I don’t dispute that this is a question worth asking, but having read the original comment thread where Mike made that statement, I believe he was referring to Twitter, not Substack (I realize it’s confusing because he said “here,” but he was responding to the sharing of a tweet). Mike is not on Twitter, but he *is* on Substack, and his engagement at Substack speaks to the value he finds in it.
I personally have tremendous gratitude for this platform as it has not only transformed my life and enabled me connect with fellow free-thinkers like you, but it is providing a space where evidence can be freely exchanged and collected. Even though it seems like we are preaching to the choir, more and more normies are waking up daily, and liberating information is waiting here for them when they are ready.
I think your expertise on technology is both valuable and unique, Gabriel, and it is becoming even more important for people to understand how technology is being used to propagandize and enslave us.
I understand the need to attend to other matters and recharge but do hope you will continue to share your important insights and recommendations here.
Thanks for the correction, and the thoughtful response!
I in no way want to diminish what people have gotten from participating here, I've also found much to appreciate. There are substantial differences between X & Substack, one is funded by advertisement and the other by the readers. While they share other similarities this is a non-trivial difference. I appreciate a lot of the great work you've done and don't mean to diminish it at all by criticizing this platform.
That said, one of my frustrations on this topic is that I think people vastly underestimate the fact that even sincere attempts at creating good spaces can be turned into traps. We are in hostile cyberspace, no matter how well-governed they currently are.
In my latest talk with Hrvoje on TNT radio I brought up that there are groups that collect data breaches from liberty minded communities like Gab, Parler & GiveSendGo. That information itself can be weaponized against dissidents. I'm sure is already being data-mined by those tasked by governments to research so-called disinformation.
All that being said, I will agree that our corner of the substack community does have exceptional people doing great things, I would just caution against anyone betting everything on a single platform and expand their reach and participation to open protocols.
All valid and wise points, Gabriel, and I have had similar concerns about dissident data being mined for future weaponization. That said, I just assume "they" already know everything about me and that speaking the truth loudly and clearly is my best de/offense against whatever they will do to try and silence, smear, or harm me.
Gabriel, I know it's frustrating to the point of soul crushing. Watching, despite all efforts, as the juggernaut rumbles along, still perfectly on schedule and undeterred. But YOUR voice is critical to this fight. We need an army of you!
You need to train the next generation of tech users on how to circumvent the censorship, rebuild lowfi net and maintain free flow information.
Sabbatical, for sure. Sort your stuff, reboot and recharge, but then get back to leading the tech charge.😉🙏🙏
Thank you for all you do. MAA is correct, Dr Yeadon was discussing Twitter. All platforms are vulnerable to censorship, but as long as there is even 1 voice in the wilderness, showing an alternative option to the juggernaut, people will resist. #wearememory #wewillnotforget #wearemany #hacktheplanet 😉
I appreciate your kind words, I don't mean to give people the impression I'm currently leaving. I still have a lot to get out.
I struggle with the topic of staying on mainstream platforms. I have specifically chosen not to provide content for YouTube/X/Facebook and I'll admit there are costs to doing this. I think people underestimate the fact that they've been trained to share youtube videos but not links to independent websites is itself a problem. The only way it changes if those of us who WANT to lead the way, choose to act differently.
I understand there are a lot of important facets to our ongoing abuse (financial, health, spiritual/emotional, among others) It is difficult because I very much feel like despite many people pointing to technology being the root of many ills, there seems to be a great deal of apathy and indifference to the topic of trying to change what we can do about it.
I get the guilt feeling. Nevertheless, if individuals struggle to grasp that there's just one person managing a Substack and we bear the entire workload for a fraction of what a MSM journalist might earn for using ChatGPT to produce a subpar article about haircut recommendations or Apple's photo innovations (?), my apprehension about taking a creative hiatus is diminishing.
I do worry that if it becomes too big - and it is getting there - governments will crack down of it, or it will be bought out by another big tech company. A darker though is this is indeed a trap where all the dissidents gather, and hence trouble makers can be identified :-(
It is a worthy question of whether Substack is a trap. I've also wondered if it's a noose they're allowing us all to put our necks in, either to pull tight or cut us all loose. Something to keep in mind is that Substack lets you download your subscriber emails. I should make another hard copy of mine. It's something we should all do periodically (speaking to myself).
I've come up against this question many times--do you need to reinvent the venue first in order to use it against the system? I wonder sometimes if it's an ideological purity that makes us ineffective, especially when criticizing each other. If you're James Corbett or Russell Brand (especially now) sure you can take your audience and go it alone. But how does your average nobody find an audience?
I did a lot of work at one point on neighborhood communication networks, trying to start small. I interviewed the creator of Front Porch Vermont, a low-tech predecessor to Nextdoor. I mapped out my town into nested groupings. I built my own email list through block parties and dinners I did for global charities. But in the end, I folded it into Nextdoor--and became a spokesperson on how they manipulate local politics. Couldn't compete.
With my book, I held out for years trying to figure out how to distribute it without Amazon. But, imo, we need the system first that enables us to control our own labor, which is its topic. Then we can reinvent the venues. I think what you're doing, Gabe, is really valuable both on Substack and helping us learn what the alternatives are. I know that's an essential part of all this that's going to come into being when the time is right, and I'm glad you're preparing for it.
Thank you Tereza, you bring up a lot of great points, especially making sure to keep your list handy. Ironically when it comes to e-mail it's complicated, e-mail itself is decentralized (or can be) but mass e-mail distribution is not. Another non-trivial benefit to substack is not losing most of your contacts to the dreaded spam filter. Technically telegram/matrix channels wouldn't be any different but I think people prefer to have an inbox they can browse at their own pace, instead of having constant pings for their attention.
Definitely something I've been mulling over...
Thank you for your encouragement, and hope to continue to deliver!
Thank you for the work you have put into this. It’s been extremely helpful to me and I reference your articles often. For a non techie person it can and does seem overwhelming at times but I figure if I can implement one of your suggestions a month I will get there. Thanks again! You are appreciated.
Thanks a ton! I definitely don't mean to overwhelm, but I can see how it can be.
I'll admit the problem gets much worse for groups and organizations. Groups of people have to do the best with what they have, so they have to balance the tools that are available, vs people's ability to work with them, vs overall data autonomy risks.
Action is important, but at this stage I can definitely say merely being aware and being able to speak about these issues can put someone ahead of the pack!
I had the very same thought about 6 months a go. Admittedly i was high as a kite at the time, but i thought, jesus, maybe this just exists to corral a large group of dissident voices into one place, and gather info on us. And here I am, proudly bearing my dissident views on a daily basis. It is possible.
But what to do, we’re in a fight to the death in a way and the narrative construct around everything is the most powerful tool in the power structure’s arsenal. It has to be punctured as much as possible.
Don’t quit man. I’ll convert into a paid as soon as i get this first week back at the madness of the English Academy where i teach over. Your work/ideas are valuable.
Thank you, and I'm not going anywhere at the moment.
Some of those close to me have argued that it's worth engaging even despite it being potentially a trap and I do agree a bit with the point being made.
Ultimately, some people have to at least represent an island of sanity in the mad world, so I can see the valor in trying.
Getting the most out of it while mitigating the concerns does seem to be a challenging balancing act however.
I try to surround myself with people at least one step ahead of me, and you are one of them. Yeah, I too have been thinking about how tech barons have become a government surrogate in atomizing identity to achieve control, how freedom movement leadership is failing to leverage their megaphones to de-atomize the populace into unified action against tyranny, and how the tyrants can in a moment lean heavily on Chris Best to shut this platform down to 'harmful" "misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation" that in any way "undermines" official state narrative. Leaving one little else but to post vacation photos and pictures of what you just ate.
I don’t dispute that this is a question worth asking, but having read the original comment thread where Mike made that statement, I believe he was referring to Twitter, not Substack (I realize it’s confusing because he said “here,” but he was responding to the sharing of a tweet). Mike is not on Twitter, but he *is* on Substack, and his engagement at Substack speaks to the value he finds in it.
I personally have tremendous gratitude for this platform as it has not only transformed my life and enabled me connect with fellow free-thinkers like you, but it is providing a space where evidence can be freely exchanged and collected. Even though it seems like we are preaching to the choir, more and more normies are waking up daily, and liberating information is waiting here for them when they are ready.
I think your expertise on technology is both valuable and unique, Gabriel, and it is becoming even more important for people to understand how technology is being used to propagandize and enslave us.
I understand the need to attend to other matters and recharge but do hope you will continue to share your important insights and recommendations here.
Thanks for the correction, and the thoughtful response!
I in no way want to diminish what people have gotten from participating here, I've also found much to appreciate. There are substantial differences between X & Substack, one is funded by advertisement and the other by the readers. While they share other similarities this is a non-trivial difference. I appreciate a lot of the great work you've done and don't mean to diminish it at all by criticizing this platform.
That said, one of my frustrations on this topic is that I think people vastly underestimate the fact that even sincere attempts at creating good spaces can be turned into traps. We are in hostile cyberspace, no matter how well-governed they currently are.
In my latest talk with Hrvoje on TNT radio I brought up that there are groups that collect data breaches from liberty minded communities like Gab, Parler & GiveSendGo. That information itself can be weaponized against dissidents. I'm sure is already being data-mined by those tasked by governments to research so-called disinformation.
All that being said, I will agree that our corner of the substack community does have exceptional people doing great things, I would just caution against anyone betting everything on a single platform and expand their reach and participation to open protocols.
All valid and wise points, Gabriel, and I have had similar concerns about dissident data being mined for future weaponization. That said, I just assume "they" already know everything about me and that speaking the truth loudly and clearly is my best de/offense against whatever they will do to try and silence, smear, or harm me.
Gabriel, I know it's frustrating to the point of soul crushing. Watching, despite all efforts, as the juggernaut rumbles along, still perfectly on schedule and undeterred. But YOUR voice is critical to this fight. We need an army of you!
You need to train the next generation of tech users on how to circumvent the censorship, rebuild lowfi net and maintain free flow information.
Sabbatical, for sure. Sort your stuff, reboot and recharge, but then get back to leading the tech charge.😉🙏🙏
Thank you for all you do. MAA is correct, Dr Yeadon was discussing Twitter. All platforms are vulnerable to censorship, but as long as there is even 1 voice in the wilderness, showing an alternative option to the juggernaut, people will resist. #wearememory #wewillnotforget #wearemany #hacktheplanet 😉
I appreciate your kind words, I don't mean to give people the impression I'm currently leaving. I still have a lot to get out.
I struggle with the topic of staying on mainstream platforms. I have specifically chosen not to provide content for YouTube/X/Facebook and I'll admit there are costs to doing this. I think people underestimate the fact that they've been trained to share youtube videos but not links to independent websites is itself a problem. The only way it changes if those of us who WANT to lead the way, choose to act differently.
I understand there are a lot of important facets to our ongoing abuse (financial, health, spiritual/emotional, among others) It is difficult because I very much feel like despite many people pointing to technology being the root of many ills, there seems to be a great deal of apathy and indifference to the topic of trying to change what we can do about it.
I get the guilt feeling. Nevertheless, if individuals struggle to grasp that there's just one person managing a Substack and we bear the entire workload for a fraction of what a MSM journalist might earn for using ChatGPT to produce a subpar article about haircut recommendations or Apple's photo innovations (?), my apprehension about taking a creative hiatus is diminishing.
I am a technology neophyte, so a lot of your work is over my head, but I continue to enjoy reading your work and am trying to learn from it.
Thank you!
Thank you! Another excellent, thought-provoking piece!
If its not now, I'm sure it will be one day
I do worry that if it becomes too big - and it is getting there - governments will crack down of it, or it will be bought out by another big tech company. A darker though is this is indeed a trap where all the dissidents gather, and hence trouble makers can be identified :-(
It is a worthy question of whether Substack is a trap. I've also wondered if it's a noose they're allowing us all to put our necks in, either to pull tight or cut us all loose. Something to keep in mind is that Substack lets you download your subscriber emails. I should make another hard copy of mine. It's something we should all do periodically (speaking to myself).
I've come up against this question many times--do you need to reinvent the venue first in order to use it against the system? I wonder sometimes if it's an ideological purity that makes us ineffective, especially when criticizing each other. If you're James Corbett or Russell Brand (especially now) sure you can take your audience and go it alone. But how does your average nobody find an audience?
I did a lot of work at one point on neighborhood communication networks, trying to start small. I interviewed the creator of Front Porch Vermont, a low-tech predecessor to Nextdoor. I mapped out my town into nested groupings. I built my own email list through block parties and dinners I did for global charities. But in the end, I folded it into Nextdoor--and became a spokesperson on how they manipulate local politics. Couldn't compete.
With my book, I held out for years trying to figure out how to distribute it without Amazon. But, imo, we need the system first that enables us to control our own labor, which is its topic. Then we can reinvent the venues. I think what you're doing, Gabe, is really valuable both on Substack and helping us learn what the alternatives are. I know that's an essential part of all this that's going to come into being when the time is right, and I'm glad you're preparing for it.
Thank you Tereza, you bring up a lot of great points, especially making sure to keep your list handy. Ironically when it comes to e-mail it's complicated, e-mail itself is decentralized (or can be) but mass e-mail distribution is not. Another non-trivial benefit to substack is not losing most of your contacts to the dreaded spam filter. Technically telegram/matrix channels wouldn't be any different but I think people prefer to have an inbox they can browse at their own pace, instead of having constant pings for their attention.
Definitely something I've been mulling over...
Thank you for your encouragement, and hope to continue to deliver!
Thank you for the work you have put into this. It’s been extremely helpful to me and I reference your articles often. For a non techie person it can and does seem overwhelming at times but I figure if I can implement one of your suggestions a month I will get there. Thanks again! You are appreciated.
Thanks a ton! I definitely don't mean to overwhelm, but I can see how it can be.
I'll admit the problem gets much worse for groups and organizations. Groups of people have to do the best with what they have, so they have to balance the tools that are available, vs people's ability to work with them, vs overall data autonomy risks.
Action is important, but at this stage I can definitely say merely being aware and being able to speak about these issues can put someone ahead of the pack!
I had the very same thought about 6 months a go. Admittedly i was high as a kite at the time, but i thought, jesus, maybe this just exists to corral a large group of dissident voices into one place, and gather info on us. And here I am, proudly bearing my dissident views on a daily basis. It is possible.
But what to do, we’re in a fight to the death in a way and the narrative construct around everything is the most powerful tool in the power structure’s arsenal. It has to be punctured as much as possible.
Don’t quit man. I’ll convert into a paid as soon as i get this first week back at the madness of the English Academy where i teach over. Your work/ideas are valuable.
Thank you, and I'm not going anywhere at the moment.
Some of those close to me have argued that it's worth engaging even despite it being potentially a trap and I do agree a bit with the point being made.
Ultimately, some people have to at least represent an island of sanity in the mad world, so I can see the valor in trying.
Getting the most out of it while mitigating the concerns does seem to be a challenging balancing act however.
I try to surround myself with people at least one step ahead of me, and you are one of them. Yeah, I too have been thinking about how tech barons have become a government surrogate in atomizing identity to achieve control, how freedom movement leadership is failing to leverage their megaphones to de-atomize the populace into unified action against tyranny, and how the tyrants can in a moment lean heavily on Chris Best to shut this platform down to 'harmful" "misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation" that in any way "undermines" official state narrative. Leaving one little else but to post vacation photos and pictures of what you just ate.