Disconnect is back on Ghost!
Yes, that’s right. After a 9-month experiment of going back on Substack, I simply couldn’t stomach being on that Nazi-infested platform any longer and came back to the friendly terrain I was used to. You’ll notice the website has a fresh coat of paint and I’m excited for what this next chapter of Disconnect will bring.
If you’re not signed up already, make sure to join us to get my critical analysis of the tech industry and all the companies shaping our lives (too often for the worse). I can only do this because of the support of readers, so if you appreciate my work, picking up a paid subscription makes a big difference.
Some of you might be asking: Why are you back on Ghost? I thought the platform wasn’t working for you! You’re right to ask. Let’s get into it.
In all honesty, I think I got it wrong. I was banking on the benefits of the Substack network being like they were several years ago, but after arriving back on its shores I found things had changed. The newsletter certainly got a boost and grew quicker than it did on Ghost, but not enough to justify the trade off of supporting such an abhorrent company (and handing them a 10% cut for the privilege).
Several months ago, I’d already decided I would move back to Ghost but figured I’d wait until the new year since I was about to start writing a book and wanted to get some other things in place first. But then Substack promoted a Nazi publication through push notifications at the end of July, and I knew I couldn’t delay the move for another six months. I carved out some time — which basically meant pulling some very late nights — to move up my timeline.
It probably came at a good time too, because there are troubling signs Substack is trying to limit what was once one of its biggest selling points: that writers could always take their subscribers and move wherever they wanted. I’m not a fan of the “enshittification” concept, but you can clearly see that pressure to turn a profit eroding what made it great. Instead of focusing on publishing tools, it’s trying to become a platform that’s hard to leave (a criticism I’d level of Patreon too).
The choice to return to Ghost instead of another platform was a pretty easy one after that. Having already used it, I knew the tradeoffs and what hurdles I would have to overcome to make it work better for me this time around. I haven’t done it yet because my focus was on simply getting off Substack, but I’ll be signing up for Outpost to get some useful features Ghost itself is lacking and that I believe will improve the user experience and make the business side of things more sustainable.
Regular readers will also know I’ve been trying to sever my relationships with US tech companies wherever possible. I have a whole guide on it! All the other major options in this space are based in the United States, but Ghost is registered in Singapore and most of its operations are out of the UK, so it easily checked that box. Plus, the team at Ghost is great. I’ve always found them really approachable, helpful, and open to feedback. They were more than happy to welcome me back when I reached out and made the process of migrating Disconnect incredibly easy.
At this point, the basics of the new website are up and running. I’ll be tweaking some things over the next few weeks as I carve out the time to do it, but all the main functionality is there. I do have some bigger plans for the new year, once the book is done and I can actually dedicate more time to Disconnect, but you’ll have to stay tuned for those.
Until then, welcome to the new Disconnect! You’ll continue to get the incisive tech analysis you’ve always expected from me, with an even greater focus on geopolitics in recent months given how Donald Trump has shaken up world affairs. Plus, I’ve been trying to write some more blog-like posts for paid subscribers to give more insight into my personal thoughts and what I’ve been up to. If you’re not a member already, it’s a great time to join us!
Some housekeeping
If you’re a paid subscriber, you can access your subscription by hitting the “sign in” button in the top right of the page. There are no passwords — you’ll simply get a code sent to your inbox.
For those of you using the RSS feed, it may take a little while to update in your feed reader or you might have to re-add it. (Mine already seems to be working fine over on Inoreader.) Right now, paid posts will be cut off in the regular RSS feed, but I’m going to look into making a separate feed for paid subscribers that will fix that.
If you have any issues after the move, get in touch and I can sort them out.
Member discussion