on Ranting
I’ve been on Substack for years. Early adopter. It worked—simple, flexible, fine. But lately, the relentless “content creator” messaging has been sucking the joy out of writing. They want empire-building. I want to talk to my friends.
Let’s be clear: I’m not building a media empire, launching a podcast network, or positioning myself for acquisition. I’m just writing stuff down and sharing it with people who might care.
I appreciate the paid subscribers. Not for the money—though it’s nice—but because it means you want to read more. Still, Substack’s minimum feels high. Remember Slashdot? You paid a twentieth of a penny per pageview. Five bucks, ten thousand views. That model would net me about a quarter of what I make now, but it fits what I’m actually trying to do here.
I want to stay in touch. I don’t want to spend the first ten minutes of every conversation catching people up. That’s what this is for. Richard’s Rants isn’t about fitting into anyone’s business strategy.
This isn’t a rage quit or a cancellation piece. Substack filled a real need, and I’m grateful. But they’ve caught late-stage capitalism brain—growth at all costs, humanity optional. I’m too old and too stubborn to chase that dream. Like my knees and skiing, some ships have sailed.
But relax—I’m not asking you to do anything.
Here’s what happens next. You do nothing:
Paid subscribers: You’ll get emails from rdewald@rdewald.com instead. I’ll add a tip jar on the site if you want to keep supporting. Keep your Substack sub if you want—no judgment.
Free subscribers: Want rants delivered? Email me at rdewald@rdewald.com.
Substack stays open: Monthly “Rant Rollup” post with links to new posts at RDeWald.com with links.
That’s it. Keep reading.
Thanks for being here.