The SubStack Enshittification Begins

In the latest update to the SubStack dashboard for the writer, when you want to write or do anything you are first eyeball-slammed with a full screen revenue graph.

I literally can’t write or do anything without first being reminded I need to MAXIMIZE REVENUE!!! There’s a handy graph zoomed in to make recent swings look as dramatic as possible. And when I scroll down, there are even more revenue metrics!

This is crass and ugly. It’s not that I don’t care about revenue at all, but I’m here to write to the people who follow me, not to desperately suck cash out of the internet. Thrusting this into my attention so aggressively with no way to alter my dashboard makes me think SubStack is desperate for funds and trying to motivate its writers with cheap psychological tricks.

I held you to a higher standard, SubStack. GTFO with this shit. At least let me move it below the tools I actually care about. Things like what I have in drafts, what my most recent posts were, and what the read rate on those is. This “Always Be Closing” horseshit is beneath you. Especially for a publication as small potatoes as me. Lemme do my typing in peace without trying to hassle me into channeling a few more coins into your pocket.

I hope enough other writers complain that they’ll retaliate by forcing us to buy indulgences for not growing enough YoY — Sloth is a sin. We must repent…