Hey, it's like JoeBlogs Twitter!
Hey, it's like JoeBlogs Twitter!
Elon Musk isn't the only guy who can run a Social Media company
OK, Substack is starting this new feature, and I’m dying to see how it will work. I don’t want to get into my feelings about Twitter and Instagram and TikTok and the rest, but let’s just say I’d prefer engaging with you here to wandering through those social media landmine fields.
So, today — as part of a brand new Substack feature — I’m announcing something pretty cool, I think: The JoeBlogs subscriber chat!
So what is the JoeBlogs subscriber chat? Well, I don’t think this is exactly how Substack would want me describing it but … it’s kind of like Twitter, but just for us (A Fitter Twitter!).
We’re the only ones on there. I’ll send out Tweet-and-Instagram-like things on there — short messages, some photos, jokes, half-baked opinions, interesting facts, trivia questions, whatever — and you can see them, respond to them, throw your own ideas out there, maybe laugh, maybe yell, I mean, it’s all up to you.
I’m going to try it out tonight for World Series Game 3, so would love to have you check it out.
So, now the question is: How do you check it out? Well, here’s the deal: Chat, as of right now, is exclusively on the Substack app for iPhones. I’m told that VERY soon it will be on the Substack app for Android too. And then later, it might come to the web.
But for now, it will be over at the iPhone Substack app. Check it out. And the Substack folks tell me to remind you to “turn on push notifications so you don’t miss a chance to join the conversation as it happens.”
Now here’s Substack to explain the nitty-gritty details of how to log on. Hope to see you tonight!
How to get started
Download the app by clicking this link or the button below. Chat is only on iOS for now, but chat is coming to the Android app soon.
Open the app and tap the Chat icon. It looks like two bubbles in the bottom bar, and you’ll see a row for my chat inside.
That’s it! Jump into my thread to say hi, and if you have any issues, check out Substack’s FAQ.
I’ve already started my first chat thread so come on over and say hello!
Who are the men in that picture? I know who Joe is, and the guy in the middle is an HVAC repairman named Matt who comes to my job when there is a problem. But I do not know who the guy on the end is, and is my HVAC guy really a friend of Joe? Or what?
For real, who are those guys?
I see the advantage for an EVENT, but it also means that I would really only be paying attention to this community.
In fact, twitter works because/when that's where the people -- plural -- that I am interested in hearing from are. That's where my edunews is. That's where my sports news is. that's where my politics news is. That's where my policy/research stuff is. That's where the various things that I have curated myself all are collected.
As Ray Charbonneau said four hours ago, this divides our attention, rather than coming to our attention.
So, if Musk actually starts doing stuff that makes twitter much worse, I think everyone should consider leaving. But being proactive like this? you're costing me too much, Joe.