Rice: "What I think could have changed is either “someone” is seeking to sabotage the growth and popularity of “freedom” Substack authors and/or Substack readers, for whatever reason..."
All platforms are suspect. The fact is that they need Bill Rice and of course you Dr. Paul. Progressives go to MSM for their talking points; Conservatives actually read and study, and Substack is an efficient tool for that. We can always go back to podcasts if they continue censoring Conservative and Libertarian writers.
Paul, I subscribe to Bill Rice's stack as a free subscriber. I'm not sure when I first signed up, but not that many months ago.
I do not publish my own stack, but I follow many in the "truth" movement, and I am an active commenter, and a re-stacker. I am surprised that from time to time someone "subscribes" to me, even though I do not write a separate stack.
I first discovered Substack from articles that were shared on TwiX accounts I followed, back in 2020/2021 or so. I began to subscribe to some, and when I did Substack would suggest several similar stacks I may be interested in. That is how I have come to subscribe to most.
In November 2022, just days before the election, I was banned from TwiX for no legitimate reason, so now Substack is my go to source for the content I read and share.
Just thought these observations may be of interest to you and Bill.
I have a very bad feeling..that Canada has closed to the world! Like CHyna did for a century! Why? Also..why are there CCP police stations across Canada and why are they training PLA soldiers? Does anyone have any info. This is disturbing. My kids at home there can’t get any news only Pravda CBC it’s scary! 🙏🏽
"I am surprised that from time to time someone "subscribes" to me, even though I do not write a separate stack."
I call them compulsive subscribers. You say something they like and they subscribe without looking, then forget all about you when it's on to the next big thing. Nothing unusual really. I get them all the time.
I haven't even looked at 'notes' much less used them. Too much like Twitter for my tastes. I engage people in the comments - theirs, mine or like here, whichever is most appropriate. Those I always read and respond to if I have something meaningful to add. If not, I hit the like button which at least lets them know I've read them.
I dont write either, but some "subscribe" to me. My guess is it allows them to see my comments i post on articles more easily, since when I do post comments, I see similar people all the time liking them. So maybe they like my take on something and figure this guy is worth checking out when he says something.
I'm getting message that their computers have terrible problems I'm also seeing number of sub's bounce up and down in the 500 levels on a daily basis, another note is that new posts are not showing up on the 'inbox' they only way subs get my new posts is by emails; Which is problematic cuz then gmail knows that your a 'conspiracy' subscriber, at the very least when you sign up for substack
NEVER USE a gmail address, keep google out of your life
It really seems that something is odd
But if you have been around long enough to know their software always sucked
They have also taken in a lot of new users, I'm seeing ZH refer to almost all authors now saying "IF you want to see full post go to xxx.substack.com, which is great for substack, but terrible the users, cuz they can't keep up with the growth;
With regards to the numbers this is why you can't take any of it personal or even permanent this thing could vanish tomorrow the subs, and likes, and comments here don't mean shit, its still yelling into an empty forest, or shitting in a black box;
I did see the other day that substack subscriber revenue is growing exponentially and now at 2 million paid, subs figure that at $150 USD/mon and they get 1/2, they must have plenty of cash for people to maintain their software and host their servers
Thanks for highlighting this article, Paul. I just got an email from a free subscriber who said my article comes across as a "Pity Party." I can see that take, and, yes, I would be pissed off to learn if some of these former CIA media consultants and "Virality Project" managers are working some of their dirty tricks to throttle what's really my only business.
But the bigger picture issue is the continued viability as Substack as the most-prominent platform for INDEPENDENT writers to challenge the BS propaganda being put out by the mainstream media stenographers.
If "they" capture or even throttle Substack, the Bad Guys have scored a significant victory in what's really a war between the Truth and Lies.
Thanks for any feedback anyone can offer. Another point, of course, is that Substack readers might just be suffering "Covid fatigue" and are over-saturated with Substack subscriptions. But if fewer people are now supporting Substack authors, for whatever reason, than they once did .... that's not a good trend for our side IMO.
Yes..I have posted several times that SS on my end has become very slow to load..and then have to wait a couple of minutes to get to scroll thru! It is frustrating. Also..my replies are not showing up?
Something had changed.
So many new sites and they immediately request you subscribe and won’t let you read article?
Who has the money to subscribe to all?
I appreciate those sites that keep the option of free read and subscribe if you want. Like Dr. Alexander has always done!
Yes. It’s sabotage from email providers and the government. It’s not just Substack. It’s all over.
I get my Substack and news site notifications/articles through yahoo email.
Approximately two months ago the notifications for when someone comments or likes my comments has been cut approximately 50%!!!!
This is the same time frame that all notifications and controversial news sites take longer to load in my email to read!!! It’s like they are longer to load to discourage reading.
Ever since I have being reading articles…. In the middle of reading 3 Canadian articles from different authors the email was removed right before my eyes. 2 were removed in the middle of reading. I had to go to the app to find the articles. They were scrubbed from my phone!!!! All articles were related to Trudeau and his scandals. It seems Canadian, UK, EU, Australia, substack authors have the most issues.
Tonight I was on Conservative Treehouse typing a comment. Pressed to post. And POOF. Gone! Immediately gone! I had to retype and posted without issue.
If I’m the only one experiencing it then I’m on some kind of censorship list. Lmao. I’m just an old grandma. Lol. I feel special I guess. Lol. Sad that thoughts and reading and speech make me a threat to the Marxists. It nuts.
The last interference and deterrence is the government putting a bunch of lunatics on here commenting and posting. Some favourite authors turned into limited hangouts or trump bashing any chance they get. Ludicrous ideas are posted to mock/embarrass/lure anti vaxxers, freedom lovers, etc. Some of the garbage and games deters usage.
And finally the lunatic/government commenters also deter people from participating. Free speech is ruined also when the racial hate is posted. I swear it’s paid government assets mostly doing it to scare people away. Especially women.
So yes. Censorship, psych games, and intimidation is being used for sure.
Certain authors, anrticles, and comments from certain people get sent to the “ junk “ email box from yahoo. So they censor that way too.
Different countries have different censorship laws. So maybe that’s some of the issues? If so…. Substack should address this to let us know. How are they getting around the new censorship laws in other countries?
I have exactely the same issues the last couple of months. I am in UK so when I try to send posts to Canada it won’t send it? Canada is totally censored. My kids there say they can’t get any news..esp about JT. This is appalling! I get my SS on my front page of phone as a tag.. I don’t go from email very much.. But my replies have dwindled also..
I used to follow the British and Australia news sites on Facebook and they stopped posting anything except the occasional article This started last year. I signed up for their email newsletters but none arrived too.
Oooooooh. I forgot to mention…. American sites will censor too. Well actually the government.
The gateway pundit news site published last year (?) the J6 video of the woman getting beaten repeatedly in the tunnels. The government handlers shut my phone off as I started watching it!!!!!! Prior to this months earlier I went to GAB to read an article and that was the first time they shut my phone off!!!!
I always have new iPhones. The second time was not a coincidence!!!!
So yeah. They use lots of tricks. Often news stories about trump are sent directly to my email junk/spam filter. That started after J6.
I guess I need a new email provider. I have nothing to hide so I haven’t bothered. Yet. Lol.
There is an underlying issue that nobody can do a damn thing about and that’s an unassuming building in the middle of nothing (Utah) that every email, text, tweet, fish bubble, smoke signal , etc. passes through and a copy is made. This was assembled around the 9/11 crisis and we never ended the info gathering exercise. Every cell phone call, text, picture passes through this building and a copy is made. There was a little bitching in the beginning, but Monday rolled around and we all had to go back to work. Our game of I SPY had to be put on hold until next time. Oh, the building kept right on recording everything 24/7. It is still going strong. So remember folks, no matter your mode of communication, there is a copy being made. You know, in case you lose your copy.
These glitches you speak of are probably, more times than not, an Utah campfire song gone rogue…..
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There is no one answer, but here are a few to consider too.
1. People who read substacks are a minority of news/opinion seekers. Even the great Rush Limbaugh, for a show only requiring listening and not reading, couldn't crack 10% of the country. Substack readers are more like old newspaper readers. It takes time to read an article. Reading is an active, not passive activity.
2. New subscriber rates will slow down, especially for the "minor" writers. Face facts, people only have X amount of time in a day to read. And people who have been on substack reading articles for years are getting saturated with content. Think about it, back in the day, how many people subscribed to all of these: Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report, the Economist. Very few. So people will self-curate to the best.
3. And people will self curate to the best of a particular poster. To use Dr. Paul as an example, he puts out a LOT of content a day. I do not think the open rate will be the same for each. I imagine people do what I do and scan the subject line to see if they want to spend time reading. I already know the jabs are garbage. So at this time I dont open emails like that. I know that I can just come to Dr. Paul's substack and do a search on a key word to find current posts on that topic. Same with some other topics. [Border, etc.] Only so much time in the day.
4. Dr. Paul is generous in linking to other substacks, so I dont have to subscribe to those other ones, like Sage, Lioness of Judah, etc. I can just click on a link from his post to read it if the topic is interesting and seems enough differentiated from the others I've read on the subject.
5. Jeff Childers of "Coffee and Covid" does it well, in keeping to once a day, mixing in some light heartedness, and a picture or two.
So think of substack, from a readers standpoint, as a newspaper. Only so much time to read, so the articles that have the highest perceived value will be read. With people like Childers, Dr Wolf, the Breggins, Karen Kingston, that is a lot of daily reading. Then toss on Dr Paul who can send 6-12 substacks a day out, and it will be hard for the average person who works to consume all of it, let alone for that person to be adding more writers. To me, that explains the slowing of growth. Once a reader sizes up a a substack writer, he will categorize him as a "must read daily", a "let me subscribe and read just the things that pop out to me", and in the case of Robert Malone "let me subscribe so that I know what psyop he is pushing next to avoid accountability for his jab complicity" but I rarely open his emails, just reading the subject line.
Maybe substack is censoring a bit, who knows, but the time factor is a bigger real life situation in my opinion.
I read Bill’s stack. I think he may be making a common marketing mistake: He seems to mistakenly assume that every person on the world is equally likely to subscribe to his Substack. I think he’s simply reaching the limit of the market for his column — he’s filling his niche and, naturally, growth is going to slow at that point. And, with more and more writers, he faces increasing competition for reading time. I get lots of Substack emails — too many to allow me to read them all. If the subject line of an email doesn’t grab me, I delete it without opening it. If I get 30 or 40 emails on, say, the “New Zealand data”, I will probably read only one or two unless someone whom I particularly respect weighs in, or the subject line sounds like it might bring some new insight. But I’m not going to read 40 emails that all say pretty much the same thing — my days are too short for that.
If you need a baseline for what to expect from Substack I'm probably your guy. Why? Because my channel is free and I've made absolutely no effort to promote it, in fact I revel in my obscurity.
So, after 1 year I have 67 subscribers, most of whom found me via a comment I made on some other channel (I get around). Out of that number 20 are active, going by 3 stars or more in the activity column. 1 or 2 stars are those who've bailed, so I don't count them.
What that means is that 47 people get my emails that don't click through to my channel. I doubt they're being blocked, I just think they're compulsive subscribers. I said something they liked somewhere and they subscribed, hoping to hear more of the same, were disappointed, and just wandered off. I base this on my observation that some Substack authors have a list of over 100 authors they read. Seriously? You can do all that reading and still have time to write something on your own channel? Impressive.
I'm guessing this 3 to 1 ratio hold across all channels, regardless of content. I've done it myself - subscribed to someone then not read them because I'm either too busy, or I'm already familiar with the content, and reposts I almost always ignore.
All platforms are suspect. The fact is that they need Bill Rice and of course you Dr. Paul. Progressives go to MSM for their talking points; Conservatives actually read and study, and Substack is an efficient tool for that. We can always go back to podcasts if they continue censoring Conservative and Libertarian writers.
grateful
Paul, I subscribe to Bill Rice's stack as a free subscriber. I'm not sure when I first signed up, but not that many months ago.
I do not publish my own stack, but I follow many in the "truth" movement, and I am an active commenter, and a re-stacker. I am surprised that from time to time someone "subscribes" to me, even though I do not write a separate stack.
I first discovered Substack from articles that were shared on TwiX accounts I followed, back in 2020/2021 or so. I began to subscribe to some, and when I did Substack would suggest several similar stacks I may be interested in. That is how I have come to subscribe to most.
In November 2022, just days before the election, I was banned from TwiX for no legitimate reason, so now Substack is my go to source for the content I read and share.
Just thought these observations may be of interest to you and Bill.
great info...grateful
I have a very bad feeling..that Canada has closed to the world! Like CHyna did for a century! Why? Also..why are there CCP police stations across Canada and why are they training PLA soldiers? Does anyone have any info. This is disturbing. My kids at home there can’t get any news only Pravda CBC it’s scary! 🙏🏽
"I am surprised that from time to time someone "subscribes" to me, even though I do not write a separate stack."
I call them compulsive subscribers. You say something they like and they subscribe without looking, then forget all about you when it's on to the next big thing. Nothing unusual really. I get them all the time.
I wonder, do they get the comments that I add to my "notes"?
I haven't even looked at 'notes' much less used them. Too much like Twitter for my tastes. I engage people in the comments - theirs, mine or like here, whichever is most appropriate. Those I always read and respond to if I have something meaningful to add. If not, I hit the like button which at least lets them know I've read them.
I dont write either, but some "subscribe" to me. My guess is it allows them to see my comments i post on articles more easily, since when I do post comments, I see similar people all the time liking them. So maybe they like my take on something and figure this guy is worth checking out when he says something.
I'm getting message that their computers have terrible problems I'm also seeing number of sub's bounce up and down in the 500 levels on a daily basis, another note is that new posts are not showing up on the 'inbox' they only way subs get my new posts is by emails; Which is problematic cuz then gmail knows that your a 'conspiracy' subscriber, at the very least when you sign up for substack
NEVER USE a gmail address, keep google out of your life
It really seems that something is odd
But if you have been around long enough to know their software always sucked
They have also taken in a lot of new users, I'm seeing ZH refer to almost all authors now saying "IF you want to see full post go to xxx.substack.com, which is great for substack, but terrible the users, cuz they can't keep up with the growth;
With regards to the numbers this is why you can't take any of it personal or even permanent this thing could vanish tomorrow the subs, and likes, and comments here don't mean shit, its still yelling into an empty forest, or shitting in a black box;
thank you for alerting us
I don't beg for jew-bucks on substack, but I can only imagine if they're numbers are jumping all over the places so is their payment system
The zog jeebuz lord works in strange ways;
I did see the other day that substack subscriber revenue is growing exponentially and now at 2 million paid, subs figure that at $150 USD/mon and they get 1/2, they must have plenty of cash for people to maintain their software and host their servers
Thanks for highlighting this article, Paul. I just got an email from a free subscriber who said my article comes across as a "Pity Party." I can see that take, and, yes, I would be pissed off to learn if some of these former CIA media consultants and "Virality Project" managers are working some of their dirty tricks to throttle what's really my only business.
But the bigger picture issue is the continued viability as Substack as the most-prominent platform for INDEPENDENT writers to challenge the BS propaganda being put out by the mainstream media stenographers.
If "they" capture or even throttle Substack, the Bad Guys have scored a significant victory in what's really a war between the Truth and Lies.
Thanks for any feedback anyone can offer. Another point, of course, is that Substack readers might just be suffering "Covid fatigue" and are over-saturated with Substack subscriptions. But if fewer people are now supporting Substack authors, for whatever reason, than they once did .... that's not a good trend for our side IMO.
Yes..I have posted several times that SS on my end has become very slow to load..and then have to wait a couple of minutes to get to scroll thru! It is frustrating. Also..my replies are not showing up?
Something had changed.
So many new sites and they immediately request you subscribe and won’t let you read article?
Who has the money to subscribe to all?
I appreciate those sites that keep the option of free read and subscribe if you want. Like Dr. Alexander has always done!
Yes. It’s sabotage from email providers and the government. It’s not just Substack. It’s all over.
I get my Substack and news site notifications/articles through yahoo email.
Approximately two months ago the notifications for when someone comments or likes my comments has been cut approximately 50%!!!!
This is the same time frame that all notifications and controversial news sites take longer to load in my email to read!!! It’s like they are longer to load to discourage reading.
Ever since I have being reading articles…. In the middle of reading 3 Canadian articles from different authors the email was removed right before my eyes. 2 were removed in the middle of reading. I had to go to the app to find the articles. They were scrubbed from my phone!!!! All articles were related to Trudeau and his scandals. It seems Canadian, UK, EU, Australia, substack authors have the most issues.
Tonight I was on Conservative Treehouse typing a comment. Pressed to post. And POOF. Gone! Immediately gone! I had to retype and posted without issue.
If I’m the only one experiencing it then I’m on some kind of censorship list. Lmao. I’m just an old grandma. Lol. I feel special I guess. Lol. Sad that thoughts and reading and speech make me a threat to the Marxists. It nuts.
The last interference and deterrence is the government putting a bunch of lunatics on here commenting and posting. Some favourite authors turned into limited hangouts or trump bashing any chance they get. Ludicrous ideas are posted to mock/embarrass/lure anti vaxxers, freedom lovers, etc. Some of the garbage and games deters usage.
And finally the lunatic/government commenters also deter people from participating. Free speech is ruined also when the racial hate is posted. I swear it’s paid government assets mostly doing it to scare people away. Especially women.
So yes. Censorship, psych games, and intimidation is being used for sure.
thank you, very good input from all
Sorry. Forgot to mention….
Certain authors, anrticles, and comments from certain people get sent to the “ junk “ email box from yahoo. So they censor that way too.
Different countries have different censorship laws. So maybe that’s some of the issues? If so…. Substack should address this to let us know. How are they getting around the new censorship laws in other countries?
True..I have tried sending articles from SS to Canada!
It won’t let me..I usually send thru WhatsApp so maybe they are censored? Poor Canada..not getting news!
Hear..hear..
I have exactely the same issues the last couple of months. I am in UK so when I try to send posts to Canada it won’t send it? Canada is totally censored. My kids there say they can’t get any news..esp about JT. This is appalling! I get my SS on my front page of phone as a tag.. I don’t go from email very much.. But my replies have dwindled also..
I will persevere b/c SS is still the Best..🙏🏽
Interesting.
I used to follow the British and Australia news sites on Facebook and they stopped posting anything except the occasional article This started last year. I signed up for their email newsletters but none arrived too.
Oooooooh. I forgot to mention…. American sites will censor too. Well actually the government.
The gateway pundit news site published last year (?) the J6 video of the woman getting beaten repeatedly in the tunnels. The government handlers shut my phone off as I started watching it!!!!!! Prior to this months earlier I went to GAB to read an article and that was the first time they shut my phone off!!!!
I always have new iPhones. The second time was not a coincidence!!!!
So yeah. They use lots of tricks. Often news stories about trump are sent directly to my email junk/spam filter. That started after J6.
I guess I need a new email provider. I have nothing to hide so I haven’t bothered. Yet. Lol.
There is an underlying issue that nobody can do a damn thing about and that’s an unassuming building in the middle of nothing (Utah) that every email, text, tweet, fish bubble, smoke signal , etc. passes through and a copy is made. This was assembled around the 9/11 crisis and we never ended the info gathering exercise. Every cell phone call, text, picture passes through this building and a copy is made. There was a little bitching in the beginning, but Monday rolled around and we all had to go back to work. Our game of I SPY had to be put on hold until next time. Oh, the building kept right on recording everything 24/7. It is still going strong. So remember folks, no matter your mode of communication, there is a copy being made. You know, in case you lose your copy.
These glitches you speak of are probably, more times than not, an Utah campfire song gone rogue…..
I absolutely agree with this article!
I have been posting for a while that something ‘fishy’ is going on with SS!
Firstly..it is so slow to open up..then..it stalls when it opens for a couple of minutes!
Very frustrating.. I sometimes don’t want to wait that long and leave..but am determined to stick it out!
I believe in SS..but it’s definitely being manipulated by some entity..
One thing I find annoying is opening a post and have a paywall appear right away.
If a person subscribes to all sites they would go broke!!
Right now. 20:55 PST - 4:55 UTC:
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make files of wotk
There is no one answer, but here are a few to consider too.
1. People who read substacks are a minority of news/opinion seekers. Even the great Rush Limbaugh, for a show only requiring listening and not reading, couldn't crack 10% of the country. Substack readers are more like old newspaper readers. It takes time to read an article. Reading is an active, not passive activity.
2. New subscriber rates will slow down, especially for the "minor" writers. Face facts, people only have X amount of time in a day to read. And people who have been on substack reading articles for years are getting saturated with content. Think about it, back in the day, how many people subscribed to all of these: Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report, the Economist. Very few. So people will self-curate to the best.
3. And people will self curate to the best of a particular poster. To use Dr. Paul as an example, he puts out a LOT of content a day. I do not think the open rate will be the same for each. I imagine people do what I do and scan the subject line to see if they want to spend time reading. I already know the jabs are garbage. So at this time I dont open emails like that. I know that I can just come to Dr. Paul's substack and do a search on a key word to find current posts on that topic. Same with some other topics. [Border, etc.] Only so much time in the day.
4. Dr. Paul is generous in linking to other substacks, so I dont have to subscribe to those other ones, like Sage, Lioness of Judah, etc. I can just click on a link from his post to read it if the topic is interesting and seems enough differentiated from the others I've read on the subject.
5. Jeff Childers of "Coffee and Covid" does it well, in keeping to once a day, mixing in some light heartedness, and a picture or two.
So think of substack, from a readers standpoint, as a newspaper. Only so much time to read, so the articles that have the highest perceived value will be read. With people like Childers, Dr Wolf, the Breggins, Karen Kingston, that is a lot of daily reading. Then toss on Dr Paul who can send 6-12 substacks a day out, and it will be hard for the average person who works to consume all of it, let alone for that person to be adding more writers. To me, that explains the slowing of growth. Once a reader sizes up a a substack writer, he will categorize him as a "must read daily", a "let me subscribe and read just the things that pop out to me", and in the case of Robert Malone "let me subscribe so that I know what psyop he is pushing next to avoid accountability for his jab complicity" but I rarely open his emails, just reading the subject line.
Maybe substack is censoring a bit, who knows, but the time factor is a bigger real life situation in my opinion.
I read Bill’s stack. I think he may be making a common marketing mistake: He seems to mistakenly assume that every person on the world is equally likely to subscribe to his Substack. I think he’s simply reaching the limit of the market for his column — he’s filling his niche and, naturally, growth is going to slow at that point. And, with more and more writers, he faces increasing competition for reading time. I get lots of Substack emails — too many to allow me to read them all. If the subject line of an email doesn’t grab me, I delete it without opening it. If I get 30 or 40 emails on, say, the “New Zealand data”, I will probably read only one or two unless someone whom I particularly respect weighs in, or the subject line sounds like it might bring some new insight. But I’m not going to read 40 emails that all say pretty much the same thing — my days are too short for that.
Marketing 101 operating here…
If you need a baseline for what to expect from Substack I'm probably your guy. Why? Because my channel is free and I've made absolutely no effort to promote it, in fact I revel in my obscurity.
So, after 1 year I have 67 subscribers, most of whom found me via a comment I made on some other channel (I get around). Out of that number 20 are active, going by 3 stars or more in the activity column. 1 or 2 stars are those who've bailed, so I don't count them.
What that means is that 47 people get my emails that don't click through to my channel. I doubt they're being blocked, I just think they're compulsive subscribers. I said something they liked somewhere and they subscribed, hoping to hear more of the same, were disappointed, and just wandered off. I base this on my observation that some Substack authors have a list of over 100 authors they read. Seriously? You can do all that reading and still have time to write something on your own channel? Impressive.
I'm guessing this 3 to 1 ratio hold across all channels, regardless of content. I've done it myself - subscribed to someone then not read them because I'm either too busy, or I'm already familiar with the content, and reposts I almost always ignore.
hope that helps.
It might be more competition too for the $6 a month.