It’s not you, it’s Substack. You’re great and I am still reading your newsletter (more on that in a bit). But I’m no longer on any Substack mailing lists for a couple reasons. Specifically: Nazis and dark patterns.
Nazis
As a writer on Substack, it’s worth watching this 2 minute interview with their CEO:
@decoderpod Our host Nilay asked Substack CEO Chris Best the tough questions about whether racist speech should be allowed in their new consumer product, Substack Notes. #techtok #technews #substack #ceo ♬ original sound - Decoder with Nilay Patel
Why did he have such a hard time with the question? Because he is not willing to miss out on the revenue that comes from monetizing Nazi newsletters. Like this one, dedicated to promoting “the collective interests of Whites who seek self-determination for their nations and freedom from foreign influence.”
You’re obviously not a Nazi! But you’re hanging out in the Nazi bar, and I don’t care to join you there.
Dark patterns
As a reader of Substack, the experience is replete with manipulative hacks. Like:
- Asking me to subscribe to a publication as soon as I visit it, without letting me browse first
- Taking me to an ambiguous “Choose a plan” page after I subscribe, which leaves me unclear on whether I’ve already subscribed or must choose a plan to complete the process
- Hitting me with “Subscribe” popups throughout each article and email
- Showing a one-step “Subscribe to these too!” popup when I’m just trying to get back to the article I was reading, encouraging me to sign up for stuff I don’t want to read
- Waylaying me with a “Download the app!” popup that’s designed to look like downloading the app is necessary to continue reading
In UX-land we call these dark patterns and they are a thing you do to maximize value to the business at the expense of users.
That’s not your vibe, and I don’t want to associate that kind of experience with you. So I don’t subscribe to your newsletter, and I don’t read it on Substack’s website.
I’m still reading your stuff
I’ve installed an RSS feed reader called Newsboat and added your newsletter feed to my list. I will log in from time to time and see what you’ve been writing, and send you an email to let you know how much I enjoy it.
I hope this works for you! Wishing you all the luck in the world with your writing career. I just can’t stand the ambiance in the place you’ve chosen to house it.