Discussion · bonfire.cafe

@dangillmor@mastodon.social · last month

A publication I respected greatly just switched platforms, from Ghost to the odious Substack. I canceled my (paid) subscription and explained why.

The founder replied that network effects were what mattered.

Bad actors accrete power when good people rationalize the consequences of their choices.

Robin Forlonge Patterson

@RFPatterson@mastodon.nz replied · 3 days ago

@dangillmor Lots of "good" people use #Substack. What do you find "odious" about it?

roland

@roland@devdilettante.com replied · last month

@dangillmor If the Nazi Party's newspaper paid you $USD1000 / month in 1939 to write an op-ed monthly would you do it? No. --> https://rolandtanglao.com/2025/08/07/om-malik-wrong-about-substack-in-1939-would-you-write-for-nazi-newspaper/

Madison

@thec@chaos.social replied · last month

@dangillmor
Ahhh, just switched to Ghost <.< Damn it.

ɹ uɐp :antifascism:

@dannotdaniel@hellions.cloud replied · last month

@dangillmor sorry to hear this

thanks for speaking up.

we'll see what the network effect ends up being if a bunch of people cancel

Coreo Jones (coreopsismajor)

@coreo@wandering.shop replied · last month

@dangillmor yeah, I was told "it came down to audience" and just did not read the rest of the reply. (I am guessing that this may have been the same title you got your reply from.) I wasn't a paying member so I realize my voice had less weight: thank you for speaking with your money as well as your voice.

George Saich

@geos@toot.community replied · last month

@dangillmor No substack, not ever.

xinit ☕

@xinit@mastodon.coffee replied · last month

@dangillmor
"Look, we get that they platform Nazis, but we're chasing that demographic here."

"Network effects"

Jesus.

Jeff Atwood

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange replied · last month

@dangillmor did you offer them the behiiv alternative? Maybe refer them here.. perhaps they'd like to be a part of the next billion dollar startup? https://www.theinformation.com/articles/beehiiv-next-billion-dollar-newsletter-startup?rc=hhpn9c

Jeff Atwood

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange replied · last month

@dangillmor you can't scold people into submission. It doesn't work. In fact, it has the opposite effect. Look at all the mars mission testing data. Give them great alternatives and encourage them to take advantage of those alternatives, and furthermore, make the alternatives amazing.

Dan Gillmor

@dangillmor@mastodon.social replied · last month

@codinghorror The site in question ("Fix the News") clearly knew the alternatives. It made a choice: eyeballs, period.

I canceled my subscription, with an expression of disappointment (directly to them). Not sure how this qualifies as scolding.

Jeff Atwood

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange replied · last month

@dangillmor just make sure they know they can get in on a billion dollar business early as an alternative, that’s all

Sashin

@sashin@veganism.social replied · last month

@dangillmor I know so many cases here, network effects, being a willing participant of evil so that they can get more eyeballs and also happen to get more money

Furbland's Very Cool Mastodon™

@GroupNebula563@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor never heard of something switching *FROM* ghost. ghost is the BETTER option, in every way, shape, and form.

ShadSterling

@ShadSterling@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor if anyone on this thread wants to switch away from substack, this might be useful: https://podvibes.co/@evoterra/114990436623317512

Elf Burgerman

@elfburgerman@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor
Your last sentence is unclear.
"Their' can refer to 'bad actors' or 'good people'.
I don't see what's wrong with rationalising as long as it's done well. According to my reasoning, creating a profit for bad actors is bad. I came by my motto to always choose for partnership/against domination rationally.
To one's network, one can explain a switch of medium for the better. An understanding, loyal network - the only kind needed - will follow. One deserves to lose it after a bad switch.

Dwev

@dwev@mstdn.dk replied · last month

@dangillmor When did the technology platform become a political decision over a technology / features decision? Ghost, Substack, Wordpress, aren’t they all blogging platforms with different feature sets? As a reader, I shouldn’t have to think about the tech platform, just the content, right?

Dan Gillmor

@dangillmor@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dwev When people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, et al control them.

Dwev

@dwev@mstdn.dk replied · last month

@dangillmor in my head my question was rhetorical. I don’t want to have to think about the platform, as that takes away cognitive effort from the content. I’m just bemoaning the situation that I’m forced to consider the platform as context for the content.

As another commenter said, moving to SS from Ghost these days is definitely a choice. Is the “network effect” basically just about new sub discovery? They’d rather be discovered on a troubled platform, then put in effort to market themselves to potential subs?

Skjeggtroll

@skjeggtroll@mastodon.online replied · last month

@dangillmor

"The founder replied that network effects were what mattered."

That's how we _got_ in this mess in the first place!

Arbres

@arbres@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor More people need to cut ties to all the technology overlords set on destruction of our planet.

labbatt50

@labbatt50@mastodon.world replied · last month

@dangillmor

I also got off sustack. Some stuff I read there Totally Unreliable. (I know because I live it.)
Not substack's fault I admit but the authors' are driving people away.

日本語まあまあ

@nihongomaamaa@mastodon.ie replied · last month

@dangillmorhttps://unseen-japan.com/japan-fax-machines-schools/

#ErstwhileNetworkEffects #EvolutionaryDeadEnds

Andreas K

@yacc143@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor
The network effects of his choices and similar people.

your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦

@blogdiva@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor name and shame, beloved. name and shame.

Jane Vogel

@JBVPoet@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor Do we bail on Mastodon now?

https://www.counterextremism.com/news/motherboard-nazi-free-alternative-twitter-now-home-biggest-far-right-social-network

Jane Vogel

@JBVPoet@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor FYI, I have been told that Mastodon has a right-wing instance. Now what?

Jane Vogel

@JBVPoet@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor just wondering, when the Nazis show up at all the platforms and progressives keep bailing, what happens to our voice? You are handing the Nazi’s a strategy to make progressives self-censor. There are good writers on Substack and I will continue to support them. Block me if you think I’m terrible and let’s all go home and stop talking to each other.

RiaResists

@RiaResists@mastodon.social replied · last month

@dangillmor painful to see.

日本語まあまあ

@nihongomaamaa@mastodon.ie replied · last month

@dangillmor That reminds me of a conversation I had in a pub with someone in the banking industry. Their argument was all about "the market" and how it's always right. Classic misreading of Adam Smith. Anyway, I pointed out that at one stage we had slave markets. I'd like to say that changed their mind but I know it didn't.

Both of our guys are just fascist apologists.

david

@fringe@mas.to replied · last month

@dangillmor The founder told you in no uncertain terms which network effects are preferred.

Seppo Helava

@helava@mastodon.cloud replied · last month

@dangillmor yeah. It’s also what matters to the Nazis they platform. And their presence there gets them the Nazi network, and gets the Nazi network their audience. It’s a “virtuous” cycle. Of shit.