack is the site that fulfills the promise that Medium failed to fulfill. I hope it continues with the ethos you espouse, Sir.
Over time, I read less and less from the so-called mainstream media.
Instead, I now spend most of my time reading Substack, and I love it.
All I want from my Substack writers is that they have the courage to tell me what they really think and please enjoy your paycheck without guilt. Your service is valuable!
It isn't necessary to assume bad faith to be cautious about Facebook and X. It may well be accurate that Musk intends to build his own Substack-like product for X. He's so tone-deaf with people that he doesn't understand that alienating them in the meantime is a bad idea.
Meanwhile, the fundamental premise of Facebook, for a consumer like me, is that they get to decide what is shown to me. Not me. No deal.
I for one will cheer the demise of the "silo" that doesn't ever want its' "eyeballs"- to look outside its confines, and demands content producers pay up for access to them. I hope it all withers and fades away.
Writers do ideas, which, as we all know, are dangerous to the status quo. That the left has become the right in my lifetime proves two things: 1) anything can happen anytime, and 2) a lifetime isn't very long. I enjoy your takes on the music (and the biz), thanks for your contributions.
Yes, social media is designed to cheat journalists, writers and authors out of making a living.
Equally scary is how it hurts its users, particularly adolescent girls.
Hear, hear. I've deleted all social media and gone "all in" on Substack. Keeping up "out there" just didn't make sense for me, anymore. I didn't want to play that game, mostly because it had gone so mainstream that it no longer felt interesting to me.
Conversely, here on SS, there's a life to this community that's hard to explain. As you said, Ted, it comes down to values. All communities need a code of conduct, a certain set of ethics on how we agree to comport ourselves while we interact with each other. This goes beyond mere terms of service and gets down to the understood exchange of value we are all participating in.
Blogging was like this back in the early-ish days (2006-2012). We were all trying to help each other figure out a thing no one fully understood at the time. It was fun and interesting, and every few months, there was new technology or techniques to play with.
Most readers of blogs, especially early on, were bloggers themselves. Same with podcasts and podcasters. I get the same kind of vibe on Substack. There is a certain kind of respect one writer gives another that readers don't always know how to give.
For example, Ted, I can see the tremendous amount time, energy, and thought you put into your publication. It is an impressive amount of excellent output. I tip my hat to you and watch what you're doing carefully, because you've got a lot figured out—namely, I think, that it's an all experiment and the goal is to keep playing. At least, that's my takeaway.
Anyway, can we get along? Maybe. I think what writers need more than media is community. This goes back to the days of the Inklings, Bloomsbury Group, and so on. Creators need safe places where they can work out their craft and figure out what to make next. I like that this is place where I can do just that.
Once more you put your finger on the crucial point: the dominant social media magnates want one thing more than anything else: control. They steal “content” and throttle access. They promote what is good for their business, not what is good. Sadly, they reflect the hollowed out culture we now see generally predominating in our world.
It's really a quite simple concept. When you refuse to pay for content and make your money from advertising, you have to keep the eyeballs on your site/app. The content needs to be sufficiently interesting to keep you there long enough for the ads. Or you keep scrolling looking for sufficiently interesting content. They rely on the subset of the population who enjoys cat videos and music that all sounds the same.
I am thankful for this platform; introduced to it by a friend who our peer group has considered a grade above, figuratively & literally, in many ways. Personally admitting to being more of a student of the bar vs. the Bard (while at U of Iowa). Being on here with what I feel are extremely intelligent folks who do not attack someone like a scorned Hexenbiest (been waiting so long to use that!!). Thank you for the forum and look forward to communication that helps retain my faith that all is truly not lost...yet.
I DON'T use Twitter, never have, never will.
I use Substack about 100x more than I use actual social media at this point!
One in four posts on Instagram are paid ads, two out of four are influencer ads and one out of four is the squirrel I follow. I barely look at it anymore (except to catch up on the squirrel). Facebook is worse. I have not seen any friend's post on Facebook in ages. It's all just groups, pages, suggested reels. It's where my brain goes to die. I am grateful to Substack in ways I never imagined. It's like life has returned.
This is on the record so here goes. When I entered the realm of Substack as a journalist battling a chronic, incurable illness I had high hopes for it being different from Twitter and other social media. As Notes launched you could say there was this sort of 1990s coffeehouse vibe, an avenue in which writers collaborated with artists of other ways--and perhaps other or greater means. The means part of my message is important, however, for what I discovered in a very short time is the very reason I fell disheartened by social media. There was 1 percent controlling not only the majority of the paid subscribers on the platform--there was also a sort of unwillingness to help other artists who may be new and/or down on their luck. Instead of truly being that beacon of hope for journalists, when journalism surely could have used that kick in the rear to produce great writing, select writers were too busy supporting those they already knew and trusted--rather than helping those in need. Some even proclaimed they were coaching on the platform, but as far as I'm aware the definition of being a coach is taking someone to a place they can't get to by themselves. Again, I was hopeful that this platform was going to not be a money-grubbing, self-centered service that writers and artists of all shape and size can benefit from. But I found that the best recourse for me was to dot com my newsletter and let my own ethics and values shape my personal journey going forward rather than call out certain individuals for acts I found were unethical and reminded me of the very lunch table during high school that they were proclaiming was different.
Not only does social media want you to contribute your content for free, it also wants exclusive rights to monetize and otherwise use that content.
As a result, I am very likely never going to use Twitter or Meta for promoting any of my creative pursuits. They are vampires
When every writer is self-promoting on Twitter, they all get drowned out and lost in the crowd.
Same thing could happen to Substack. Following 100 writers? Who's got time for that? Do writers with a decent following get free access, or are you paying a grand a month for that?
Same thing will happen to Substack. We're drowning in content, and much more needs to be written about that. (So we can drown faster? haha). I know Ted has written about the sheer volume of songs out there, no doubt far worse because you no longer need a record label or an expensive recording studio.
Baskin-Robbins may be great, well they were before we got the premium brands with more cream like Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. But nobody can eat 31 flavors at once. Myself, I don't eat the stuff at all. Sugar's actually poison.
Ted's writing is awfully tasty though.