Free-to-paid
Upon sharing the link to this project, a friend asked me “Why Buttondown and not Substack?”
It can’t merely be the Nazi problem and the anti-trans problem, can it? There are many writers and thinkers I admire who publish on Substack: Anand Giridharadas. W. Kamau Bell. Danny Lavery. Margaret Sullivan. Mehdi Hasan.
Substack could give me access to algorithmic referrals—a way to attract eyeballs and to grow my audience if my words were to strike a chord.
But my patience is low these days for VC-funded platforms employing the “free speech” excuse for not engaging in content moderation.
And right now I am focused on the sorting part: how to reorient myself in the wake of TFP’s return to power. Questions about expanding my “reach” can come later, once I know what this even is, and know which way I’m heading.
I have the privilege of not needing my writing to sustain me financially. I’ve worked for nearly 11 years at a company exuberantly committed to small businesses.
So I chose to start this newsletter atop Buttondown—a small business, built and maintained by one person. The testimonials are terrific, the interface is delightful, and I am likely to upgrade to a paid subscription even before I am “required” to (when I reach 100 subscribers).
Actually, I’ll call that tonight’s thing: upgrading to a paid Buttondown account, in recognition of Justin Duke’s work building it, and in affirmation of commerce at human scale.
Pay money for things made by humans! What a concept.
All of the @#$%ing things
Night 4: Reviewed my local election results
Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting
Words, sorts, and thinks by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com