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A routine reminder that it's always a good idea to boycott #Substack.

We have long known that it platforms and profits from Nazi publications. And now: #manosphere influencers with multiple accusations of serious crimes... so much so that there is a dedicated Wikipedia page about them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_af…

No problem for #Substack though! They happily take a 10% cut from all paid subscriptions.

There are many great alternatives to SS: Ghost, Buttondown, beehiiv, Patreon... no more excuses

a screenshot of the Substack page for Andrew Tate with a window on top that reads: "Andrew Tate is a Substack Bestseller" and below: Andrew Tate is #8 Rising in News with hundreds of paid subscribers

legal issues of Andrew and Tristan Tate

Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)
#substack #manosphere

reshared this

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Jan Wildeboer 😷
mastodon - Link to source
Jan Wildeboer 😷
• •
Calling Substack the SS is kinda harsh, but justified in my opinion :)
in reply to Jan Wildeboer 😷

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@jwildeboer I only abbreviated their name... pretty apt if you ask me... I also call Bluesky "BS" 🙊
@Jan Wildeboer 😷
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

codebuzz 🐧
mastodon - Link to source
codebuzz 🐧
• •

@jwildeboer ok, this last one I wholeheartedly agree to.

Instead of condemning a site or platform, because of one user is kinda.. childish.

So, Tate lives on earth, we should all go to mars or somewhere?

Live and let live. This kind of attention, makes them more visible, makes you a part of your own 'problem?'.

Reminder, it's 2026.. is this the best way to invest energy for something greater. It's easy, but.. better?

Just saying.

@Jan Wildeboer 😷
in reply to codebuzz 🐧

Jan Wildeboer 😷
mastodon - Link to source
Jan Wildeboer 😷
• •
@codebuzz It’s not just one misogynistic guy or just one fascist. It’s also the publicly expressed support by the leadership of Substack to be open to these people. @_elena has my full support for calling them out on this.
@Elena Rossini ⁂ @codebuzz 🐧
in reply to Jan Wildeboer 😷

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@jwildeboer thank you Jan! Perfectly said.

I think it sends a powerful message when people and institutions take a stand.

For example, the city of Paris quit X in January 2025 calling it "toxic" and denouncing the spread of misinformation that is rampant on it: cdn.paris.fr/presse/2025/01/16…

I wish more cities, politicians, media organizations would follow suit. With X AND Substack

@codebuzz

@Jan Wildeboer 😷 @codebuzz 🐧
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

TamaraPNW
mastodon - Link to source
TamaraPNW
• •

@jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net @codebuzz that’s not how US free speech law works, however, and Substack is an American company.

Also, given what we know about other 👹 like Epstein, it’s clear that these vermin exist everywhere, famous or not, wealthy or not. Even in 🇫🇷

It’s naive to think canceling one app will rid the planet of hate. It will just move somewhere else. 🤷🏽‍♀️

@codebuzz 🐧
in reply to Jan Wildeboer 😷

Stijn van Drongelen
mastodon - Link to source
Stijn van Drongelen
• •
@jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net On top of that: even if it's "only" one fascist, if you don't chase them away, you'll end up with a nazi bar. So yes, it is a good idea to invest energy into this phenomenon, @codebuzz@indieweb.social. "Laten we het gezellig houden" is exactly how these undercurrents can fester and grow.
@Jan Wildeboer 😷 @codebuzz 🐧
in reply to Stijn van Drongelen

Juffo-Wup
mastodon - Link to source
Juffo-Wup
• •

@stiiin @jwildeboer @codebuzz

"even if it's "only" one fascist"

It isn't. SS (thanks for the abbreviation 😁) is full of those.
Tate is only one of many, and it has been a problem for a long time with SS suppoti that kind of people.

@Jan Wildeboer 😷 @codebuzz 🐧 @Stijn van Drongelen
in reply to Juffo-Wup

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@mndflayr yes and the racism and health misinformation on there is running rampant. Last year I was doing a deep dive into their publications and the lack of moderation. I was horrified by what I found.

People on here encouraged me to stay positive and work on promoting the fediverse instead, so I gave up on writing about SS... but it's a big regret TBH. Maybe I still have "receipts" (aka screenshots) somewhere...

@stiiin @jwildeboer @codebuzz

@Jan Wildeboer 😷 @Juffo-Wup @codebuzz 🐧 @Stijn van Drongelen
in reply to codebuzz 🐧

Marianne
mastodon - Link to source
Marianne
• •
@codebuzz @jwildeboer it's not about one user, 'just saying' - JAQing off, more like. Don't do this.
He's an example. Even if it were just him, why would you want to share a platform with a rapist?
@Jan Wildeboer 😷 @codebuzz 🐧
This entry was edited (6 days ago)
in reply to Marianne

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@noodlemaz I think it's unconscionable to take a 10% cut of subscriptions earnings from the likes of him
@Marianne
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Dave Everitt
mastodon - Link to source
Dave Everitt
• •
The line for me is between "free speech" and deliberately divisive "hate speech". The former we tolerate, even if we disagree, the latter should be subjected to the law or - where that fails - deliberate action to call it out and limit its spread. Especially when it's from sources already known to have committed crimes.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Loohoosaher
mastodon - Link to source
Loohoosaher
• •
warms my heart to see this post. I *still* see many allies, even on the fediverse, using and boosting SS newsletters.
in reply to Loohoosaher

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@hwll I hear you. I have multiple IRL acquaintances who have paid Substack newsletters 💔
@Loohoosaher
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

hamish campbell
mastodon - Link to source
hamish campbell
• •

@hwll

To be more useful I would point at the need to boycott #dotcons in general, yes use one as an example, but the bigger evil matters more than the individual evil.

#dotcons @Loohoosaher
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Veronica Olsen
mastodon - Link to source
Veronica Olsen
• •
@hwll I filter Mastodon posts that link to Substack, but with a note so that I can see that they're filtered. It both keeps me from giving them any traffic, and reminds me of who's still using that site. It's depressing to see when it's people I feel should know better. 😒
@Loohoosaher
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

bit
mastodon - Link to source
bit
• •
This is funny to me. I have been boycotting substack for the longest time, almost since its inception, but for a completely different reason. I hate that they mess with the scrollbar style, or they used to, I haven't seen their page in so long I don't know anymore. They used to have this single pixel wide scrollbar, that was just useless trendy designer bs. And I was pissed. To me any company that prioritizes stupid design decisions over utility gets the boot. Looking at you too apple.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Petra van Cronenburg
mastodon - Link to source
Petra van Cronenburg
• •

Please be aware that we have an #EuropeanAlternative based in Germany: #Steady - steady.page
I use them for years and am very satisfied, great for EU-conform invoices.
Like Patreon and other services where you can also earn money, of course, they also take a fee (only) on paid subscriptions.

The problem why so many people don't leave Substack: They get new readers from the platform. The smaller the platform, the fewer readers you get

#newsletter #blogging #journalism


Steady – You create. We take care of the rest.

Start your newsletter or membership on Steady – simple tools, real experts, and a team that grows with you. Get started for free now.
Steady
#journalism #newsletter #blogging #steady #europeanalternative
in reply to Petra van Cronenburg

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@NatureMC thank you for this! I remember seeing posts a while back about how new free subscribers on Substack looked like bots... something that helped the reputation of the company ("grow your network!")... I need to find the links to this
@Petra van Cronenburg
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

S.Tori
mastodon - Link to source
S.Tori
• •
and isn't the situation with Substack such that you can migrate your profile to a different platform rather than starting over? I still think platform migration fatigue is not given enough credit for being a legitimate excuse, but sticking to platforms that can migrate is a good idea.
in reply to S.Tori

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@Torithom ABSOLUTELY!

I had 2 Substack newsletters years ago and I simply exported my subscriber list and moved to Ghost. It took a few minutes. Easy peasy. That's why I say there are ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSES.

Ghost even offers a free concierge service for moving subscribers (incl. paid) off of Substack: ghost.org/move-to-ghost/


Ghost migration Service

Migrate your data to Ghost with help from our migration team. We'll help you move your content, subscribers, members and payments. For free.
Ghost - The Professional Publishing Platform
@S.Tori

Cory Doctorow reshared this.

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

WTL
mastodon - Link to source
WTL
• •
@Torithom @camless I suspect there is a small business model here; $50 to handle it for the folks for whom this feels too complicated (easy for *us*, but not them).
@Cadmus 🌲 @S.Tori
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Mário Melo (Guma)
mastodon - Link to source
Mário Melo (Guma)
• •
I made the change recently and decided to self-host. Besides endorsing these blogs the reading experience was a mess and was getting worse everyday.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Veza85UE
mastodon - Link to source
Veza85UE
• •

Ahem.

eupolicy.social/@Veza85UE/1164…

(Non-zero chance that if someone contacts him and pitches PeerTube and Ghost as 🇪🇺 Sovereignty he'll give it a go, lol.)

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Tanek Rune
mastodon - Link to source
Tanek Rune
• •

I still side-eye those who post to Substack. There's just a non-zero chance that they think my rights to exist without violence or discrimination isn't important the way their newsletters are.

I don't follow Substack links, it feels like the digital equivalent to wandering down the alleyway with a hate group meeting every few doors and hoping to come out the other side without them noticing me.

It's uncomfortable knowing a few posts down, someone is questioning whether I should be forcibly put in a conversion camp or some shit. Or outright calling for driving people like me out of their community.

The responses made by Substack definitely haven't helped any in making me think I'm welcome as their audience unless I want to put myself in a position to see horrendous "takes" like "God needs to smite these [slurs]."

TL;DR: I consider Substack to basically be a digital sundown town. No thanks, I'll go where I'm welcome.

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Duckbilled Plattypus.
mastodon - Link to source
Duckbilled Plattypus.
• •

I believe "Tate" is correctly pronounced "Taint".

I avoid reading Substack for this reason. It would be nice if the writers who rightly decry the empowerment of fascism and its targeting of the vulnerable weren't using the same site that explicitly does just that.

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Matthew Mamet
mastodon - Link to source
Matthew Mamet
• •
Ghost is the one I'd push hardest on that list. I moved my practice blog there about a year ago - setup is straightforward, you own your subscriber list outright, and the SEO tooling is solid enough that I stopped needing a separate layer on top. The one honest caveat: the theme customization requires comfort with code. For most writers though, the defaults are good enough to ship immediately.
in reply to Matthew Mamet

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@msmamet wholeheartedly agree. I bought a premium theme for my Ghost blog and luckily it didn't need much tweaking because it is indeed hard. Otherwise I love everything about it
@Matthew Mamet
in reply to Matthew Mamet

Fazal Majid
mastodon - Link to source
Fazal Majid
• •

@msmamet
The blocker that is preventing writers from moving away from Substack is not technical migration issues, it's that they can reasonably expect their audience growth to stalll or even reverse when they leave the platform. Substack is good at cross-promoting, just as Medium or Tumblr were back in their day.

We don't have to like Substack to recognize this fact. I loathe the company for its Medium-esque hostile dark pattern-laden design, even before we discuss the fact it platforms actual Nazis.

Until there is an effective alternative solution to this discovery and audience acquisition problem, they will stay put on Substack despite any disquiet over the platform.

@Matthew Mamet
in reply to Fazal Majid

Petra van Cronenburg
mastodon - Link to source
Petra van Cronenburg
• •

@fazalmajid But it’s precisely the high-profile prominent accounts that could leave at any moment, because they’re so well-known that their fans will follow them wherever they go. And they do promote their newsletters via social media, after all.
If they go - Substack would loose big amounts of money.

@msmamet @_elena

@Elena Rossini ⁂ @Fazal Majid @Matthew Mamet
in reply to Fazal Majid

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •
@fazalmajid @msmamet I remember reading reports of spikes in subscribers that had weird email addresses a while back. Even Molly White, who abandoned her Substack page - if I'm not mistaken - said she saw a steady growth in subscribers with fishy emails / profiles. It's a thing. And it helps cement the myth that people get steady growth on that platform. Well, steady growth may be bot farms...
@Fazal Majid @Matthew Mamet
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Ronan
mastodon - Link to source
Ronan
• •
I‘ve just replaced a Substack link with the same article posted on Medium
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Curmudgeon
mastodon - Link to source
Curmudgeon
• •
Yeah, I'm not happy about Nazi's, racists, etc. on Substack, but they also have Rick Wilson, HCR, Joyce Vance, and other fine progressives - some of the most important Antifa voices of this generation. I'll pass on the boycott. Let others see what Andrew Tate is all about. That's what we call free speech.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Allen but one of the good ones
mastodon - Link to source
Allen but one of the good ones
• •

"with hundreds of paid subscribers" is enough to get lauded as a Bestseller? Or only if you're that guy?

I'm convinced :(

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Rob
mastodon - Link to source
Rob
• •
Thought that read Substack Bellend 🤣
get my new glasses next week, so unfortunately in this instance I won't make that mistake again, sadly
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

:verified:
mastodon - Link to source
:verified:
• •
idk but for me substack have been my go to go app .. depends what u are into though.. check the link on my profile maybe
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Mike Smale
mastodon - Link to source
Mike Smale
• •
Also, as a side note, I've seen a ton of homophobia and transphobia on Medium getting monetized as of late so that's another one to start avoiding.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Evan
mastodon - Link to source
Evan
• •
I believe there’s space for anyone in the world to express their ideas, in Tate’s case the space inside a rubbish bin. Any respectable platform would never accept to profit from his disgusting and harmful propaganda, but then again Substack is not a respectable one.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Scotty Trees
mastodon - Link to source
Scotty Trees
• •
real shame so many journalists still use substack, but you do you. i'm purging myself of most news stuff. it's just too depressing and too stupid and it isn't helping my mental health at all
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Knightmare
mastodon - Link to source
Knightmare
• •
today I learned 'Substack' is a thing, I'm boycotting it as of now.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

winstonsmith
mastodon - Link to source
winstonsmith
• •

yeah this! feel like i've been beating this drum solo.

thanks for reminding people!

in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Danneau
mastodon - Link to source
Danneau
• •
Michael DeAdder is on Substack. I'm torn, as he's so good, and they're so bad. Ditto for Heather Cox Richardson. I wonder if they're blissfully ignorant (seems unlikely) or are they tied in through the wonders of an extended contract?
in reply to Danneau

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@danneau I've noticed how some high profile accounts have moved to Patreon...

For the two accounts you mention, maybe you could add them to your RSS feed, so that you can (1) unsubscribe (2) don't give traffic to Substack?

And tell them about this...

I think these objections have worked for other creators... like Anne Helen Petersen of Culture Studies (one of the most visible / famous Substack newsletters back in the day)

@Danneau
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Moss Wizard
mastodon - Link to source
Moss Wizard
• •
finding several accounts to block in the replies here, saying “free speech” or “just ignore the baddies” or “SS is fine for me”. There’s even one who I’m pretty sure searched on the word Substack just to promote theirs!
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Dopes The Frogman
mastodon - Link to source
Dopes The Frogman
• •
we don't want to be open to human garbage like Andrew Taint and bigots. They do not deserve to be heard, only put down, like great aunt Hilda after she went berserk from fighting that rabid squirrel.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

dirtside
mastodon - Link to source
dirtside
• •
Beehiiv is a typical SV startup funded by VCs and exploiting the labor of its workers. I'd avoid it. (Ghost is a nonprofit and the software itself is free if you want to host it yourself instead of using their hosting service)
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

grrl_aex
mastodon - Link to source
grrl_aex
• •

i have never given any money to substack so idk if that counts as 'boycotting" or not.

As for their free speech policy, it is lifted directly from the ALCU fwiw:

aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/…


Defending Speech We Hate

The record demonstrates the ACLU’s unwavering commitment to First Amendment rights for all.
David Cole (American Civil Liberties Union)
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Veronica Explains
gotosocial - Link to source
Veronica Explains
• •

I've noticed a lot of folks have no idea what "Substack" is. They see a newsletter. It has information they agree with. They sign up. They don't think about it beyond that.

Basically, if we want to take a bite out of the SS, I think we need to educate folks on what the uniform looks like.

IMO that has to go hand-in-hand with reaching out to writers in our lives and encouraging them to look at alternatives.

in reply to Veronica Explains

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@veronica absolutely.

And the Substack folks (management / power users / journalists) have been very good at getting « Substack » to replace « newsletters » … "she published on her Substack" has become so normalized (like Xerox for photocopy).

We can all do more… gently educating people about the reality behind the hype / surface

@Veronica Explains
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

The Bird
mastodon - Link to source
The Bird
• •
Another alternate is the worker collective that is comradery: comradery.co/

Comradery

Collect money from your subscribers on a cooperatively owned platform
www.comradery.co
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

libramoon
mastodon - Link to source
libramoon
• •
we're policing our own platform, demanding tptb unNazi
don't take away the income of many excellent journalists and progressive voices because you think we can't manage our own Nazis
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Sharon of the Strange Times
mastodon - Link to source
Sharon of the Strange Times
• •
Patreon is terrible - they take a big chunk and lock people in without a clean exit. Not a good alternative. Maybe everyone should leave Twitter first. Hell of a lot more fascists there. But people can’t seem to quit.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Hé, rouelibre ?
mastodon - Link to source
Hé, rouelibre ?
• •
So we oughta boycott many whole families, coffee shops, neighborhoods, countries and, yeah, planets altogether keeping the "logic".
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

TamaraPNW
mastodon - Link to source
TamaraPNW
• •

Humans are loathsome. What you describe happens 🌎

The apps you cite as “good” have 👹 using them, too. We just haven’t turned over those 🪨 🪨 yet

But, fact: US constitutional law has always protected the speech you don’t like/accept, including *some* Nazi speech 🤷🏽‍♀️

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National…

Canceling Substack means the Nazis win.

Staying offers counterpoint, benefits those “making good trouble”✊🏽

I’ve never run into Nazi posts, but if I do, I’ll change the channel/block⚡️🫥

1977 United States Supreme Court case

Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Poindex76
mastodon - Link to source
Poindex76
• •
When the fantastic @europeanspodcast started their newsletter on Substack, they shared with their podcast followers their anguished reasoning, which boiled down to finances, a critical thing for them. They thought that Substack’s infrastructure would enable them to grow a following faster than would happen on other platforms. I hope that after they feel a bit more financially secure, they’ll be able to transition to another platform. They do understand the objections to Substack.
@The Europeans
in reply to Poindex76

Elena Rossini ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
Elena Rossini ⁂
• •

@Poindex76 ironically, Substack is actually more "expensive" than all newsletter options out there because it takes a big chunk out of the earnings from paid subscriptions.

There is an illuminating post about this by @micahflee : micahflee.com/not-only-is-subs…

@europeanspodcast


Not only is Substack right-wing broligarchy garbage, it's way more expensive than Ghost

A lot of us know by now that Substack has a Nazi problem. It not only profits from fascist voices, it actively promotes their work and recruits them.
Micah Lee (micahflee)
@Micah Lee @The Europeans @Poindex76
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

The Europeans
mastodon - Link to source
The Europeans
• •
We hear you. We have no plans to activate paid subscriptions on Substack; at the moment we're just using it to grow our audience. We're absolutely pro moving if having a newsletter ever becomes primarily about earning, rather than about helping people to find us!
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Kolja
mastodon - Link to source
Kolja
• •
you can always selfhost with Ghost, no reason to support shit like substack
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Dawid Wiktor
mastodon - Link to source
Dawid Wiktor
• •
People can self-host Ghost or WordPress, which I strongly recommend. It makes no sense to support websites cozying up with far right and sexual predators.
in reply to Elena Rossini ⁂

Matthew Mamet
mastodon - Link to source
Matthew Mamet
• •
Just saw this announce from Ghost today and made me think of this thread. ghost.org/changelog/digital-pu…

Ghost is now a digital public good

Ghost has been reviewed and is now recognized by the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) as a digital public good.
John O'Nolan (Changelog)
⇧