On Substack, and where to get your tea in future

Substack appears to be the wrong kettle of boiling water for these little tea parties we’ve been having.

Smarter people than I have already commented more usefully on the matter, and many of those smart people who I had initially credited on subtly coercing me to start a newsletter in the first place have already begun migrating their content to other services.

For my part, I am in the business of attempting to migrate my own content to another newsletter service (although the one that is already attached to my website, MailPoet, is having difficulties that are exacerbated by my already-frustrating email difficulties).

Existing subscribers here should receive an update regarding switching to my MailPoet newsletter, how to get access to back issues, and more within the week.

Before I go, I wish to leave you all with this reminder:

the communities we foster in real life and online are, or should be, about building each other up and keeping each other safe. When things like this happen, it’s very easy for it to be swept up in the idle faux-rhetoric of “does this mean we hate free speech?!” (no—switching to this because it makes me and those I care about feel neglected or unsafe is mechanically the same as switching because its paid option is not available to users in the Caribbean, which wouldn’t drum up the same ire) or “you’re a coward for running away from viewpoints you don’t agree with!” (also no—I don’t have to be anywhere, they aren’t owed my patronage, and indeed it is some of the ‘pros’ in this new program that are true cowards, having no issue siccing their audiences on marginalised people in order to arouse their own wizened egos).

We are here because we are enthusiastic about the world, about what we can make to brighten it, and who we can share that light with. Anything less is torture for us all. I would rather make a shitty-looking newsletter elsewhere with the people who are about that cause with me than make a pretty-looking one that legitimises a space where people make money to say that they hate me or the people I love.

So… look forward to a (hopefully not shitty-looking) replacement newsletter soon.

Much love to you all, and I hope you like the tea,
Brandon