Like call what you want but be consistent

Ahhh what a prompt response - thanks for the invite!

I've also never joined a discord before (I feel like I'm barging into someone's living room) but at this point I'll try anything

The thing is, I want this project to be brilliant, but even more, I just need a trunk novel. I need to do it to build the muscle and relearn the instinct I lost

why can't they just work together? she can push forward and keep us progressive, and he can communicate those ideas in a compelling way to audiences who are not necessarily open to it. seems like a great combo to me

Is there a bsky community for freelancers who need to shoot the shit throughout the day? There should be.

Long run this will probably help me bc without instantaneous communication I have to be super organized. But it's also super weird.

Anyway, if anyone sees this and yearns for the days of RSS readers and thriving comment sections and indie blogs, hit me up. Because I miss it, and I truly think it could be a path forward.

For me, I think this means I'll try and spin my blog out from purely writing-focused and add more verticals, censor myself less, post more. But it's hard. It feels like operating in a vacuum. Then again, I'm posting to the void here, too, so what's the difference?

I know I sound like I'm from the stone age, but these are all examples of media that is at least somewhat detangled from the agendas of mega-rich, corporate-owned platforms. It's more work. It requires more effort. More fact interrogation and fact checking. More deliberate audience building.

I really think that, if we want to maintain authentic, independent thought, outside the control of algorithms and billionaire agendas, we need to step outside social media. I'm talking personal blogs (on your own domain). RSS readers. Independent lit mags. Hell, bring back zines!

And second, on a more personal level, WE shouldn't depend on platforms owned by others to distribute information, hold discussions, and communicate. And honestly, I'm not sure social media as we know it is really the answer at all. Even BlueSky, if I'm being honest.

For me, this means two things. First, as someone who works in web content and digital marketing, the fall of Twitter and the TikTok fiasco proves that we can't depend on platforms we don't own. At any time, someone could scoop it up and drive it to ruin, and you can kiss goodbye to your audience.

So, circling back, it was never about China. It's not that they don't want CHINA to exert influence using your data. It's that, if anyone is going to own your data and influence you, THEY want to do it themselves. And I know how tin-hat this sounds, but stick with me.

That gives the powerful a great deal of control over the conversations we have and the content that shapes our opinions. Their editorial guidelines shape the news as it is reported. Their algorithms decide what commentary we see.