If you want a Superhuman-like interface, that is running in TUI with neovim as a composer and a modern neomutt as a reader, check out neomd [1]. I'm the creator, so I'm biased, but I replaced my previously used HEY email with it. It has a screener and a GTD workflow built in.
Just in case, it works with any SMTP/IMAP setup like Fastmail, or any other. Proton mail works as well but need a little more to setup initially, even gmail (but much slower as the article explains, I noticed that too)
I also tried to convert my "smart" phone to a "dumb" phone with ScreenZen and Minimal apps that show no icons. And it works a little, but it will not fully prevent you from using any social media, still. As the article says, it's hard to overcome. Great to read another way. I am also thinking about GrapheneOS to control more of the apps, to make social media, which are most addictive, less collect data, and maybe turn off after a while. Not sure yet. I wrote about it at https://www.ssp.sh/brain/dumb-phone with the links to apps I mentioned.
Thanks for sharing my notes. Just as information, I just added a new interactive graph linking not only to internal notes, but also to blog posts and book chapters on patterns of data engineering. So the backlinks and interactive graph, after a decade of writing on it, got a new powerful update. Check it out at the end of the note, make sure you use full screen.
For me, it was like this until I discovered the language English. I hated writing when I had to do it in school, "high German", I’m a Swiss. We talk Swiss German, and this is not a written language. So I had to kind of write in a foreign language. But later in life, when I did a mini-retirement in Denmark to learn proper English, all of a sudden I loved reading more, started listening to podcasts, and started writing.
It was through the language of English that I got to love writing and reading (mostly Audible). It was Writing in a Foreign Language again, but this time, it fitted more to my style, also because it’s straight to the point and you have so many of the same words to explain a specific sentence so well. I wrote more at https://www.ssp.sh/brain/writing-in-a-foreign-language just in case of interest.
I loved the open web quote: "The more important thing is that we have a home on the open web that we control, and whatever anti-creator changes Substack is forced to make in the future to live up to its valuation we won't be affected by."
To me, I always said to have your own website and domain. Because platforms come and go. I have experienced it myself with Medium, WordPress, etc. I wrote a little more about "Why I think to Have Your Website" at https://www.ssp.sh/brain/why-have-your-website/ (in case of interest)
This is what they want you to believe, sure, it will help in the short-term. But when switching, losing most of them, and losing your content (if not moved with you), but all the domain ranking, is much bigger. And the real discovery happens on social media or through writing high-quality content that will always be shared or discovered. But all of this applies to blogging, newsletters only, like sending your thoughts via email, is OK, but a real blog, I'd want on my own domain/website.
Yeah it's also, for the first time in my life I'm really pivoting my personal interests away from IT and tech. This was more of a plan when I was still fully into it.
I'm more interested in streaming now for my new hobbies but that is even harder to self host.
IMO, not too many people are being discovered by substack. Twitter and other social media is where you have to have conversations to slowly build up your subscriber base.
I agree. A lot of discovery there is just people writing notes and posts “how to discover and boost discoverability” - just an endless loop of growing and talking about growing without substantial non-growth content.
Honest question: does the blog have to be for other people or can I just be for you? And if people find it - great.
If you are instead trying to acquire eyeballs for some reason, that’s great as well. But I don’t think you should look at it as “no one will find so there is no value whatsoever”
I used to be able to find personal and small blogs on google. Blogosphere died when google changed algorithms and it ceased to be possible. They stopped coming out in searches even when I was able to quote the title and parts of the content.
Just in case, it works with any SMTP/IMAP setup like Fastmail, or any other. Proton mail works as well but need a little more to setup initially, even gmail (but much slower as the article explains, I noticed that too)
[1] https://neomd.ssp.sh
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