"a particularly hard person to disagree with" -- ha ha, thanks Sam! I'm having that emblazoned on my office door.
Yeah, I think Dan was hoping one or both of us would be just a shade more unreasonable so we could get a genuine argument going, but neither of us could quite summon the will to say something ridiculous. Ah well, maybe next time!
I read and enjoyed the three part exchange but was indeed disappointed that the debate was not conducted in the patois of Braveheart. Not one cry of "Freedom" from you, Sam!
I think the biggest difference between the two views is on the sense of community. Through comments, IRL get togethers, and zooms, many of us have formed a real community. I can't compare that community to working at a magazine or at a newspaper but in my Substack community I feel a real sense of friendship.
As for the writing, as you pointed out a few times, the comments we receive make a huge difference to the writing experience.
Lol! Well, I did make sure to change into my kilt before writing the pieces!
That to me is the weakest piece in Becca's argument. The community here is amazing!! I could name dozens of people who have become, like, intellectual or writing friends through this platform. That just doesn't really happen in traditional publishing - especially not if you're a freelancer and are constantly 'pitching' your editors. Maybe you can get that if you're a staffer on a paper and have been there forever - but that's a pretty rare case. I also find that the comments change the whole experience of writing. Comments in newspapers are always kind of weird, but in a Substack they're often like constructive comments or the fun moment after the end of a good lecture when everybody wanders off and continues the discussion in the local pub.
An enjoyable aside this afternoon. I need to read more of "The Point" series, but my sense of the earlier exchange is that Becca sees little gold emerging from Substack. I'm somewhere in the middle, I think, because I do see some worthwhile relationships and content flourishing here. But it seems very difficult to ignore the tripe that often does very well by the financial and engagement metrics Substack most prizes. So it's all well and good to cry "freedom," but that gets drowned out too often amidst the other noise. I think Becca (and I) would like to see more of the cream rise.
I was thinking about that as I was writing the response. I think you and Becca have a very similar perspective - that you're just not quite loving what Substack is producing. I'm certainly very willing to take that in - and I agree, that I think the overall quality of material could be better, and that part of the reason it's not better is for some structural reasons - but I would be in the class is 75% or 80% full camp.
"a particularly hard person to disagree with" -- ha ha, thanks Sam! I'm having that emblazoned on my office door.
Yeah, I think Dan was hoping one or both of us would be just a shade more unreasonable so we could get a genuine argument going, but neither of us could quite summon the will to say something ridiculous. Ah well, maybe next time!
I was trying! But then you turned out to be an incredibly reasonable and conscientious person.
I read and enjoyed the three part exchange but was indeed disappointed that the debate was not conducted in the patois of Braveheart. Not one cry of "Freedom" from you, Sam!
I think the biggest difference between the two views is on the sense of community. Through comments, IRL get togethers, and zooms, many of us have formed a real community. I can't compare that community to working at a magazine or at a newspaper but in my Substack community I feel a real sense of friendship.
As for the writing, as you pointed out a few times, the comments we receive make a huge difference to the writing experience.
Lol! Well, I did make sure to change into my kilt before writing the pieces!
That to me is the weakest piece in Becca's argument. The community here is amazing!! I could name dozens of people who have become, like, intellectual or writing friends through this platform. That just doesn't really happen in traditional publishing - especially not if you're a freelancer and are constantly 'pitching' your editors. Maybe you can get that if you're a staffer on a paper and have been there forever - but that's a pretty rare case. I also find that the comments change the whole experience of writing. Comments in newspapers are always kind of weird, but in a Substack they're often like constructive comments or the fun moment after the end of a good lecture when everybody wanders off and continues the discussion in the local pub.
Cheers,
Sam
You're such a gracious provacateur!
Lol thanks!
An enjoyable aside this afternoon. I need to read more of "The Point" series, but my sense of the earlier exchange is that Becca sees little gold emerging from Substack. I'm somewhere in the middle, I think, because I do see some worthwhile relationships and content flourishing here. But it seems very difficult to ignore the tripe that often does very well by the financial and engagement metrics Substack most prizes. So it's all well and good to cry "freedom," but that gets drowned out too often amidst the other noise. I think Becca (and I) would like to see more of the cream rise.
I was thinking about that as I was writing the response. I think you and Becca have a very similar perspective - that you're just not quite loving what Substack is producing. I'm certainly very willing to take that in - and I agree, that I think the overall quality of material could be better, and that part of the reason it's not better is for some structural reasons - but I would be in the class is 75% or 80% full camp.
All Good—
But the question remains: who plays Longshanks in this analogy (Musk? Zuck?) and will Substack’s offspring take the Throne?
Inquiring minds need to know… for the future looks grim lately, even for the likes of cute and cuddly Substack😉