So I've been alerted that one of my sentences ended up becoming badgers instead of badges. Sorry for the misspelling. However, if Substack were to offer colorful badgers I don't think anyone would actually decline. Just saying!
Well this may be something worth watching on a rainy day! Now to scramble through the dozens of streaming services to find the one that has this movie...
I have no interest in Notes. I have enough trouble finding time to read the Substack articles never mind engaging with Notes.
Some people are idiots though and judge the quality and worth of a Substack, Twitter, or You Tube account based on subscriber numbers. I recall circulating an insightful You Tube video and one person said they did not pay it any mind because the creator only had 100,000 subscribers. That is how quality is judged by some (a popularity contest). It is very unfortunate that this is the kind of grotesque stupidity that we have to endure, but such is the state of humanity in 2023.
It is actually funny. We inherently place arbitrary values onto pieces of work, and I suppose some of it stems from heuristics- other people have essentially elevated the work of an individual prior to our viewing and we infer the significance through others rather than through the actual content.
So far, I've not been impressed... like you observed, I feel it's just a place for quick comebacks and not for delving deeper. I get a lot out of serious comments by thinking people on regular substack and Notes doesn't seem to be the place for that. substack seemed to be headed towards a reputation of the best/better critical thinkers writing but I think Notes is a dilution..... just my opinion. Plus I don't have time to visit anymore sites.. :/
I'd be concerned if writers choose to focus on Notes rather than writing as that would run counter to what Substack was intending to be. I suppose we'll see what the end result is, but if Twitter serves as any indication I'm personally concerned. There's already an issue of writers already using their Substacks as personal Twitter accounts.
Also, I didn't mean that comment to be a jab at anyone. I recognize many readers are too busy with their own lives to have time to both read an article and the study that's being covered. There are plenty of Substacks that I don't have time to double check. In those circumstances I try to take the perspective that I can't corroborate the information myself and always levy a bit of hesitancy in taking posts as being 100% truthful. I think that at least tries to leave room for ambiguity and corrections if necessary. However, I think people may instead choose to be far too trusting of everything they read and that can cause problems when the writer has made mistakes but readers may be none the wiser.
We seem to be a society with ADHD. Social media has a remarkable ability to distract us consume valuable time. After delving into it for hours, I have found that there’s nothing I have received other than some clever memes. The thoughtful content in Substack, although I often times don’t have the time to read it, gives me a source to review and validate information. I see you’re concerned as to why notes could be a problem. It clearly could change the entire shape of Substack.
A self-induced form of ADHD nonetheless. I only had a Twitter account to push my Substack in the same ways that Notes appear to have been designed to do, and yet I find that it really is easy to just fall down a rabbit hole and consume a large portion of one's day. And to be quite honest I can see myself having this same issue with Notes even with its more limited capacity. We'll have to see what really comes of all of this in the end.
Frankly I dislike Twitter which I see as a bumper sticker mentality. Consequently I have no use for notes. I’m here for in-depth coverage of important current issues only.
Far from reading more, I have actually unsubscribed from some great writers with great content, as Notes drove home how much time I was spending reading doom and gloom and how often those people post...
Since unsubbing from Ness and Kirsch my days have more hours and more sunshine.
Another great duo finish everything with "If you enjoyed this" (doom and gloom), so I unsubscribed from them too. Notes just reminded me that I need more balance in my life
The amount of doomer posts actually shocked me. I didn't realize until Substack implemented the Recommended feature. That's when I sort of realized all of the stuff that was out there, and I took to realizing that fear porn will really come from anywhere.
This has been one of my biggest gripes with this idea of spike shedding. We have no concrete evidence it's occurring, but also what exactly is the end goal. Am I supposed to be scared of my friends and family because they were vaccinated? Should I shelter myself away from the world rather than living my life? How is this argument any different than the people enforcing masking or to stay home otherwise we'll kill grandma? I'm not going to live my life in fear and if anyone is going to tell me that I can't spend my time with loved ones because they may "shed" all over me then they can eff right off. It's no different than the paranoia over COVID. We can't stop living our lives over fear of the unknown. We choose to live because living provides us more meaning than just staying alive. I'm rather ashamed that this perspective seems to have been lost on many people.
If you want anything with more levity I'm looking up some articles to try to put out some seasonal posts. I've looked up some stuff on pollinators but a lot of it is rather technical. So is the science of flower petals but at least flowers are pretty. 🤷♂️
Sorry if it seemed unrelated. You mentioned doom and gloom and this just seems to be one of those topics that routinely pops up to stir the pot of divisiveness and push for segregation between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. We have no clear evidence of this and yet it pops up to just make people angry and paranoid.
I see; I thought maybe one of those I'd mentioned were currently talking about shedding, and I'm quite serious when I say I've unsubbed from them, so I wouldn't know.
I think Substack has misjudged their core reader base. Why they came to Substack in the first place. Substack levelled the playing field in a very biased realm. Writers rose or fell, on Substack due to their actual writing and engagement with their readers. Twitter was/still is dependent on biased algorithmic game theory.
I also find it interesting that they would diverge functionality of Substack NOW.🤔🤨
I won't be surprised to discover that there are new owners/influencers at the helm and they have a very different plan for the future of Substack.
Substacks power lies in its writers daring to push boundaries, regardless of outside pressure- they write what they want to write and their readers read what they want to read. THAT, is it's super power.
If the writers (only slightly more so than the readers) or the readers, forget that, they will lose that power and Substack will become yet another subsocial, dictating algorithmic connectivity and creativity of the masses.
If your a writer and you literally depend upon Substack to feed you- I suggest you get a back up plan, JIC. If you are prepared to walk away (taking your readership with you), if Substack powers decide to censor or control your narrative, then you keep your power, regardless. Good writers will always find their readers. Good readers will always be looking for and to support their writers.😉🤗
What makes the discourse on Substack greater is that it allows people space to flesh out their ideas without having to rely on threads. I can draw from different studies, provide citations, examine figures, and (hopefully) walk readers through studies so that they can get an understanding of the study and my perspective. None of that is capable on Twitter, and so most people have to make inferences about what they see and that really isn't a good way to engage.
Thanks for your comment. I have considered my end goal for the past year since I wrote about it last spring I believe. Given my circumstances it was something that I hoped would allow me to provide my perspective and to do more than just focus on narrative-driven writing. I'm personally not sure if I would continue writing in the future if things end up changing as the financial incentives really aren't there. It'd be interesting to see what other avenues would take the place of Substack if that ends up happening, but I suppose we'll have to see what comes. 🤷♂️
Good points all. Especially on the badges. This introduces a class system. Lets face it, people like to be part of a group. The more popular the better. Why consider ideas of those without a big following.
I like to joke of Jesus first came to Twitter or Substack with only 12 followers 2000 years ago, he would still be ignored.
A high number of followers or subscribers requires amplification. One way to amplify a writer on Twitter or Substack is via their counts which can be manipulated . Badges help with deciding who should be amplified.
How many paid or free subscribers are working for a govt or corporate contractors to manipulate social media content. Maybe none, maybe a lot. I suspect the latter.
Some (not all) authors with paid subscribers may find certain topics earn them subscribers and certain topics lose them subscribers, and they adjust their content according.
As for Notes, it feels like an echo chamber that Gettr was/is. Musk took over Twitter and folks left Gettr for Twitter after accounts were reinstated. Many were substackers. Now Musk muzzled substack links just as Notes is coming on line to herd them over to Notes. Me thinks Musk is the shepherd herding sub-stackers here and there. There is an agenda being served here, a process toward the eventual integration of Substack to X with Twitter. Perhaps as separate entities to keep folks in their box, basically Twitter Blue and Twitter Red. Like Coke and Pepsi. Chose your flavor, but its still just a soda pop
It is ironic to consider in that context. And you are right that it seems that badges serve as a quick way of filtering out people who are worth amplifying, and if that's the case that is a really horrendous system.
It certainly is true that people will subscribe/unsubscribe based on content. I've had someone comment that they unsubscribed because they thought I was following the narrative in one of my older posts. At the end of the day people choose who they want to support, but I also have the ability to choose what I cover and won't be swayed to sacrifice my own principles because people are going to pay me to do so. Maybe I'm a sucker for thinking that way, but if I end up calling it quits because I don't choose to go along with what other people want then so be it. I already lost my job for not going along with the vaccine mandates so at the end of the day I'm not going to sacrifice what I think for what other people want.
I've sort of pondered this idea in the past. I'm curious how much authenticity is actually on Substack especially as the vaccine issues are pushed to the wayside and we see what discourse takes its place.
Your last point is interesting. If Notes results in being the anti-Twitter and if there are some dynamics at play that are dictating the current course of events then I'd be curious what the intentions would be.
I meant Jesus had only 12 followers (apostles). Adjusted for population growth, I probably have the same. Lol
I could probably do better if I refrained from criticizing Trump and other false idols, but I don't care. Pretty sure our time is limited here anyways.
Anyways, they are Hegelian's, they try and control all sides to direct our evolution. The Mind is the final battle field in this 5th Generation Warfare. Mind Wars.
Quick thoughts - I'd only use notes if Twitter starts censoring. I have no time for any extra communication channels. I don't use GAB for the other reason, although I did post there and on GETTR when Twit was censoring.
Notes will be another echo chamber.
I don't have time often to click through to links, unless I am interested in following up - on Twitter I do, if I plan to retweet, as I am often now sure of the conclusions being drawn and their credibility.
I love substack, but I just don't have time to do each one justice in the onslaught of information coming at us every day!
What I don't like about substack - default to a paid subscription for a year. I've selected that accidentally a few times. I also don't like default billing - I'm trying to spread my media dollars around to those who I follow, as I can't pay for all of them every month.
On one hand, I understand Substack needing to make money as a platform. On the other hand, I personally would have preferred free subscription as being the default. It's a lot less messy to have shift over from a free to paid member rather than the other way around.
I'm hoping that Substack allows for some allowance feature where readers will be able to donate based on the posts rather than just a blank monthly subscription. It's like having $20 a month that someone can allocate as they wish, whether they read an article they really enjoy and decide to toss a dollar or two to the writer, or something along those lines. I think having that wider, a la carte approach may really help incentivize readers to support writers more than they would via a monthly subscription.
Exactly. I find there is so many authors of value, but it gets overwhelming, yet I don't want to unsubscribe to those I follow, as I might miss something. And yes, I'd appreciate being able to do as you have suggested.
The one benefit I believe I'm seeing is Notes is an easier mode of engagement. If I can encourage more people to discuss my work, I am hopeful that will attract more subscribers.
However, I have also noticed that Substack appears to be algorithmically putting their successful writers in my Notes feed. This undercuts the value of Notes, IMHO.
I have seen your posts around. I do hope that it serves as an avenue to garner more viewers and subscribers, but I'm still unsure if people subscribing based on Notes translates over to people reading the content on Substack.
I'm curious if I see your posts since I'm subscribed to you. If so then that may mean we are just fighting another uphill battle.
I am curious about the same thing. The one thing I think is encouraging--and this may be as much perception and bias as reality--is that I think I'm seeing more give-and-take comment exchanges.
I suspect that, broadly speaking, if more people are subscribed, then more people will be reading my work. At least, I hope that's the case.
However, when Substack's own propaganda about Notes had people getting thousands of subscribers after just a day of Notes being in existence, either whoever does their copywriting is channeling P T Barnum or they're already pretty far down the Twitter/Facebook algorithm road to social media hell.
That's why I raised questions about the y-axis. It's one thing if someone gained several thousand subscribers, it's another if someone gained a dozen when starting at a handful. It's good that people are gaining subscribers but without any other information we're just looking at lines without context.
I don't have time for an additional thing to keep up with. I subscribe to the author's I like and who are NOT putting out 30 posts/articles a day. I unsubscribed from Dr. Peter McCullough's substack because from between 12/3/22 and 12/11/22 he posted approximately 12 or so articles, ridiculous amount of article I never had time to read. Sometimes he posted 2-3 in one day
Notes feature is NOT going to make me read more, it's another waste of time. IMHO
Thanks for telling me about that Tab. I've struggled with figuring out what the best output would be for readers and myself. I took to posting every other day at one point given my articles can run longer and it gives more time to read between posts. Readers definitely don't want to be spammed so I will keep that in mind when considering how often I should publish, so thanks for providing your perspective!
I guess Notes lets you see just the writers of your subscriptions and their subscriptions. Don’t think it will be as bad as Twit because more people here have income related space. Wonder if it dilutes the recommendation pages. Will just keep writing and see what happens. There was no hope at facebook twit and google for upstarts who think differently. Even healthcare is gamified. Nothing escapes that. :-P
If it can become gamified it will become game...ified.
The optics on Substack are different, but I'm wondering if Notes will be a strong enough incentive that this may change in the future. But you're right; gotta keep writing, gotta keep swimming.
I haven't heard about notes. I only follow you and the Nakedemporer.substack.com. Another downside to Notes could be fake followers bumping up the numbers of ideologs.
Well I really appreciate that Patricia! I do hope you subscribe to a few others as there are many great writers out there. At the same time if it starts feeling like you're collecting Pokemon then that would definitely become an issue.
I hadn't considered that, but at the same time the same can be true for Substack. I saw one person comment on a post from Substack's general post where they mentioned filtering subscribers if the emails look fake, so I am curious if this may be a wide issue. Interestingly, some live streamers I've watched have commented that the analytics of Rumble seem strange, like some people will have tens of thousands of viewers but only a few hundred likes.
Maybe there should be similar, different colored “badges” for other things categories...that way it wouldn’t only be the one badge and people would want to look through (category badges)...
Was banned from Twitter for 2 1/2 years and haven’t really gone back...do a little on Truth
I think it'd be interesting to provide more ways of categorizing topics via badges, but between the two I suppose a financial badge serves more in Substack's favor.
I was put into 24 hour lockout of Twitter when I wrote an article critical of Dr. Ardis' snake venom theory, but then that changed to "delete to come back" and I noped out at that point.
So I've been alerted that one of my sentences ended up becoming badgers instead of badges. Sorry for the misspelling. However, if Substack were to offer colorful badgers I don't think anyone would actually decline. Just saying!
We don’t need no stinking badgers!
https://youtu.be/gx6TBrfCW54
Well this may be something worth watching on a rainy day! Now to scramble through the dozens of streaming services to find the one that has this movie...
I have no interest in Notes. I have enough trouble finding time to read the Substack articles never mind engaging with Notes.
Some people are idiots though and judge the quality and worth of a Substack, Twitter, or You Tube account based on subscriber numbers. I recall circulating an insightful You Tube video and one person said they did not pay it any mind because the creator only had 100,000 subscribers. That is how quality is judged by some (a popularity contest). It is very unfortunate that this is the kind of grotesque stupidity that we have to endure, but such is the state of humanity in 2023.
ONLY 100,000 subscribers?! That's rookie numbers!
It is actually funny. We inherently place arbitrary values onto pieces of work, and I suppose some of it stems from heuristics- other people have essentially elevated the work of an individual prior to our viewing and we infer the significance through others rather than through the actual content.
I barely have time to read the authors I like. I completely ignore notes.
So far, I've not been impressed... like you observed, I feel it's just a place for quick comebacks and not for delving deeper. I get a lot out of serious comments by thinking people on regular substack and Notes doesn't seem to be the place for that. substack seemed to be headed towards a reputation of the best/better critical thinkers writing but I think Notes is a dilution..... just my opinion. Plus I don't have time to visit anymore sites.. :/
I'd be concerned if writers choose to focus on Notes rather than writing as that would run counter to what Substack was intending to be. I suppose we'll see what the end result is, but if Twitter serves as any indication I'm personally concerned. There's already an issue of writers already using their Substacks as personal Twitter accounts.
Also, I didn't mean that comment to be a jab at anyone. I recognize many readers are too busy with their own lives to have time to both read an article and the study that's being covered. There are plenty of Substacks that I don't have time to double check. In those circumstances I try to take the perspective that I can't corroborate the information myself and always levy a bit of hesitancy in taking posts as being 100% truthful. I think that at least tries to leave room for ambiguity and corrections if necessary. However, I think people may instead choose to be far too trusting of everything they read and that can cause problems when the writer has made mistakes but readers may be none the wiser.
We seem to be a society with ADHD. Social media has a remarkable ability to distract us consume valuable time. After delving into it for hours, I have found that there’s nothing I have received other than some clever memes. The thoughtful content in Substack, although I often times don’t have the time to read it, gives me a source to review and validate information. I see you’re concerned as to why notes could be a problem. It clearly could change the entire shape of Substack.
A self-induced form of ADHD nonetheless. I only had a Twitter account to push my Substack in the same ways that Notes appear to have been designed to do, and yet I find that it really is easy to just fall down a rabbit hole and consume a large portion of one's day. And to be quite honest I can see myself having this same issue with Notes even with its more limited capacity. We'll have to see what really comes of all of this in the end.
Frankly I dislike Twitter which I see as a bumper sticker mentality. Consequently I have no use for notes. I’m here for in-depth coverage of important current issues only.
"bumper sticker mentality"
It makes sense when you consider how many Twitter profiles are full of emojis...
I prefer reading more in depth articles. Never been on Twitter, so not crazy about the Twitterfying of substack!
Far from reading more, I have actually unsubscribed from some great writers with great content, as Notes drove home how much time I was spending reading doom and gloom and how often those people post...
Since unsubbing from Ness and Kirsch my days have more hours and more sunshine.
Another great duo finish everything with "If you enjoyed this" (doom and gloom), so I unsubscribed from them too. Notes just reminded me that I need more balance in my life
The amount of doomer posts actually shocked me. I didn't realize until Substack implemented the Recommended feature. That's when I sort of realized all of the stuff that was out there, and I took to realizing that fear porn will really come from anywhere.
This has been one of my biggest gripes with this idea of spike shedding. We have no concrete evidence it's occurring, but also what exactly is the end goal. Am I supposed to be scared of my friends and family because they were vaccinated? Should I shelter myself away from the world rather than living my life? How is this argument any different than the people enforcing masking or to stay home otherwise we'll kill grandma? I'm not going to live my life in fear and if anyone is going to tell me that I can't spend my time with loved ones because they may "shed" all over me then they can eff right off. It's no different than the paranoia over COVID. We can't stop living our lives over fear of the unknown. We choose to live because living provides us more meaning than just staying alive. I'm rather ashamed that this perspective seems to have been lost on many people.
If you want anything with more levity I'm looking up some articles to try to put out some seasonal posts. I've looked up some stuff on pollinators but a lot of it is rather technical. So is the science of flower petals but at least flowers are pretty. 🤷♂️
Not quite sure how we got onto spike-shedding but I share your views on it.
Sorry if it seemed unrelated. You mentioned doom and gloom and this just seems to be one of those topics that routinely pops up to stir the pot of divisiveness and push for segregation between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. We have no clear evidence of this and yet it pops up to just make people angry and paranoid.
I see; I thought maybe one of those I'd mentioned were currently talking about shedding, and I'm quite serious when I say I've unsubbed from them, so I wouldn't know.
I think Substack has misjudged their core reader base. Why they came to Substack in the first place. Substack levelled the playing field in a very biased realm. Writers rose or fell, on Substack due to their actual writing and engagement with their readers. Twitter was/still is dependent on biased algorithmic game theory.
I also find it interesting that they would diverge functionality of Substack NOW.🤔🤨
I won't be surprised to discover that there are new owners/influencers at the helm and they have a very different plan for the future of Substack.
Substacks power lies in its writers daring to push boundaries, regardless of outside pressure- they write what they want to write and their readers read what they want to read. THAT, is it's super power.
If the writers (only slightly more so than the readers) or the readers, forget that, they will lose that power and Substack will become yet another subsocial, dictating algorithmic connectivity and creativity of the masses.
If your a writer and you literally depend upon Substack to feed you- I suggest you get a back up plan, JIC. If you are prepared to walk away (taking your readership with you), if Substack powers decide to censor or control your narrative, then you keep your power, regardless. Good writers will always find their readers. Good readers will always be looking for and to support their writers.😉🤗
What makes the discourse on Substack greater is that it allows people space to flesh out their ideas without having to rely on threads. I can draw from different studies, provide citations, examine figures, and (hopefully) walk readers through studies so that they can get an understanding of the study and my perspective. None of that is capable on Twitter, and so most people have to make inferences about what they see and that really isn't a good way to engage.
Thanks for your comment. I have considered my end goal for the past year since I wrote about it last spring I believe. Given my circumstances it was something that I hoped would allow me to provide my perspective and to do more than just focus on narrative-driven writing. I'm personally not sure if I would continue writing in the future if things end up changing as the financial incentives really aren't there. It'd be interesting to see what other avenues would take the place of Substack if that ends up happening, but I suppose we'll have to see what comes. 🤷♂️
Good points all. Especially on the badges. This introduces a class system. Lets face it, people like to be part of a group. The more popular the better. Why consider ideas of those without a big following.
I like to joke of Jesus first came to Twitter or Substack with only 12 followers 2000 years ago, he would still be ignored.
A high number of followers or subscribers requires amplification. One way to amplify a writer on Twitter or Substack is via their counts which can be manipulated . Badges help with deciding who should be amplified.
How many paid or free subscribers are working for a govt or corporate contractors to manipulate social media content. Maybe none, maybe a lot. I suspect the latter.
Some (not all) authors with paid subscribers may find certain topics earn them subscribers and certain topics lose them subscribers, and they adjust their content according.
As for Notes, it feels like an echo chamber that Gettr was/is. Musk took over Twitter and folks left Gettr for Twitter after accounts were reinstated. Many were substackers. Now Musk muzzled substack links just as Notes is coming on line to herd them over to Notes. Me thinks Musk is the shepherd herding sub-stackers here and there. There is an agenda being served here, a process toward the eventual integration of Substack to X with Twitter. Perhaps as separate entities to keep folks in their box, basically Twitter Blue and Twitter Red. Like Coke and Pepsi. Chose your flavor, but its still just a soda pop
"Bro only 12 followers? Some prophet you are!"
It is ironic to consider in that context. And you are right that it seems that badges serve as a quick way of filtering out people who are worth amplifying, and if that's the case that is a really horrendous system.
It certainly is true that people will subscribe/unsubscribe based on content. I've had someone comment that they unsubscribed because they thought I was following the narrative in one of my older posts. At the end of the day people choose who they want to support, but I also have the ability to choose what I cover and won't be swayed to sacrifice my own principles because people are going to pay me to do so. Maybe I'm a sucker for thinking that way, but if I end up calling it quits because I don't choose to go along with what other people want then so be it. I already lost my job for not going along with the vaccine mandates so at the end of the day I'm not going to sacrifice what I think for what other people want.
I've sort of pondered this idea in the past. I'm curious how much authenticity is actually on Substack especially as the vaccine issues are pushed to the wayside and we see what discourse takes its place.
Your last point is interesting. If Notes results in being the anti-Twitter and if there are some dynamics at play that are dictating the current course of events then I'd be curious what the intentions would be.
I meant Jesus had only 12 followers (apostles). Adjusted for population growth, I probably have the same. Lol
I could probably do better if I refrained from criticizing Trump and other false idols, but I don't care. Pretty sure our time is limited here anyways.
Anyways, they are Hegelian's, they try and control all sides to direct our evolution. The Mind is the final battle field in this 5th Generation Warfare. Mind Wars.
Quick thoughts - I'd only use notes if Twitter starts censoring. I have no time for any extra communication channels. I don't use GAB for the other reason, although I did post there and on GETTR when Twit was censoring.
Notes will be another echo chamber.
I don't have time often to click through to links, unless I am interested in following up - on Twitter I do, if I plan to retweet, as I am often now sure of the conclusions being drawn and their credibility.
I love substack, but I just don't have time to do each one justice in the onslaught of information coming at us every day!
What I don't like about substack - default to a paid subscription for a year. I've selected that accidentally a few times. I also don't like default billing - I'm trying to spread my media dollars around to those who I follow, as I can't pay for all of them every month.
Great points made in this article.
On one hand, I understand Substack needing to make money as a platform. On the other hand, I personally would have preferred free subscription as being the default. It's a lot less messy to have shift over from a free to paid member rather than the other way around.
I'm hoping that Substack allows for some allowance feature where readers will be able to donate based on the posts rather than just a blank monthly subscription. It's like having $20 a month that someone can allocate as they wish, whether they read an article they really enjoy and decide to toss a dollar or two to the writer, or something along those lines. I think having that wider, a la carte approach may really help incentivize readers to support writers more than they would via a monthly subscription.
Exactly. I find there is so many authors of value, but it gets overwhelming, yet I don't want to unsubscribe to those I follow, as I might miss something. And yes, I'd appreciate being able to do as you have suggested.
The one benefit I believe I'm seeing is Notes is an easier mode of engagement. If I can encourage more people to discuss my work, I am hopeful that will attract more subscribers.
However, I have also noticed that Substack appears to be algorithmically putting their successful writers in my Notes feed. This undercuts the value of Notes, IMHO.
I have seen your posts around. I do hope that it serves as an avenue to garner more viewers and subscribers, but I'm still unsure if people subscribing based on Notes translates over to people reading the content on Substack.
I'm curious if I see your posts since I'm subscribed to you. If so then that may mean we are just fighting another uphill battle.
I am curious about the same thing. The one thing I think is encouraging--and this may be as much perception and bias as reality--is that I think I'm seeing more give-and-take comment exchanges.
I suspect that, broadly speaking, if more people are subscribed, then more people will be reading my work. At least, I hope that's the case.
However, when Substack's own propaganda about Notes had people getting thousands of subscribers after just a day of Notes being in existence, either whoever does their copywriting is channeling P T Barnum or they're already pretty far down the Twitter/Facebook algorithm road to social media hell.
That's why I raised questions about the y-axis. It's one thing if someone gained several thousand subscribers, it's another if someone gained a dozen when starting at a handful. It's good that people are gaining subscribers but without any other information we're just looking at lines without context.
I don't have time for an additional thing to keep up with. I subscribe to the author's I like and who are NOT putting out 30 posts/articles a day. I unsubscribed from Dr. Peter McCullough's substack because from between 12/3/22 and 12/11/22 he posted approximately 12 or so articles, ridiculous amount of article I never had time to read. Sometimes he posted 2-3 in one day
Notes feature is NOT going to make me read more, it's another waste of time. IMHO
Thanks for telling me about that Tab. I've struggled with figuring out what the best output would be for readers and myself. I took to posting every other day at one point given my articles can run longer and it gives more time to read between posts. Readers definitely don't want to be spammed so I will keep that in mind when considering how often I should publish, so thanks for providing your perspective!
I guess Notes lets you see just the writers of your subscriptions and their subscriptions. Don’t think it will be as bad as Twit because more people here have income related space. Wonder if it dilutes the recommendation pages. Will just keep writing and see what happens. There was no hope at facebook twit and google for upstarts who think differently. Even healthcare is gamified. Nothing escapes that. :-P
If it can become gamified it will become game...ified.
The optics on Substack are different, but I'm wondering if Notes will be a strong enough incentive that this may change in the future. But you're right; gotta keep writing, gotta keep swimming.
I haven't heard about notes. I only follow you and the Nakedemporer.substack.com. Another downside to Notes could be fake followers bumping up the numbers of ideologs.
Well I really appreciate that Patricia! I do hope you subscribe to a few others as there are many great writers out there. At the same time if it starts feeling like you're collecting Pokemon then that would definitely become an issue.
I hadn't considered that, but at the same time the same can be true for Substack. I saw one person comment on a post from Substack's general post where they mentioned filtering subscribers if the emails look fake, so I am curious if this may be a wide issue. Interestingly, some live streamers I've watched have commented that the analytics of Rumble seem strange, like some people will have tens of thousands of viewers but only a few hundred likes.
Maybe there should be similar, different colored “badges” for other things categories...that way it wouldn’t only be the one badge and people would want to look through (category badges)...
Was banned from Twitter for 2 1/2 years and haven’t really gone back...do a little on Truth
I think it'd be interesting to provide more ways of categorizing topics via badges, but between the two I suppose a financial badge serves more in Substack's favor.
I was put into 24 hour lockout of Twitter when I wrote an article critical of Dr. Ardis' snake venom theory, but then that changed to "delete to come back" and I noped out at that point.