See, the thing is I like Substack Notes. I really like the people and the connections that can be built there. But as I near 5000 subscribers (!!!), the mental load required to keep up on Notes has begun to tip.
I really enjoy answering people’s questions that are posed to me in the comments, sometimes even with video. But that’s not the load. I relish that!
It’s the “17 people liked this post,” or people re-stacking things, and being notified as such. Sure, knowing 57 shared a recent post is nice and all, but I don’t need to know that in real time.
And if it’s at this level with 5,000 subscribers, what it like at 10,000?
This is why comments are turned off on this blog. I am still reachable, but there’s friction.
A wonderful human reached out to me a week or so ago, asking if I was okay in regards to a sort of somber Christmas time post I made. That was wonderful. I welcome that.
Will someday I get too many personal emails? Maybe. But that’s a problem I haven’t had in quite some time.
Most of the “too many emails” came from when I was an editor of a music blog, with very many one-sided asks from various industry people, and multiple internal emails from the mega corp I was working for.
But I like emails with people, talking about these anti-social media things. I like my weekly Zoom calls with people talking about these anti-social media things.
I guess it’s a matter of energy.
Checking the notifications of LIKES and RESTACKS on Substack benefits the people who make Substack while zapping my energy and enthusiasm.
If you’d like, send me an email. It’s easy to find.