While at times I miss my old Powerline friends, it was apparent to me that PL lacked customer focus. Changes were rolled out with little explanation, and without due consideration to the reader's experience.
Your post tells me you do care about your readers. Thank You.
I remain both a PL paid subscriber and a paid subscriber here (I am far from wealthy.) I find the two to be quite different in tenor and overall purpose. Unless I have an email from PQ in my inbox first thing in the morning I always go to Powerline first thing. Sometimes even if I have PQ in my inbox. I find what I read here to be a more contemplative read for me, so I come here expecting to have a more concentrated reading experience. If that doesn't make sense, not to worry, cuz sometimes only I can understand what I am trying to say.
Since Prof Hayward stopped posting there, PL hasn't been as good. Others can have their own opinion. but I chose to not be a subscriber there as I felt the value wasn't great. Plus, I was really put off by how they informed the commentariat that they were turning off comments (unless you pay). Even the beloved Ammo Grrrll wasn't aware beforehand.
I'm glad you're keeping both available to you, and your writing makes perfect sense to me.
I, too, miss the commentariat at PL and agree to your comment about a lack of "customer" focus there. When I read the title, and subtitle, of this article, I had a brief moment of concern. It was reminiscent of the method that Hinderaker used to announce the new comment policy on PL. The suddenness and callousness of that announcement was a large part of why I chose to leave PL.
I was happy to have concern appeased as I read Steve's words. I have yet to become a paid supporter here, but I'm at least considering it and don't feel as if Steve is likely to try to drive me off if I choose to continue without doing so.
Steve, I've subscribed to PL for 10 years, and will continue to. But I have been fortunately following you since you've gone on your own with substack (honestly, how do you have the time?)
You deserve to be compensated and I have loved the free ride for a year.
Your annual is doable and I'll happily send along.
With $ to the Free Press,
I'm pretty well informed. Living in the most blue state is very lonely.
Again. The swag store is to swag what Kmart was to fine home furnishings. We want, nay we need, a John Yoo coffee cup with a picture of John’s eating a McRib. It’s not only a unique keepsake, it will put to rest the Natural Law/Positive law debate once and for all. So, the masses await.
This is one of my daily stops on the Internet now.
And Steve, Speaking as a Founder Member, when is the Founder Member's Dinner, Where, and How much will it cost to drink whisky and eat McRibs with you, Linda, and Jon?
I'll subscribe when my replacement credit card gets here. Got hacked Monday morning at 1205am with a fraudulent charge. Because I check everything every day I caught it before they had a chance to run wild. Cancelled that card and waiting on the replacement.
Anthony Hates Mayo is now much funnier than Dave Barry, whose latest book (Class Clown) My Lovely Bride presented to me on my birthday--the book is a bit of a snoozer and Barry freely admits in it that he despises Donald Trump. I thought I'd get a few laughs (they were very few and very far between) but I didn't expect that Barry had become something of a lefty-scold. This book, like his previous effort (Swamp Story) was a disappointment--no more Dave Barry books for me. So, bring on AHM!
The Substack subscription model is flawed. If I subscribe to a traditional news/opinion outlet, a "pivoted" newspaper for example, I get access to tons of content every day. A typical Substack is a little cheaper, but only a few per cent of the content. Yes, Substack content is better aligned with what I find interesting. But what if I want to subscribe to ten Substacks? Substack should experiment with a bundle model.
Yes, I have been advocating that too, but keep in mind that Substack is a VC-backed enterprise, meant to be sold someday to a deep-pocketed media outlet, and I think they think a package deal will not maximize revenue.
Maybe you should watch MST3K and the entire Ed Wood oeuvre to refresh your skill set. Like lawyering, you need ongoing education credits to keep your artistic license to kill.
I would expound on the top two reasons for Ms. Sweeney’s success, but “So far, there have been no trolls or bad actors”, so I shall refrain from breaking that streak
Great work! Keep it up, please.
I have been happy to support you, and here's why.
While at times I miss my old Powerline friends, it was apparent to me that PL lacked customer focus. Changes were rolled out with little explanation, and without due consideration to the reader's experience.
Your post tells me you do care about your readers. Thank You.
I remain both a PL paid subscriber and a paid subscriber here (I am far from wealthy.) I find the two to be quite different in tenor and overall purpose. Unless I have an email from PQ in my inbox first thing in the morning I always go to Powerline first thing. Sometimes even if I have PQ in my inbox. I find what I read here to be a more contemplative read for me, so I come here expecting to have a more concentrated reading experience. If that doesn't make sense, not to worry, cuz sometimes only I can understand what I am trying to say.
Sometimes even I can't understand what I'm trying to say.
Does that make me a Democrat?
Since Prof Hayward stopped posting there, PL hasn't been as good. Others can have their own opinion. but I chose to not be a subscriber there as I felt the value wasn't great. Plus, I was really put off by how they informed the commentariat that they were turning off comments (unless you pay). Even the beloved Ammo Grrrll wasn't aware beforehand.
I'm glad you're keeping both available to you, and your writing makes perfect sense to me.
I, too, miss the commentariat at PL and agree to your comment about a lack of "customer" focus there. When I read the title, and subtitle, of this article, I had a brief moment of concern. It was reminiscent of the method that Hinderaker used to announce the new comment policy on PL. The suddenness and callousness of that announcement was a large part of why I chose to leave PL.
I was happy to have concern appeased as I read Steve's words. I have yet to become a paid supporter here, but I'm at least considering it and don't feel as if Steve is likely to try to drive me off if I choose to continue without doing so.
"callousness" is an apt descriptor of what happened at PL, and is at least part of why I chose to not subscribe there.
It was a shift for me to be a paid subscriber, but the value at PQ is high given the time I spend here. The articles are informative and well written.
Steve, I've subscribed to PL for 10 years, and will continue to. But I have been fortunately following you since you've gone on your own with substack (honestly, how do you have the time?)
You deserve to be compensated and I have loved the free ride for a year.
Your annual is doable and I'll happily send along.
With $ to the Free Press,
I'm pretty well informed. Living in the most blue state is very lonely.
Cheryl Dowdell
Charlestown by the Sea, RI
Thanks for everything!
Cheryl Dowdell
Shirley Hawaii is the most blue state. it's mostly water, and "blue water" ocean at that. It's also insanely Democrat.
I promise to not call you Shirley any more Cheryl. It's my cousin who lived in Hawaii who's named Shirley.
Thank you right back.
It's been worth every penny, Steve.
Anthony Lucido is a find. That's among your columns and Max Cossack's column's. Now if I only had some discretionary income.
Don't sweat it. As someone once said, "From each according to his means, to each. . ." Wait a minute. Oh. Never mind. But cheers to you!
Again. The swag store is to swag what Kmart was to fine home furnishings. We want, nay we need, a John Yoo coffee cup with a picture of John’s eating a McRib. It’s not only a unique keepsake, it will put to rest the Natural Law/Positive law debate once and for all. So, the masses await.
We're working on it!
This is one of my daily stops on the Internet now.
And Steve, Speaking as a Founder Member, when is the Founder Member's Dinner, Where, and How much will it cost to drink whisky and eat McRibs with you, Linda, and Jon?
Good on you, Professor Hayward!
I'll subscribe when my replacement credit card gets here. Got hacked Monday morning at 1205am with a fraudulent charge. Because I check everything every day I caught it before they had a chance to run wild. Cancelled that card and waiting on the replacement.
Good! I try to check every day, but only from home.
I'm 100% retired so it's my morning routine.
#Metoo, Michael.
Having online banking is a great boon.
Anthony Hates Mayo is now much funnier than Dave Barry, whose latest book (Class Clown) My Lovely Bride presented to me on my birthday--the book is a bit of a snoozer and Barry freely admits in it that he despises Donald Trump. I thought I'd get a few laughs (they were very few and very far between) but I didn't expect that Barry had become something of a lefty-scold. This book, like his previous effort (Swamp Story) was a disappointment--no more Dave Barry books for me. So, bring on AHM!
Susan had the same reaction, which is why I haven't read it or several previous novels.
"Unfortunately the Substack comment format does not enable commenters to post up memes or photos. "
The not very pleasing workaround for this is to post the meme as a note and the link to the note in a comment
e.g. https://substack.com/profile/13379579-francis-turner/note/c-145252677
Thanks for the idea! 👍
I thought, Oh No, Steve's gone pay to play too! Whew!
The Substack subscription model is flawed. If I subscribe to a traditional news/opinion outlet, a "pivoted" newspaper for example, I get access to tons of content every day. A typical Substack is a little cheaper, but only a few per cent of the content. Yes, Substack content is better aligned with what I find interesting. But what if I want to subscribe to ten Substacks? Substack should experiment with a bundle model.
You'll be amazed to learn that substack has been asked to do this repeatedly by many, and hasn't.
Yes, I have been advocating that too, but keep in mind that Substack is a VC-backed enterprise, meant to be sold someday to a deep-pocketed media outlet, and I think they think a package deal will not maximize revenue.
Substack seems to be trying pretty hard to minimize revenue.
"So far, there have been no trolls or bad actors,"
Clearly I need to step up my game.
It is disappointing not to be considered a "bad actor" commentator. I try so hard!
Maybe you should watch MST3K and the entire Ed Wood oeuvre to refresh your skill set. Like lawyering, you need ongoing education credits to keep your artistic license to kill.
Don't give up--I'm sure you've got what it takes.
Now, where did I misplace the latest Sydney Sweeney meme
Who?
I would expound on the top two reasons for Ms. Sweeney’s success, but “So far, there have been no trolls or bad actors”, so I shall refrain from breaking that streak
Well played!
https://stevehayward.substack.com/p/still-swooning-for-sweeney
She's a buxom young woman who's under fire for an American Eagle ad campaign that the leftists are comparing to Nazism.
OMG A Comely Young Woman Advertising Something! I'm Soooo Shocked!