Elena Rossini 🌈Apr 24

A routine reminder that it's always a good idea to boycott #Substack.

We have long known that it platforms and profits from Nazi publications. And now: #manosphere influencers with multiple accusations of serious crimes... so much so that there is a dedicated Wikipedia page about them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_affairs_of_the_Tate_brothers

No problem for #Substack though! They happily take a 10% cut from all paid subscriptions.

There are many great alternatives to SS: Ghost, Buttondown, beehiiv, Patreon... no more excuses

Show threadMatthew Mamet
@_elena Ghost is the one I'd push hardest on that list. I moved my practice blog there about a year ago - setup is straightforward, you own your subscriber list outright, and the SEO tooling is solid enough that I stopped needing a separate layer on top. The one honest caveat: the theme customization requires comfort with code. For most writers though, the defaults are good enough to ship immediately.
Apr 24 at 12:39pmWeb
Show threadFazal MajidApr 24

@msmamet @_elena

The blocker that is preventing writers from moving away from Substack is not technical migration issues, it's that they can reasonably expect their audience growth to stalll or even reverse when they leave the platform. Substack is good at cross-promoting, just as Medium or Tumblr were back in their day.

We don't have to like Substack to recognize this fact. I loathe the company for its Medium-esque hostile dark pattern-laden design, even before we discuss the fact it platforms actual Nazis.

Until there is an effective alternative solution to this discovery and audience acquisition problem, they will stay put on Substack despite any disquiet over the platform.

Show threadPetra van CronenburgApr 24

@fazalmajid But it’s precisely the high-profile prominent accounts that could leave at any moment, because they’re so well-known that their fans will follow them wherever they go. And they do promote their newsletters via social media, after all.
If they go - Substack would loose big amounts of money.

@msmamet @_elena

Show threadDeb Nam-KraneApr 24
@fazalmajid Great, let them. But they can shut up about how antifascist they are unless they want to choke on their own hypocrisy. @msmamet @_elena