What’s the non-Nazi-coddling alternative to Substack? A quick skim through https://ghost.org ‘s FAQ doesn’t reveal the positions of their founders or their moderation policies.
Ghost does not do what Substack does, though. Substack makes related information discoverable, and has the ability to cross pollinate conversations through comment threads and referrals. It has a social media aspect that is catnip to everyone, including those who want to spread hate.
Without getting too into the weeds: Ghost is safe, Beehiiv is safe, Buttondown is safe. They each spoke out against Substack’s moderation policies the last time this stuff blew up.
Thank you. You. Just an fyi, I took a screenshot of just this reply with only your comment showing and not your name. It's only for my reference because I will forget the name of the 3 apps (like I have in the past). I remembered after taking it that some people don't like them.
new republic 1/17:
“Zuck met with Trump adviser S. Miller in late Nov and was told by Miller that he could help America, but on Trump’s terms.”
Substack translation:
“Mark Zuckerberg recently announced favorable changes in policy for Meta that should result in freer expression on its platforms.”
I cannot fathom the mind stupid enough to write these two sentences b2b and then press send.
"he deserves a lot of credit for advancing freedom of speech on X ... But Musk’s record is not perfect—he has been credibly accused of censoring his political opponents in addition to his commercial ones."
You can’t be both a champion of free speech and the guy who censors his critics. Those sentences are literally in opposition to one another. It sounds like AI wrote this and no one bothered to proof it.
Substack was already long ago marked as a platform that doesn't deny or moderate Nazi's using it. So this isn't a surprise. What does surprise me is how many people continue to support that platform. Then again, seeing what happened with X and Facebook I guess I shouldn't be.
So substack STILL has a Nazi problem. Why would anyone launch on it when they could go with beehiiv or https://ghost.io both ensure you are not monetizing a platform that is ok with Nazis
Dear Substack, know how (and why) we don’t negotiate with terrorists? It’s like that but with notsees. Some ideologies do not deserve the legitimacy of a “both sides” platform. One would think WW2 and the Holocaust was sufficient evidence in this case.
Yes, I too have “questions” and therefore will wait and see whether Trump ends up being a champion of free speech. I’m unaware of any existing information that sheds light on this issue.
He’s become a total wanker (or revealed it), just like Stephen Fry recently outed himself as rejecting trans people and the value of Stonewall as a historical event. Deeply disappointed by Fry. Cleese has been saying wankerish things for many years now about undeserving others.
Certainly don’t disagree. I was merely pointing out that his stated position for leaving X was that he was trying to get away from Musk, and the first thing they post after he joined is … Musk fanfic.
Anyone who files SLAPP lawsuits to suppress free speech is not a supporter of free speech. Musk has done this. The entire article is based on a fantasy.
It’s been a while since the last time people left substack angrily because they were intentionally allowing Nazi accounts to use their platform for revenue, but from what I recall at the time, most alternatives have missing features or cost too much or both
well. it's gone. Not a big loss for me, but we are forever digital nomads, constantly migrating to greener pastures, less encroached by wolves and trolls, and fences to pen us in.
I'm also on mastodon, but I'm sad mainly because the top intellectuals (that I know of) do have to find their audience where they are. we are lucky they escaped Xitter at all, but they can't just move around as easily as ordinary users
Sure, I just like.. Don't want to rag on small-scale writers for whom it's a very side hobby from having to KNOW EVERYTHING about every platform they're on. It's exhausting.
But hopefully they're open to listening about this and we, as consumers, can let them know this news and see what they say.
I dont even know what substack is :)
I have my own blog... someone reads it? IDK but I write some stuff there sometimes https://whtwnd.com/ looks nice though
We kept telling the people wanting us to use Substack that it is full of far-right people, but too many journalists and creators didn't want to hear it.
What's frustrating is this is not news, we've known about this for a while, and smart people who pay attention to things have stayed on Substack ... why?
It's not as straightforward as that, unfortunately. It comes down to cost + features as well -- plus, it's hard to ever know if the next place will be any better. It's a bummer that independent creators bear the brunt of this. -H
I have seen others moving to Ghost, who has a concierge service for migrating from Substack, if it's any help at all, and it seems like there are decent people running the place (their legal framework ensures they can never be bought or sold, which is interesting!).
Yes, that's on the list! Anedotally I've heard of folks regretting the move, and Ghost, Buttondown, and Beehiiv charge you for total number of subscribers -- TOTAL number, not just number of PAYING subscribers. So there's a risk that you end up losing the money you're trying to live on. -H
Basically, if we have to move, we only want to have to do it once. And a lot of people who moved last time, or whose newsletters I followed for research on how the other services worked, have quietly moved back. Maybe they'll move again now? Fucking Substack, putting this onus on its writers -H
"Are our vendors nazi-friendly" was probably not a question you both had in the business plan when you started GFY 20+ years ago. Fucking Substack, indeed.
Ugh, this is all such a headache. I'm sorry this is something you have to navigate just have a nice little enjoyable online GFY community corner outside your website. Thanks, as always, for being so transparent and working to create the space in the first place!
- While they count against all subs, they don’t take a 10% cut of paid, so it balances out and may even save you money depending on how you do it.
- Ghost can be self-hosted, allowing you to avoid some of the charges, but you’d be on the hook for sending out emails & server maintenance.
Substack is free-hosted for us, so we don't pay any costs there. All we pay now is that small cut of paid subscribers. I need to do some math to see what happens if (likely) people's budgets plummet and paids drop off but free stays the same & thus so does the monthly bill. -H
It’s curious how these people have managed to decouple the notion of ‘speech’ from courage, while virtually the whole of the world’s media and politics is terrified of disagreeing with the most egregiously wack bullshit in much of history.
SMH. They are all the same. My timeline is full of people talking shit about Elon and Trump so, I guess he was telling fhenreurh about freedom of speech? The Elon dick riding is gross tho.
I would recommend reading the whole thing. It is a bad headline. “In addition to introducing more tools to allow the Substack Defender program, which includes a fund that offers legal support to independent writers who face intimidation and opposition from the subjects of their stories.”
Okay. Apologize if I offended you. It was not intentional. Right now it’s the only place I hear from @adamkinzinger.bsky.social and @thewarningses.bsky.social and
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social and
@andrewjweinstein.com and @wajali.bsky.social and more and was concerned by your post.
You didn’t offend me. Rather, you’re missing the full picture here, which is that Substack has been like this for a long time, but people continue to have presences there. This is just the latest example of many.
It’s not even the most egregious example, honestly.
I think it’s fair to encourage your favorite creators to switch services at this point because there are lots of good alternatives that don’t go against their ethical stances regularly.
Comments
Shocked. Shocked, I'm telling you.
The press release is a right-wing screed.
“Zuck met with Trump adviser S. Miller in late Nov and was told by Miller that he could help America, but on Trump’s terms.”
Substack translation:
“Mark Zuckerberg recently announced favorable changes in policy for Meta that should result in freer expression on its platforms.”
"he deserves a lot of credit for advancing freedom of speech on X ... But Musk’s record is not perfect—he has been credibly accused of censoring his political opponents in addition to his commercial ones."
Block traffic to the classist airports
6 billion people never fly
Thought you’d be interested in seeing this as you just started a Substack.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-154577954
She's hiding behind the bookcase!
Creeps ! Sycophants !
Substack has always been in the pockets of right-wing shitbirds who claim "freeze peach"
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution?
Elon, a white wealthy 17th Century colonizer who doesn't want to pay taxes. Checks out actually.
For saying
Both sides bomb Muslims
2. Post the word "cisgender".
3. Bask in the result.
https://thehandbasket.substack.com/p/we-got-substack-to-admit-its-nazi?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true
https://bsky.app/profile/newsguy.bsky.social/post/3lguwbzdbe222
https://bsky.app/profile/tedium.co/post/3lgwc754wx22q
https://bsky.app/profile/katz.theracket.news/post/3lhx47x24wk2p
Idle’s the cool one.
commenters: well which is it???
Unreal
I'd love to support him or other writers financially, but not while they're on the nazi bar blog site. And it's too easy to obscure that they are.
choosing to stay on Substack is very telling of the author.
Why would still be sitting at the Nazi table?
https://alternativeto.net/software/substack/
Shoot. And I had just started using it too.
Portability. If you have a problem in Bluesky/White Wind, you can migrate the data (posts, likes, etc)
But this will only happen with more servers
+
this openness makes posts more exposed to AI scrapers
Isn’t that the point of the overused metaphor ?
ONCE YOU KNOW, do you keep sat down?
Aren’t we even more strict with news/tv than with new platforms that “media people” associate?
But hopefully they're open to listening about this and we, as consumers, can let them know this news and see what they say.
an #atproto long form site) grows but will pro bloggers come?
#atprotocol:
Open access + aims to be portable. $ might depend totally on donations from supporters.
It’s different from paid platforms that have closed servers / limited access (some protection and monetizing)
I have my own blog... someone reads it? IDK but I write some stuff there sometimes
https://whtwnd.com/ looks nice though
a new long form / blog #atproto solution.
Its up and going and already has many cross functionallities with Bluesky (like linked posting / comments)
What did you expect?
https://archive.is/20240518033146/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/substack-extremism-nazi-white-supremacy-newsletters/676156/
- While they count against all subs, they don’t take a 10% cut of paid, so it balances out and may even save you money depending on how you do it.
- Ghost can be self-hosted, allowing you to avoid some of the charges, but you’d be on the hook for sending out emails & server maintenance.
We the people are perfectly within our rights to call them out. That’s the part of free speech they cry over.
@jimacosta.bsky.social
I respect you, and your work greatly…. Will you be continuing to support Substack after this??
It doesn’t matter if there is something good in the post: They chose to focus on the free-speechness of it all.
I read the post before posting it. That’s why I posted it here!
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social and
@andrewjweinstein.com and @wajali.bsky.social and more and was concerned by your post.
It’s not even the most egregious example, honestly.
https://bsky.app/profile/quillmatiq.com/post/3lgvqjcht7s2w