Hi folks, below is a letter to the Substack founders that I helped draft as part of a group of publishers seeking answers to questions about the platforming and monetizing of Nazis.
Ethically, I've avoided using substack for client projects, and have cautioned many against using substack due to its cyberlibertarianism which is a political ideology chock-full of right-wing roots. When will civic and public interest minded folks learn platforms made by and for this movement can't be trusted as ethical players in tech? It comes as no surprise that substack's morality is anti-women, a haven for anti-vaxer conspirituality, and pro-nazi under the guise of "free speech" selective-absolutism. The lack of responsibility for its harmful impacts on society is inexcusable.
Hello Dave, kudos for publishing the letter to Substack's co-founders on your Substack. I too have re-published the letter, albeit not on a Substack but rather on my Ghost-utilising blog.
As chance would have it, I spent the past four months putting together a (very) lengthy piece about Substack, coincidentally finishing and publishing it mere days after Katz's pieces were published. I did in fact read one or two of your pieces for research (about Andreessen Horowitz), one of which I quoted from a couple of times. Anyway, the material in my piece suggest to me that these efforts of collectively writing to Substack's co-founders may not culminate in the kind of result hoped for. Fingers crossed nonetheless.
Otherwise, seeing how I imagine that there could be a slew of Substackers looking for greener pastures in the near future, and seeing how I'm very familiar with the platform, I thought it might be a good idea to offer free 15-minute consultations (no longer than 15 minutes, even paid, as I'm too swamped with other writing commitments at the moment) to anybody curious about migrating to Ghost, or simply curious about the platform itself. A consultation can be booked via the green button that appears down on the bottom left of the post linked to above. To be clear, I don't work for Ghost, and I'm not being paid to do this.
Anyhow, please feel free to take me up on my offer, and/or to forward it on to any of your fellow Substack friends/colleagues who might be interested.
Thank you so much for leading on this and using your platform to put pressure on Substack. Please keep us posted on any response! I'm curious if anyone has organized any opportunities for smaller newsletters to sign an open letter or support this effort in any way.
Surprise Surprise the left is coming for Substack, not because they host “Nazis” but because it threatens there hold on culture - The left does not tolerate dissension. I find it hilarious that one writer who left Substack moderation policies, went to “ghost” which has almost zero moderation policies. The sad part is the Left used to care about free speech because it allowed the oppressed a voice. We wouldn't have gay rights without it. Anyways I expect your campaign to debank Substack will be successful. Obviously you won't agree but that's OK as Substack is a place where one can find different points of view. Enjoy it while it lasts.
The issues is that the oppressed are still oppressed and not full equals, included and welcomed in society, and their oppressors still have a voice, a loud one, that appears to be growing politically and socially.
Freedom of expression comes with responsibility and accountabilities in a civil society. Consequences for impacting safety of others need to exist, regardless of where the viewpoint comes from.
'Grace' Lavery is at least as dangerous as nazis. The irony being that gay socialists are regularly called nazis by trans activists for rejecting GI/QT.
Despite being just an ordinary individual, I find myself putting in maximum effort to gain more subscribers, ensuring that my voice is not merely echoing into an empty void.
You already know the answer to the question the letter asks. You knew when all the anti-trans crap went down and you chose to stay. Stop the performative posturing and either leave the Nazi bar or stay in it.
Yeah there's absolutely no need for that. Stick to reading Richard Hanania's blog. You're blocked from this one. Good luck getting that new set of calipers you asked for this Chirstmas.
"Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction. Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity."
Ethically, I've avoided using substack for client projects, and have cautioned many against using substack due to its cyberlibertarianism which is a political ideology chock-full of right-wing roots. When will civic and public interest minded folks learn platforms made by and for this movement can't be trusted as ethical players in tech? It comes as no surprise that substack's morality is anti-women, a haven for anti-vaxer conspirituality, and pro-nazi under the guise of "free speech" selective-absolutism. The lack of responsibility for its harmful impacts on society is inexcusable.
Thank you for this. Have you considered writing a similar letter to Stripe? It might be more effective. See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/13/nandini-jammi-alex-jones-demonetization/
Also hit Mailgun, their email delivery partner...
Hello Dave, kudos for publishing the letter to Substack's co-founders on your Substack. I too have re-published the letter, albeit not on a Substack but rather on my Ghost-utilising blog.
As chance would have it, I spent the past four months putting together a (very) lengthy piece about Substack, coincidentally finishing and publishing it mere days after Katz's pieces were published. I did in fact read one or two of your pieces for research (about Andreessen Horowitz), one of which I quoted from a couple of times. Anyway, the material in my piece suggest to me that these efforts of collectively writing to Substack's co-founders may not culminate in the kind of result hoped for. Fingers crossed nonetheless.
https://ff2f.com/how-to-ghost-substack/
Otherwise, seeing how I imagine that there could be a slew of Substackers looking for greener pastures in the near future, and seeing how I'm very familiar with the platform, I thought it might be a good idea to offer free 15-minute consultations (no longer than 15 minutes, even paid, as I'm too swamped with other writing commitments at the moment) to anybody curious about migrating to Ghost, or simply curious about the platform itself. A consultation can be booked via the green button that appears down on the bottom left of the post linked to above. To be clear, I don't work for Ghost, and I'm not being paid to do this.
Anyhow, please feel free to take me up on my offer, and/or to forward it on to any of your fellow Substack friends/colleagues who might be interested.
All the best,
Allan
I switched to Ghost over this mess months ago. It works beautifully, even if I miss the simple networking of Substack!
Then why are you still poluting substack with your slime?
Thank you so much for leading on this and using your platform to put pressure on Substack. Please keep us posted on any response! I'm curious if anyone has organized any opportunities for smaller newsletters to sign an open letter or support this effort in any way.
Surprise Surprise the left is coming for Substack, not because they host “Nazis” but because it threatens there hold on culture - The left does not tolerate dissension. I find it hilarious that one writer who left Substack moderation policies, went to “ghost” which has almost zero moderation policies. The sad part is the Left used to care about free speech because it allowed the oppressed a voice. We wouldn't have gay rights without it. Anyways I expect your campaign to debank Substack will be successful. Obviously you won't agree but that's OK as Substack is a place where one can find different points of view. Enjoy it while it lasts.
“Their.” Not there.
Should I make a comment about grammar nazis 🤔😛🙄 - and the joy of typing on a ☎️
It was the part of your post that most merited a reply.
Read Katz’s piece. We’re talking about actual Neo-Nazis here. And you’re showing up with lukewarm “so much for the tolerant left” retreads.
The issues is that the oppressed are still oppressed and not full equals, included and welcomed in society, and their oppressors still have a voice, a loud one, that appears to be growing politically and socially.
Freedom of expression comes with responsibility and accountabilities in a civil society. Consequences for impacting safety of others need to exist, regardless of where the viewpoint comes from.
What in holy fuck, this is disgusting Substack
If you use Substack’s Feedback feature under Settings, the letter will go directly to Substack.
Also contact:
@Hamish McKenzie @Chris Best @Jairaj Sethi
Well, let me know when it's time to follow you to Ghost or whatever.
'Grace' Lavery is at least as dangerous as nazis. The irony being that gay socialists are regularly called nazis by trans activists for rejecting GI/QT.
Despite being just an ordinary individual, I find myself putting in maximum effort to gain more subscribers, ensuring that my voice is not merely echoing into an empty void.
You already know the answer to the question the letter asks. You knew when all the anti-trans crap went down and you chose to stay. Stop the performative posturing and either leave the Nazi bar or stay in it.
Of course.
Because you'd have lost the argument?
In other words, you know I'm right.
Yeah there's absolutely no need for that. Stick to reading Richard Hanania's blog. You're blocked from this one. Good luck getting that new set of calipers you asked for this Chirstmas.
Damn all the comments deleted
> I left twitter and Facebook, and I will leave substack if this continues.
And the quality of the average poster would improve.
> This is not a cancel culture issue
Yes it is.
> Freedom of expression does not include the right to promote an ideology and a practice that rests on a death cult.
Yes it does. And you better hope so since your ideology, wokeness, is definitely a death cult.
Oops, I tripped and fell on the block button. My bad.
You leftists really do like shutting yourselves off from anything that would challenge your beliefs.
Ah, crimestop.
"Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction. Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity."