There is just no controlling everything and no sooner will a new thing get popular,
as Substack has than we'll have to face the next moral dilemma emerging from a world that has chosen predator capitalism like most of us I am considering and searching and modifying my views as it's way to determine values of just about everything. Substack won't be the last I'm afraid. So I decided in the midst of all the craziness, divisiveness, partisan garbage, greed an selfishness that perhaps the most important thing is to earnestly continue to stay connected to the ones I love and who loved me, to keep my sanity, and my moral integrity in other words, just to be a good person.
Like most of us I am considering and searching and modifying my views as new thing come to light because my theory is that what we do is who we are becoming both individually and collectively. Collectively and accumulatively is the possibility of creating something truly unique and imp possibility of creating something truly authentic in it's expression of the truth of its impact on life and living. For that to happen we need to keep on sharing our thoughts and ideas and to stand back and not draw conclusions too quickly. It may well be that the best answers are unlike anything we could currently imagine.
Question everything. Then reflect deeply on the actual evidence before doing. Disregard your interpretations or what you have chosen to believe. See what happens. ❤️🩹
No worries about that and thanks for commenting. The past couple of weeks I thought about how quickly things have evolved in Substack and the world in general since I published this piece a few months ago so your insights are very timely.
As you say it's a good thing to question everything, perhaps more than ever, and to operate from the values that are important to us because that's the only thing we have control over. I couldn't agree more with that point.
Tech platforms, Substack or others, will evolve, maybe some will crash and burn, maybe they'll lose traction and users will abandond them for new ones that promise to be more ethical, or less profit-focused, or less attention-grabbing until one day they too change and become everything they initially stood against.
It's hard to make any predictions into how technology will evolve but I hope it doesn't end up becoming a tool for further division and polarisation (fingers crossed!) but a bridge to bring people together and offer them an opportunity to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
Let's see if we're still on Substack in six months' time...
There are good aspects to modern life and, for all its flaws, technology is the reason we can have this exchange. But having said that, I'm afraid you're right: sometimes it feels as if everything is being designed to feed an algorithm.
….but the reason we’re having this conversation in the first place is because of the algorithm. Freedom of expression? Freedom of thought? Extinct, or very soon to be.
But I do appreciate what you’re doing, in spite of my scepticism, which is not aimed at you, but more at us in general. We’re just not smart enough to deal with these people, hence Brexit, Trump, and the deification of sociopaths-cum-wannabe psychopaths such as the techies taking their revenge for being bullied as kids.
Thanks for that run down Cristina. To paraphrase a rom-com 'We're just writers, looking at a platform, asking it to stay morally sound'...2025 is panning out to be exhausting. I think I need to find a cave.
Notting Hill is the rom-com that keeps on giving : ) Love that paraphrase and wish I didn't have to write about this. I came to Substack for the books, films, music and jokes not for more moral conundrums.
You're not wrong, in a very literal way, because having the ability to feel, and therefore like/dislike, and care/don't care, is not something algorithms can do. But the specific reason (that you just glazed right over) that 'algorithms' don't 'like' (shadowban) me is because of the idea I have. 'Algorithms' (their owners, our rulers, the gatekeepers, the narrative 'optimizers,' the deepstate and the pieces of shit American Warpig politicians and presidents) fucking hate my idea, and that's why I said what I said. 'Algorithms' (most of 'them') don't really care about anyone, but there are some ideas and narratives that they care very much about censoring and controlling. Hope this helps. Hope you'll actually check out my idea.
Thank you, Monica. I realise I can be a bit too 'intense' but I think it's worth elaborating a bit especially for people who may not be very tecchie (like me!) so the big picture makes sense.
It's absolutely great, useful and informative! I am not inclined to read all the materials you linked to, but having this overall viewpoint and the connections between the stories and markets, it's absolutely fabulous! Thanks for putting in the time to do it!
There so much that can go under that "free speech" umbrella, right? It should be common sense that it is not a free pass to spread hate or incite to violence on account of differences on political views, race, religion, etc. But as a friend of mine used to say "common sense is the least common of senses"
Today we were talking about AI in my French class and I made the point that it's important to read between the lines whenever we see headline with pro-innovation or free speech and ask ourselves what any of those really mean.
In line with what you mention about a new set of vocabulary for all this, you may be interested in this post by journalist Carole Cadwalladr - https://substack.com/home/post/p-156658598
When I read the news about Substack founders aligning with Musk and Zuckerberg it didn't make sense to me. But then I started remembering old stuff I had already written about and the dots connected.
Like you say, platforms evolve and Substack is no exception. I agree that not that long ago this still felt a rather fresh space for those of us who came in search of something different and more nourishing than what traditional social media offered. But this is a business and it's not yet profitable so things have to change.
The worrying part is how they will change because this endorsement of two notoriously tech figures that have been trying to outdo each other to dominate the market and have openly turned to the right in name of profit and so-called free speech doesn't look great for the future of Substack.
There is just no controlling everything and no sooner will a new thing get popular,
as Substack has than we'll have to face the next moral dilemma emerging from a world that has chosen predator capitalism like most of us I am considering and searching and modifying my views as it's way to determine values of just about everything. Substack won't be the last I'm afraid. So I decided in the midst of all the craziness, divisiveness, partisan garbage, greed an selfishness that perhaps the most important thing is to earnestly continue to stay connected to the ones I love and who loved me, to keep my sanity, and my moral integrity in other words, just to be a good person.
Like most of us I am considering and searching and modifying my views as new thing come to light because my theory is that what we do is who we are becoming both individually and collectively. Collectively and accumulatively is the possibility of creating something truly unique and imp possibility of creating something truly authentic in it's expression of the truth of its impact on life and living. For that to happen we need to keep on sharing our thoughts and ideas and to stand back and not draw conclusions too quickly. It may well be that the best answers are unlike anything we could currently imagine.
Question everything. Then reflect deeply on the actual evidence before doing. Disregard your interpretations or what you have chosen to believe. See what happens. ❤️🩹
Forgive for the typos
No worries about that and thanks for commenting. The past couple of weeks I thought about how quickly things have evolved in Substack and the world in general since I published this piece a few months ago so your insights are very timely.
As you say it's a good thing to question everything, perhaps more than ever, and to operate from the values that are important to us because that's the only thing we have control over. I couldn't agree more with that point.
Tech platforms, Substack or others, will evolve, maybe some will crash and burn, maybe they'll lose traction and users will abandond them for new ones that promise to be more ethical, or less profit-focused, or less attention-grabbing until one day they too change and become everything they initially stood against.
It's hard to make any predictions into how technology will evolve but I hope it doesn't end up becoming a tool for further division and polarisation (fingers crossed!) but a bridge to bring people together and offer them an opportunity to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
Let's see if we're still on Substack in six months' time...
Thanks, Cristina.
Modern life really is rubbish…
And there’s no escaping the algorithms for any of us now. Of that, I’m absolutely certain.
There are good aspects to modern life and, for all its flaws, technology is the reason we can have this exchange. But having said that, I'm afraid you're right: sometimes it feels as if everything is being designed to feed an algorithm.
….but the reason we’re having this conversation in the first place is because of the algorithm. Freedom of expression? Freedom of thought? Extinct, or very soon to be.
But I do appreciate what you’re doing, in spite of my scepticism, which is not aimed at you, but more at us in general. We’re just not smart enough to deal with these people, hence Brexit, Trump, and the deification of sociopaths-cum-wannabe psychopaths such as the techies taking their revenge for being bullied as kids.
No worries, I understand what you mean : ) When we put everything that's going on in the world at the moment it doesn't look like a great place to be.
No. It isn’t, Cristina.
Thanks for that run down Cristina. To paraphrase a rom-com 'We're just writers, looking at a platform, asking it to stay morally sound'...2025 is panning out to be exhausting. I think I need to find a cave.
Notting Hill is the rom-com that keeps on giving : ) Love that paraphrase and wish I didn't have to write about this. I came to Substack for the books, films, music and jokes not for more moral conundrums.
Algorithms really dislike (hate) me. I hope substack's algorithm isn't like the other algorithms. Here's why algorithms really really really dislike me: www.humbledeeds.com
If it's any consolation, the algorithm doesn't like anyone
You're not wrong, in a very literal way, because having the ability to feel, and therefore like/dislike, and care/don't care, is not something algorithms can do. But the specific reason (that you just glazed right over) that 'algorithms' don't 'like' (shadowban) me is because of the idea I have. 'Algorithms' (their owners, our rulers, the gatekeepers, the narrative 'optimizers,' the deepstate and the pieces of shit American Warpig politicians and presidents) fucking hate my idea, and that's why I said what I said. 'Algorithms' (most of 'them') don't really care about anyone, but there are some ideas and narratives that they care very much about censoring and controlling. Hope this helps. Hope you'll actually check out my idea.
What a fantastic roundup of information, sources, reading material and ultimately - a useful summary of this topic. Well worth the long read! 👏 👏
Thank you, Monica. I realise I can be a bit too 'intense' but I think it's worth elaborating a bit especially for people who may not be very tecchie (like me!) so the big picture makes sense.
It's absolutely great, useful and informative! I am not inclined to read all the materials you linked to, but having this overall viewpoint and the connections between the stories and markets, it's absolutely fabulous! Thanks for putting in the time to do it!
Really appreciate it! I'm trying to escape the tech talk and leave it behind but it runs faster 😅
Hehe don't escape it if you enjoy it. It adds tremendous value to those who will read it, for sure.
I do enjoy it, that's the thing. You're right: every now and then it can make an appearance here : )
There so much that can go under that "free speech" umbrella, right? It should be common sense that it is not a free pass to spread hate or incite to violence on account of differences on political views, race, religion, etc. But as a friend of mine used to say "common sense is the least common of senses"
Today we were talking about AI in my French class and I made the point that it's important to read between the lines whenever we see headline with pro-innovation or free speech and ask ourselves what any of those really mean.
In line with what you mention about a new set of vocabulary for all this, you may be interested in this post by journalist Carole Cadwalladr - https://substack.com/home/post/p-156658598
When I read the news about Substack founders aligning with Musk and Zuckerberg it didn't make sense to me. But then I started remembering old stuff I had already written about and the dots connected.
Like you say, platforms evolve and Substack is no exception. I agree that not that long ago this still felt a rather fresh space for those of us who came in search of something different and more nourishing than what traditional social media offered. But this is a business and it's not yet profitable so things have to change.
The worrying part is how they will change because this endorsement of two notoriously tech figures that have been trying to outdo each other to dominate the market and have openly turned to the right in name of profit and so-called free speech doesn't look great for the future of Substack.
I hope to be mistaken but time will tell.