The Online Overlords Can Eat It: Taking Back Control Over Original Content Creation
I’ve completely exited X, and Meta is about to lose out on my original content creation. All my original content will be created here on my Substack or on “X” alternative, Blue Sky.
Why reward those who actively make money off of new content creation while at the same time shadow banning innocent off-site links? …all the while letting hate flourish?
Nope. No More.
I have reported *many* posts to Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) for being in violation of hate speech and graphic violence only to be told those posts are okay and not against their terms of service. The algorithmic overlords prioritize their desire for massive amounts of money by letting hate posts generate traffic apparently unchecked while shadow-banning all off-site links.
And now with Meta capitulating and wanting to serve the incoming tyrant at our expense (angling for government contracts and neutralize the Musk-rat), ... I am jumping off that hamster wheel.
As Substack recently stated (emphasis mine):
Unfortunately, true ownership for creators has been missing from the last era of media platforms. The rulers of those platforms have built powerful systems that let anyone make their voice heard, but they have tuned their economic engines to serve advertisers (and themselves) above all others. Even if creators can amass significant audiences there, the platform controls who sees what, when, and how often, and there’s no way to leave without losing access to the people who care about their work.
On Substack, creators own their content and their mailing list, guaranteeing that they can always connect directly with their community—even if they leave the platform. They also have a clear and reliable way to make money, from direct subscriptions. There is a powerful discovery system in Substack, with a social-media-like feed but with the twist that it’s designed entirely to help creators build their audience—a relationship that they own in the form of a mailing list that they can export whenever they want.
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Creators shouldn’t need to worry about how forces far beyond their control might affect the stability of the platform on which they choose to build their livelihood. Their fate shouldn’t depend on the good graces of politically motivated legislators, the moods of judges, or the benevolence of an ad-based aggregator. They should take power into their own hands by building a home for their work, and their communities, that is invulnerable to the whims of the ruling elite and that gives them a revenue stream outside of advertising. In doing so, they can have more agency in their relationship with social media. They can then use social media opportunistically, maximizing their work’s reach while pulling people over to the place where they have stability and control.
So on that note, I will only create original content here on Substack and on Blue Sky (open source, decentralized version of Twitter); I will use the Meta platforms to keep up with family and friends as well as have those platforms be *my* echo chamber to link to new content here.
Oh wait, there is more! Substack has its own twitter-esque feature known as Notes. It also has direct messaging and even a chat room for each substack. I have opened the Thrive chat room to everyone. Along with video/podcasting abilities that crosspost to YouTube, this really should be my centralized point for online content creation.
Whether you are a free or paid subscriber, I hope you will enjoy this Substack community as I aim to make it a safe, fun, and a thriving group friends.
Thoughts? Please let me know if you experience any problems or have any questions.
More about Randy…
WHY: A Memoir
Helpful resources…
