I didn’t grow up with social media. I grew up in an era when computers were uncommon and the (public) internet didn’t exist. For example, at the end of high school, I chose to attend a computing exam as part of baccalaureate, even though I had never had a lesson, my high school didn’t have a single computer, and it was one of the first years this could be done, so there was very little material about what to expect (I got 95% without ever knowing why I didn’t get 100%).
In fact, I participated in building computer networks and run their infrastructure (BBS at the time) writing software from the late 80s (does 2:320/406.8 mean anything to anyone today?). Later on, I moved to Linux (kernel 0.98 in 1993), and started running communication systems on it (BBS, Usenet, email; later websites and my own Matsodon instance).
I’m not on Twitter because I’m not interested in the hate over there. I’m not using Facebook other than to keep in touch with friends (no public posting). I’m not on IG, TikTok, or whatever kids use nowadays. I avoid social media like the plague as I see it as a waste of time, effort, and mental energy.
I normally publish my stuff on personal sites (running on my own hosted servers so that I don’t depend on anyone else, e.g. https://photoni.st/), or on platforms that don’t pretend to fill any social media niche (e.g. AstroBin for astronomy photos). I’m not trying to reach people, I don’t publicise what I do, I’m not trying to make money, I’m not trying to be popular. I just do it to create a record and keep track of things.
So when I first came across Substack, it looked like just another social media platform. Another system designed to pull in users, create engagement, and, ultimately, make money. I had low expectations.
I’ve been watching it, sometimes interested in how people interact with it and how they enjoy it in a much more relaxed and constructive way than other social media. You can actually have a conversation and a debate on Substack. In that it reminds me of the Fediverse. Above all, I love the writing about photography, which gives me a window onto how people understand their own activity. This is my obsession right now.
But I’m concerned about some of the recent developments (e.g. Notes), which are pushing it dangerously close to being another Twitter (after all , that’s where the money is, and Substack is there to make money so let’s face it, it’s tempting for its owners, even though they deny it). I can see these features start shifting the atmosphere, despite a lot of the users trying to keep things how they were.
Then there’s the influx of influencers, celebrities, and high-profile accounts. They’re drawn in, they dominate the revenue charts, and one day, when it no longer serves them, they’ll move on, leaving the platform changed, perhaps for the worse. I recently learned that the top 10 Substack accounts take the majority of the redistributed income. That’s not surprising, but it is discouraging.
I publish a newsletter once in a while, which is a repost of my musings on my main photography site. I don’t engage much with anyone. I’m still a lurker until I find my comfortable corner.
But I keep coming back to the same question: Is Substack for me? I still don’t know. I come back to it because I want Substack to be right for me. I wish to see here my answer to my search for not-Twitter.
Is it?
#Photography #Opinion #PhotographyTheory #Theory #IMayBeWrong