Earlier this year, I was feeling the weight of the various tragedies in the world that have combined to give many people an enduring sense of dread. I didn't want my dread to have the last word, so I thought I would read some relevant books and share some reflections online on my very rarely read blog. And then I thought, why not also try Substack.
A lot of folks seem to have turned to Substack. It provides an old school blogging platform with solid community-building tools. It was nice to see some old friends find me there and comment on my very few posts. But almost as soon as I started that effort, I learned some discouraging things about Substack.
To be fair to Substack, I am not a very reliable blogger. I just write some stuff when I feel like it. I don't care if I build an audience. I am in it for myself.
But to be fair to the rest of the universe, Substack has some serious issues.
Here are a few, with links:
- Substack Has a Nazi Problem
- Everyone Has a Substack. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
- Substack's Nazi Problem Isn't Going Away
I have never beleived the arguement that platforms are innocent of the content they spread. If you make a dollar off of spreading the content, or off of advertising associated with content, then you are implicated in that content. I think of social media platforms like Substack the same way I think of publishers in old media. If they publish something, it reflects on them. They may puslbish something contorversial or something they don't agree with, but they have guidelines that describe the editorial borders they will not cross. They hold their content to a standard of basic decnecy at the very least.
Substack has reiterated the old "free speech" argument. The problem is that they are actively promoting content and providing an avenue for that content to proliferate. The internet itself is an open and free platform. Anyone can build a website on their own and publish their ideas. They don't need Substack's help to do it. No social media platform is responsible for protecting "free speech." You wouldn't expect a newspaper to publish a racist rant in the interest of free speech, because the editors of the paper also have freedom of speech. If Substack had any decency, they would not allow indecent content on their platform.
I don't believe in censorship. But I do believe in integrity and responsibility. It is Substack's responsibility to ensure it's platform is not spreading hate and misinformation. They have chosen not do this. I choose not to use them.
Overstatement is a domain I own. I pay for the hosting (it's real cheap!). What is here is simply mine. No nazis. Just the stuff I want to post. It doesn't have convenient sharing features or social commenting, but it also doesn't have all the problems that come with those "features." It's just a place for me to post some times when I want to for whatever reason.