The One with the Privacy Fatigue and the Click-to-Subscribe #7
# intro
Hey, 👋
Long time no see!
I'm getting back into the habit of writing consistently, and it’s finally time for a new newsletter. That said, I haven’t been completely idle these past months. I moved my blog to a new domain, https://iamgregb.io/, but just a week or two later, I discovered that .io domains might vanish. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen!
I’ve been really drawn to the simplicity of Pika blogs from Good Enough LLC — just like their overall motto. The older I get, the more I understand that sometimes "good enough" really is enough. You can always refine and improve later, but you’ve got to start with something that's just good enough.
What else? The FTC announced their final “Click-to-Cancel” rule, although it's still unclear how it applies to mobile apps and app stores. There are already ways to cancel subscriptions on iOS and Android, but nobody can ever find them. So far, all the examples focus on companies like Adobe or gyms, so we’ll probably have to wait for more clarifications.
Oh, and there’s been some drama in the WordPress world, and an exchange between Matt Mullenweg and DHH was... curious, to say the least. It hit close to home because I applied to Automattic after unexpectedly getting laid off from 37signals last year. While I can’t say I’m thankful for being rejected, I’ll admit it would’ve been awkward as hell if I hadn’t been. 😮💨
# general
Writing a newsletter — or any kind of writing, really — is no easy task! In my head I have it all figured out — if I want to send out a newsletter weekly, I just need to write a little bit each day. New ideas come and go constantly, and it’s all about catching them. By the end of the week, I combine those pieces into one final email, and voilà, it’s ready.
I’ve experimented with different tools for this process. Supertags and Smart Searches work wonderfully in Tana, but I didn’t quite enjoy writing there — it feels more like an outliner than a true writing app. The concept of combining blocks in the updated Scrintal looks great, but man oh man it's pricey.
Right now, I’m writing these lines in Craft, another block-based document editor. I’m not sure if the upcoming Objects feature will suit my perfect workflow, but I’m looking forward to it!
I know that in the end, it all comes down to perseverance, but you still need to have fun in the process, right?
# privacy
Maybe it’s because I work in the privacy field and read a lot about it, or maybe it’s because I’m currently in the EU, but I’m starting to sense privacy fatigue in the air. From what I hear, teens have already given up on it, and nobody—adults or teens—reads the privacy banners or policies anymore. The infamous cookie banners have become a running joke across both the EU and the US.
Global Privacy Control seems like a step in the right direction, but it’s still just a specification. The default practices of many companies aren't aligned with genuine privacy protection, making privacy feel too invasive in our daily online experience. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to think about GPC, cookies, tracking, or data selling while browsing. Privacy should be seamless and silent.
I’m considering writing a more detailed post on this topic, so stay tuned! It hasn’t quite downloaded from the cosmos to my brain yet, but it’s on its way.
# links-of-note
To celebrate my new blog, here are the three latest posts:
Some thoughts on AI and content created by humans — Braincrafted or Heartmade?
More reflections on AI and the current wave of creativity in the field — The Moment the Creativity Dies
A post about chats and the perpetual state of being online, written by my anxiety — Chats Were Great, Until They Weren’t
# water-cooler
A not-so-fun fact about Cyprus, where I am right now: it’s the biggest food waster in Europe — producing an average of 294 kilograms of food waste per person annually. I’m pretty sure the traditional Cyprus meze plays a big role in that. Like my newsletter, Cyprus meze is a little bit of everything on your plate — but hopefully, people finish my newsletter!
And yes, while the FTC is busy with their "Click-to-Cancel" rule, you should be busy with the Click-to-Subscribe button below — if you haven’t done it yet. 😉
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Until next week,🖖
Greg