I’m having trouble deciding whether Substack is “whole grain” or “junk food” (especially with the recent addition of Notes). Somewhere in between maybe.
Sometimes junk food apps can be curated to be less "junky"; and whole grains apps can be curated to be junkier. But the difference between say- Instagram and an RSS reader, is that the RSS reader is functional; it's designed to show you content with no "goals" of it's own. Instagram's function is to keep you using the app as long as possible. (A simple test is asking "does this app force me to view content from sources I didn't ask for?" If it does, it's almost certainly "junk food".)
That said, Substack (the main newsletters part) is solidly "whole grain" because all Substack inc. is doing is sending stuff to your inbox from the people you've asked to send stuff to your inbox. The platform is not *trying* to manipulate you (even if some content might be).
"Whole grains" are still entertainment though, so I don't keep the Substack app on my phone. Especially as you said with the addition of notes (which I haven't solidified an opinion on yet but is definitely junkier). I actually have my email set to auto-archive newsletters so I don't even see them on my phone, then I get caught up later on my dedicated reading tablet.
I’m having trouble deciding whether Substack is “whole grain” or “junk food” (especially with the recent addition of Notes). Somewhere in between maybe.
Sometimes junk food apps can be curated to be less "junky"; and whole grains apps can be curated to be junkier. But the difference between say- Instagram and an RSS reader, is that the RSS reader is functional; it's designed to show you content with no "goals" of it's own. Instagram's function is to keep you using the app as long as possible. (A simple test is asking "does this app force me to view content from sources I didn't ask for?" If it does, it's almost certainly "junk food".)
That said, Substack (the main newsletters part) is solidly "whole grain" because all Substack inc. is doing is sending stuff to your inbox from the people you've asked to send stuff to your inbox. The platform is not *trying* to manipulate you (even if some content might be).
"Whole grains" are still entertainment though, so I don't keep the Substack app on my phone. Especially as you said with the addition of notes (which I haven't solidified an opinion on yet but is definitely junkier). I actually have my email set to auto-archive newsletters so I don't even see them on my phone, then I get caught up later on my dedicated reading tablet.
Man is the most invasive, non-native, species that ever roamed the planet. Eons & Eons.
So now this unraveling of humanity enters his domains equipped with a battery powered GPS.
Such allowing a usage and abusage to flourish at exponential levels. US/Mex border free phones?