--- Back in 2017, The Gunga-Dung-Bezos (Amazon) Brigade in India decided that my book reviews were blasphemous --- "violating community standards," as if the standards of someone in New New Delhi (Seattle WA) were superior to mine.
700+ reviews were obliterated. Just like that.
(AND the b*stards expect you to CONTINUE to order stuff on Prime. Granted, 0.00001% of their customers read books, much less write about having read them, so their Delete Jihad wasn't a big MBA-Wharton no-no, but that's besides the point.)
Someone someday will do exactly the same thing to Substack because if Musk can buy Twitter, someone equally wealthy as Musk will buy Substack.
And their intentions, my cynical antenna informs me, will be dishonorable (a comparison to Musk in this respect is not intended and does not exist).
--- Once I start writing to please anyone other than myself, I'll be corrupted.
Gradually, the Virginia Cowlesian* "the fact thats" and the "not only... but alsos" and "Buts"** at the start of my sentences will combine to Kudzu my prose.
But I'll be so delighted with my month $39.09 checks from Stripe, I'll be the last to notice.
("Harrumph! Harrumph!")
Things are swell the way they are.
People enjoy laughing.
And for the time being, we're on target.
Be well, and keep in touch.
*An otherwise admirable WWII journalist and post-war author.
** "But" signals us to pause, or even stop, reading. Why would such a word EVER be located at the START of a sentence? "I dunno."
My pleasure!
Others have recommended "your own stack."
May I pass on the suggestion?
--- Back in 2017, The Gunga-Dung-Bezos (Amazon) Brigade in India decided that my book reviews were blasphemous --- "violating community standards," as if the standards of someone in New New Delhi (Seattle WA) were superior to mine.
700+ reviews were obliterated. Just like that.
(AND the b*stards expect you to CONTINUE to order stuff on Prime. Granted, 0.00001% of their customers read books, much less write about having read them, so their Delete Jihad wasn't a big MBA-Wharton no-no, but that's besides the point.)
Someone someday will do exactly the same thing to Substack because if Musk can buy Twitter, someone equally wealthy as Musk will buy Substack.
And their intentions, my cynical antenna informs me, will be dishonorable (a comparison to Musk in this respect is not intended and does not exist).
--- Once I start writing to please anyone other than myself, I'll be corrupted.
Gradually, the Virginia Cowlesian* "the fact thats" and the "not only... but alsos" and "Buts"** at the start of my sentences will combine to Kudzu my prose.
But I'll be so delighted with my month $39.09 checks from Stripe, I'll be the last to notice.
("Harrumph! Harrumph!")
Things are swell the way they are.
People enjoy laughing.
And for the time being, we're on target.
Be well, and keep in touch.
*An otherwise admirable WWII journalist and post-war author.
** "But" signals us to pause, or even stop, reading. Why would such a word EVER be located at the START of a sentence? "I dunno."