The "Substackers Against Nazis" letter was received, but did it have an effect? I mean, you see the title of this post. You know it didn't. Let's assess this publication's future.
Appreciated, and I'm sure I wouldn't mind doing a guest blog or two, but I like TPC as my own thing, generally speaking. It's a responsibility-to-myself thing, if that makes sense? :)
Would it help to think of substack as a printing press that publishes any writers works and takes a cut of the sales? Do they actively market any writers substack posts?
I think they've got algorithmic promotion of other authors' stuff, but it's based on what you're already subscribed to? I'm not really sure.
Either way, while the metaphor is sound...Do you really want to be on that press that's notable for allowing Nazi stuff? Or would you like to be on something different? To make your own press, maybe?
On substack, I haven’t had to wade through the “Hitler had a lot of great ideas” section to get to “writers I want to read” section. When I go to a book store, I see Tucker Carlson’s face on his latest book when I’m trying to find Democracy Awakening. I don’t have to read his propaganda. It would be different if substack was recommending fascist propaganda writers.
You raised an interesting question, so I decided to hit up substack.com real quick and not jump directly into my inbox, but rather see what it recommends.
Honestly, it's a weird situation where Substack recommends you more of what you already subscribe to via algorithm. Since I subscribe to two things - left-leaning politics and fiction authors - I get posts...Well, mostly posts about how Nazis on Substack are a big problem.
That means I can't get a genuine look at what Substack recommends to people who aren't already signed up. I mean, maybe I could if I logged out, I don't know. Haven't gotten that far, yet.
Still, I think the problem I personally have isn't so much a, "This is the bookstore where they sell all kinds of books," but rather a, "These people are my peers?" type of deal. I'm not visiting the bookstore, I'm more like an author signed by the same publisher as the Nazis, and I don't want to have the same publisher as Nazis. I want my publisher not to sign Nazis.
I personally consider Nazism and what it invokes a call to genocide, which is a direct call to do harm, which is - in my non-lawyer opinion - not covered by the First Amendment. For that reason alone, I don't think they should be allowed on the platform. But at the very least they shouldn't be able to make money from hate speech, and right now they can.
Still, after this long-ass rambling comment I wrote you (thank you for reading, BTW :) ), I'm curious what you think I should do with The Progressive Cafe. It sounds like you think we should stay on Substack?
Based on my limited knowledge of writing and publishing on-line, I would stay here. If I were a writer instead of a substack consumer, I would have to ask if there is a better alternative that would justify abandoning the effort in building a following here. And if I left for greener pastures, what guarantee would I have that a Musk type doesn’t buy it and turn the new platform into something worse?
As evidenced by the article I just wrote (and am about to publish), I'm sticking it out here, at least for now. Thanks for the input! :) Hope the holidays have been great!
You're still welcome to my blogspot, just have to edit stuff and possibly reactivate the domain name
Appreciated, and I'm sure I wouldn't mind doing a guest blog or two, but I like TPC as my own thing, generally speaking. It's a responsibility-to-myself thing, if that makes sense? :)
Would it help to think of substack as a printing press that publishes any writers works and takes a cut of the sales? Do they actively market any writers substack posts?
Good metaphor.
I think they've got algorithmic promotion of other authors' stuff, but it's based on what you're already subscribed to? I'm not really sure.
Either way, while the metaphor is sound...Do you really want to be on that press that's notable for allowing Nazi stuff? Or would you like to be on something different? To make your own press, maybe?
I dunno.
On substack, I haven’t had to wade through the “Hitler had a lot of great ideas” section to get to “writers I want to read” section. When I go to a book store, I see Tucker Carlson’s face on his latest book when I’m trying to find Democracy Awakening. I don’t have to read his propaganda. It would be different if substack was recommending fascist propaganda writers.
You raised an interesting question, so I decided to hit up substack.com real quick and not jump directly into my inbox, but rather see what it recommends.
Honestly, it's a weird situation where Substack recommends you more of what you already subscribe to via algorithm. Since I subscribe to two things - left-leaning politics and fiction authors - I get posts...Well, mostly posts about how Nazis on Substack are a big problem.
That means I can't get a genuine look at what Substack recommends to people who aren't already signed up. I mean, maybe I could if I logged out, I don't know. Haven't gotten that far, yet.
Still, I think the problem I personally have isn't so much a, "This is the bookstore where they sell all kinds of books," but rather a, "These people are my peers?" type of deal. I'm not visiting the bookstore, I'm more like an author signed by the same publisher as the Nazis, and I don't want to have the same publisher as Nazis. I want my publisher not to sign Nazis.
I personally consider Nazism and what it invokes a call to genocide, which is a direct call to do harm, which is - in my non-lawyer opinion - not covered by the First Amendment. For that reason alone, I don't think they should be allowed on the platform. But at the very least they shouldn't be able to make money from hate speech, and right now they can.
Still, after this long-ass rambling comment I wrote you (thank you for reading, BTW :) ), I'm curious what you think I should do with The Progressive Cafe. It sounds like you think we should stay on Substack?
Bump: I checked while logged out and - I'll be honest, it wasn't that bad.
Based on my limited knowledge of writing and publishing on-line, I would stay here. If I were a writer instead of a substack consumer, I would have to ask if there is a better alternative that would justify abandoning the effort in building a following here. And if I left for greener pastures, what guarantee would I have that a Musk type doesn’t buy it and turn the new platform into something worse?
As evidenced by the article I just wrote (and am about to publish), I'm sticking it out here, at least for now. Thanks for the input! :) Hope the holidays have been great!