OK, so it’s been a bit of a crazy day with my announcement that I’m beginning a sports partnership with The Athletic. All of you should have gotten an email explaining the deal (and subscribers should have gotten their free subscription link). I’m really excited about it and hope you are too.
I wanted to open up a discussion thread to talk about what we’re doing here at Substack. You can ask anything you want.
Just to get the conversation going: JoeBlogs will go on. I love Substack, love JoeBlogs, love the community we’ve created. I will link everything here that I write at The Athletic. And more, I will continue to write all my non-sports stuff here, I will keep pitching a certain book that comes out on October 22, I will continue to do the PosCast and will try to make a better connection to this place.
All of this will be free.
But there is a small catch. So, before you ask your questions, let me ask you one. It involves commenting.
The way it works here at Substack, only paid subscribers get to comment. So there are two options. I can make JoeBlogs entirely free … but then the comments go away.
Or, I can charge a nominal fee for anyone who wants to comment … and the comments will stay.
Let me know your thoughts and ask all your questions.
All I ask is that you don't move the Poscast behind such an expensive option. If I can ever get the Athletic subscription link to actually work for me, I'll be letting it go after the year. Too rich for my blood.
On another topic, I currently have a subscription to The Athletic that runs through next August. I expected that my subscription would be extended by a year, but it doesn't appear that has happened. Is there something I need to do on my end to activate the free year of subscription? And is there anything I need to do so that I don't continue to get charged by Substack?
I will gladly pay for your content, but it's not worth it to me to pay to comment. I think giving people the option is nice, but I don't know how many will take it.
OK. Glad you are happy with your writing and all that. I, however, want nothing to do with the Athletic. Free or otherwise. Since your baseball stuff, which is pretty much all I want, is no longer available on Joeblogs I'd like to have my $30 back.
Quite frankly, I find it frustrating that I have to give The Athletic a CC number to get what I already paid for. I don't like doing business with companies that have these automatic renewals. I think I'm saying goodbye.
I don't like the Athletic. I have a subscription from when you started writing there before but I really don't like it. The whole site seems like one big mess. It is like there are so many writes that focus on different things that it isn't good at anything. I cancelled that subscription when I realized you were not really writing there anymore. Now it looks like I have to get it again. I like it much better when it was just your blog I paid for and everything showed up there and only there. (well there and my email) You know what they say progress is painful.
The reason I subscribed to the Athletic in the first place was to follow your articles and I will do so again after a free year thanks to you! I would also be willing to pay a small fee for the blog site as well. Just keep writing and we will keep enjoying!
So, after subscribing to your blog, the only way I can now read your blog is to subscribe to Athletic - is that right? I don't really want to subscribe to another publication so am curious about this.
I'm not a commenter, and I guess it's nice that I get a free year of The Athletic too, but I'll miss getting your post in email form. I read all them religously when they showed up in my inbox as it was simple and something I could do at any time after receipt without having to be "connected" ; which was typically as I sat on an endless flight to somewhere. This was my absolute favorite feature about enjoying your writing... no connection required! With the Athletic, I'll need to download another app and make sure the email links properly... and of course only read it if I have a wireless or cellular connection handy at all times. I read every article posted on JoeBlogs on my email and can't remember the last time I logged in, which may have been to pay as I had to go find my log in details. Sorry to be whiny, and please keep writing... I'll be there through thick and thin and listen monthly to the poscast too! Thanks.
I'm not interested in paying more for comments. Also, add me to the list of people who can't have their subscriptions extended because of the iOs issue, hopeful it will be resolved.
Unfortunately, I followed all the directions but am not getting access to the Athletic posts (at least not the one today). As much as I like all of your writing, it is the sportswriting I am most interested in paying for. Now, it seems, I won't be able to get access to that. If you could at least provide a contact or service number so that I can have my account connected, that would be great. Otherwise, I'd like a refund of the Substack subscription I only recently paid for.
Commend commenting, the commentee, the commenters. One comment. A member of both svcs. And comment in both. Do I understand there will be an Astral Plain where JoeBlogs commenters live, different from Athletic commenters? And your question is ‘hey, will we pay a little extra to continue living on the Astral Plain?
I think the Substack blog platform is great. I really enjoy knowing any subscription via Substack pays you for your work directly, but it is important you have the security of the deal with The Athletic. I'll pay the nominal fee for your non-Athletic work here as I like the community feel and prospect of more interaction here. I love the PosCast and like the ease of access it currently provides. An interactive experience will definitely keep me coming back to this blog.
Are we going to be getting an e-mail from The Athletic about the automatic renewal? My e-mails were different on this site and that site (I've changed the one on that site to be in line once I heard the news).
Pardon if I'm not grasping this perfectly...so after year one, we will need to get our own Athletic subscription to read your sports stuff (hopefully mainly baseball), but you will keep Joe Blogs going for free, OR for a nominal fee in order to comment. That souds right? If that is accurate, I'd prefer to keep the comments!
So today I was at the small supermarket near my house, waiting for the cheese to be sliced as 3-4 workers filled orders, as the Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run" played on the radio. The girl slicing my cheese, nonchalantly took of her gloves, and put the cheese down and perfectly executed the hand claps after the "they headed down to old El Paso' line, did a 360 spin, put her gloves back on and handed me my cheese. She couldn't more than twenty years old. it is probably the most incredible thing I'll see all year. And my first thought was"Exuberance and enthusiasm can be such rare qualities in people. There are so many discouraged people." And I realized i had stolen your line, and your thoughts really. But in truth, I have paid for those thoughts, as a member here, and am glad to have done so. The rarest of writers influence the way we see others. Thank you so much. We'll follow you, relax.
Seems like a nominal fee to comment is the best solution, if anyone would take you up on it. Those who don't want to pay to comment can just read the stories.
I'm more a lurker, so comments mean next to nothing to me. I'd pay anyway because I support what I use - JoeBogs, Wikipedia, my PBS station, Wayback Machine. But I will not do The Athetic. I have a problem with sites that want to store my credit card information for something free. It's not unique to The Athletic but there's just no need to leave my credit card information on some machine for a year before it's needed.
Is there a way to access your writing in the app for The Athletic? I see your name as an author, but when I select it, it only has your previous writings.
I haven't gotten the email with the link for free Athletic yet... :( :)
Baseball content: With Yordan Alvarez's and Pete Alonso's 2-HR games today, the streak of days with such games stands at 16. So three more days until Joe's daily updates return! (?)
This is a bit tongue in cheek -- but some stability would be preferred. I keep having to change my bookmark link to your website-of-the-week!
Also, I can't speak regarding The Athletic via a phone (app or via browser), but I don't have any issues with their website via my office PC where I do most of my article reading.
Here's the link that directs me to all of your articles:
Thanks, Joe. Looking forward to the rest of your Top 100 Baseball Players of All Time series. And the subsequent book I'm dying to add to my collection and give out as Father's Day gifts!
Thanks Damon! And, yes, let's hope for some stability. And don't forget, before that Baseball 100 book, I've got another one coming out, don't know if I've mentioned it.
Let me guess, it's not even about baseball. It's probably about some topic from 100 years ago, like Jack Johnson the boxer, Man o War the horse, or, I don't know, Harry freakin' Houdini the magician. I really hope it's about the boxer or the horse!
First of all, I love your work, have for years, and I’m die-hard enough that I’d likely pay for your content anywhere.
Having said that...
The pace of change is on the high side. Since I’ve really started following you, you’ve bounced around- a LOT. I don’t begrudge you your choices and opportunities, but I imagine that for those less ‘die hard’ all these moves are losing you potential subscribers/followers.
So I’m asking you to PLEASE do everything g you can to make this Athletic partnership last. I think it’s good for all parties to let this cement set for awhile.
I'm not sure if I would pay for commenting, but I would ask they if you charge for comments you allow people to read them for free even if they are unable to comment. I do value reading them; I'm just not sure if I would pay only to comment since I don't comment myself that often. Congratulations on your deal with The Athletic; I love the site. I do agree with another reader that keeping the Poscast off of their podcast network would be much appreciated; it's too clunky at the moment.
I wouldn't pay extra for commenting, because I was always reading your posts via email and rarely came to the site. FWIW, I do think substack is better than Patreon though.
Already a subscriber to both JoeBlogs & The Athletic.....with no perceived expectations and thoroughly enjoy both! Would follow you anywhere Joe. Was tipped off about you from an admiring local sports scribe! One question....how do you get your podcast?
I’ve enjoyed the comments here and am glad to pay for it to continue. The idea that you might be more engaged in the comments makes it even more appealing.
FYI I signed up for The Athletic originally because you started writing for them and even though that has been minimal for a while, I’ve found the subscription to be wonderful. Great writing by some of the best people and without crap ads that you wonder if they actually care about their content!
With this move to The Athletic, here are some requests:
* Please keep an RSS feed here to all your stuff, regardless of where the content is, JoeBlogs or The Athletic. If the content of the feed is just a link to the article wherever it is posted, fine with me. A RSS feed reader is by far the most convenient way for me to read your writings.
* Please do NOT move The Poscast to the Athletic podcast feed or if you do, please do not make it exclusive to there. The podcast client in The Athletic app is a pain and far more limited than all the podcast player choices available with your current Poscast feed via iTunes, etc. All my other podcasts are in one place and The Athletic podcasts are separate and a PITA.
* Please charge what you need to make a living. I love reading what you write and want you to continue to be able to spend time writing. That is why I signed up to your Patreon and Substack.
1) in the current state of journalism, I can’t question a decision that will help you make a living or bring you a little more security. I assume this decision is at least partly for that reason, and good for you, Joe. You deserve to get paid.
2) As an Athletic subscriber - I don’t really love The Athletic. The writing is great, totally worth the money. The business model of The Athletic, however, does not seem designed to improve the state of journalism. They explicitly are seeking to carve off the profitable part of local news and leave the rest to rot. That’s pretty unfortunate, it’s not clear the profitable part is actually profitable, so I don’t know what will happen when the VC funding dries up. We’ll find out I guess. (Not a comment on your decision; maybe more on me as a supporter.)
3) The real point: what was most frustrating to me about the Patreon era of Joe Blogs was that the comments seemed to be everywhere and nowhere, half one place, half another, not nearly as lively as the ante-Patreon era. We seemed to be getting back to the lively era with Substack, and I fear that this will be a return to the bad old bifurcated days. Also, the commenters on the Athletic are somewhat more ... Internetty than the Joe Blogs folks.
The quality of discussion on Joe Blogs has been a tribute to you, and has been a significant part of the experience. I hope that continues; I wouldn’t know how to make it so. But if the conversation continues here I would gladly pay for it.
In the light of morning this reads a little more begrudging than I had intended. I stand by the opinions, but I want to underline that I really value your writing Joe, and I’m happy you’re finding a way to pursue the work you want to do. For you and for us.
I like the comments here. One thing that I hope doesn’t happen, is that the comments don’t shrivel up because people start commenting at The Athletic. There have been 3 comments here on the Brown’s diary, and a whole bunch at the Athletic. It comes and goes here, but is much more enjoyable when it’s active. And overall the comments by the BR’s are generally better than what I see at the Athletic. Small sample size, but still. Having Joe pop in every once in a while would help, I think, to keep the comments lively.
As an occasional commenter, I think there's huge value in seeing what the BR's have to say. I'd pay a nominal fee for that feel of community, as Joe's comment thread tend to break the standard rule of the internet.
I agree with this--even if there aren't that many comments, a lot of the time I just want to see what people have to say (even after I read the articles in my email). And with other sites where they've eliminated comments over the years, I truly feel something significant has been lost.
I would not pay for comments. $60 is already a lot to ask. But if there was bonus Poscast content, then I would shell out some extra $$ for that, because you and Mike always make me happy!
I don't want the Athletic, even for free. Joe's Blogs works just fine, and is worth the $3 a month. Are you saying I can ignore the Athletic bit and keep getting exactly what I'm getting now on Substack? Except it will be free (with no comments) or really cheap with comments? Why not just keep it at $3 on Substack? It ain't broke, don't fix it. And people who want the Athletic can be happy with their free year and read your stuff on that site.
And at least one of us had our automatic renewal scheduled for just this past weekend! Well, I guess I'm really in it for the long haul now (and no complaints; The Athletic is great--all of you baseball fans here should especially seek out Eno Sarris's work on there, too).
First and foremost, congrats on the news. And I certainly appreciate the gift of the Athletic sub. I hadn't pulled the trigger on a sub in the past and may not renew next year, but free is free and I'll enjoy the year. So if there is still a nominal fee here for comments and non-sports, I'll likely keep that going and let the Athletic expire. For all of the joy your writing has brought over the years, I'll support any way that makes sense.
I vote to keep everything here for a fee--not that this is necessarily a vote. It helps weed out trolls and I feel there is at least a hint of moderation (but not enough to keep things from occasionally going off-track 👍).
I know this isn't necessarily the place for this, but thank you for all of the words you've given us through the years. I purposely took "The Good Stuff" with me to the hospital when my oldest was born in February 2002 and have already pre-ordered a book I've heard is coming out about a magician sometime later this fall--and I have everything in between. I'm a KC native that has lived in Fargo since 1993 and have enjoyed everything you've written since you first came to the KC Star. Thank you for your words, and your accessibility, they are greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting you when the book tour hits Fargo! (Hey, I can ask--wh did get Buster!)
I vote for keeping the comments. I really enjoy reading the comments from the Brilliant Readers. With regards to The Athletic, I love the site and find it to be easier to navigate than say, SI or ESPN. You can "favorite" certain writers and their articles will come up when you open the app and most of all: there's no ads!!! You don't have to click through various links or stop a video from playing. And the writing is superb, across all sports.
Agree with most other people to keep the comments at a nominal cost. What would make the comments seem more “valuable” is to have you be more active in the interactions. It seems like you go all-in 10000% with comments (like with this post), or the complete opposite (with 1 comment every 3 or 4 posts). I’d be very happy with some sort of middle ground where you chime back in a little bit on every post, even if you don’t necessarily reply to everyone. Just throwing it out there!
That's a great idea. I suppose it could be more valuable if I jumped in more ... and maybe I could get some guests to hop in on the comments now and again too.
And in addition promise to write a baseball post every day that someone, anyone hits a home run. When no one hits a home run, you are free from this prison. ( Which makes me wonder, when was the last time no one hit a home run that day? 1914 or thereabouts? ) Part time work- you’ll be off after the World Series- until either spring training games begin, or I suppose if that’s too much, I’ll grudgingly accept until the regular season begins. Thanks for all you do Joe. I definitely want comments. Your writing is the big draw, but the discussions often provide a lot of value too. If you pop in every once in a while, so much the better.
Not a fan of The Athletic. I went there for your stuff some time ago, and didn't find other stuff that I wanted to read. Plus, I didn't think that the cost was worth it -- if you weren't there.
I can deal with them. Whatever. You'll give me links? OK. I can deal with that.
But I'd MUCH rather that all the money went to you. I don't read a lot of sports writing, anymore. But I still read you. You are the one, therefore, who deserves my money.
I don't comment often but it's nice to have the option as it exists today. But, frankly, it's your column that is of value. I have zero hesitation about paying for that value but I'd draw the line at paying simply to be able to comment.
I'm enjoying my free trial of SiriusXM now, blasting live Pearl Jam concerts basically whenever I'm in the mood while driving, but holy cow, the regular price for that service seems way too high for what it is. Or maybe I just don't spend enough time in the car to understand!
Keep the comments ... I don't often use them, but it's nice to find a comment section that doesn't allow trolls or off-topic nonsense to derail the ... well, off-topic nonsense we've come to know and love.
All I ask is that you don't move the Poscast behind such an expensive option. If I can ever get the Athletic subscription link to actually work for me, I'll be letting it go after the year. Too rich for my blood.
On another topic, I currently have a subscription to The Athletic that runs through next August. I expected that my subscription would be extended by a year, but it doesn't appear that has happened. Is there something I need to do on my end to activate the free year of subscription? And is there anything I need to do so that I don't continue to get charged by Substack?
Never mind regarding the first question - I found an email buried from a week ago and activated my extension. Carry on!
I will gladly pay for your content, but it's not worth it to me to pay to comment. I think giving people the option is nice, but I don't know how many will take it.
OK. Glad you are happy with your writing and all that. I, however, want nothing to do with the Athletic. Free or otherwise. Since your baseball stuff, which is pretty much all I want, is no longer available on Joeblogs I'd like to have my $30 back.
Quite frankly, I find it frustrating that I have to give The Athletic a CC number to get what I already paid for. I don't like doing business with companies that have these automatic renewals. I think I'm saying goodbye.
I don't like the Athletic. I have a subscription from when you started writing there before but I really don't like it. The whole site seems like one big mess. It is like there are so many writes that focus on different things that it isn't good at anything. I cancelled that subscription when I realized you were not really writing there anymore. Now it looks like I have to get it again. I like it much better when it was just your blog I paid for and everything showed up there and only there. (well there and my email) You know what they say progress is painful.
The reason I subscribed to the Athletic in the first place was to follow your articles and I will do so again after a free year thanks to you! I would also be willing to pay a small fee for the blog site as well. Just keep writing and we will keep enjoying!
So, after subscribing to your blog, the only way I can now read your blog is to subscribe to Athletic - is that right? I don't really want to subscribe to another publication so am curious about this.
I'm not a commenter, and I guess it's nice that I get a free year of The Athletic too, but I'll miss getting your post in email form. I read all them religously when they showed up in my inbox as it was simple and something I could do at any time after receipt without having to be "connected" ; which was typically as I sat on an endless flight to somewhere. This was my absolute favorite feature about enjoying your writing... no connection required! With the Athletic, I'll need to download another app and make sure the email links properly... and of course only read it if I have a wireless or cellular connection handy at all times. I read every article posted on JoeBlogs on my email and can't remember the last time I logged in, which may have been to pay as I had to go find my log in details. Sorry to be whiny, and please keep writing... I'll be there through thick and thin and listen monthly to the poscast too! Thanks.
I was about to ask this same question. I was hoping the e-mails would remain.
I'm not interested in paying more for comments. Also, add me to the list of people who can't have their subscriptions extended because of the iOs issue, hopeful it will be resolved.
Unfortunately, I followed all the directions but am not getting access to the Athletic posts (at least not the one today). As much as I like all of your writing, it is the sportswriting I am most interested in paying for. Now, it seems, I won't be able to get access to that. If you could at least provide a contact or service number so that I can have my account connected, that would be great. Otherwise, I'd like a refund of the Substack subscription I only recently paid for.
Commend commenting, the commentee, the commenters. One comment. A member of both svcs. And comment in both. Do I understand there will be an Astral Plain where JoeBlogs commenters live, different from Athletic commenters? And your question is ‘hey, will we pay a little extra to continue living on the Astral Plain?
Just a comment about the comments. Do they seem randomly ordered? Are they in some chronological order? I am stumped.
The ones that get the most likes shoot to the top. The author's like (i.e. Joe's likes) count for more.
I think the Substack blog platform is great. I really enjoy knowing any subscription via Substack pays you for your work directly, but it is important you have the security of the deal with The Athletic. I'll pay the nominal fee for your non-Athletic work here as I like the community feel and prospect of more interaction here. I love the PosCast and like the ease of access it currently provides. An interactive experience will definitely keep me coming back to this blog.
Is the nominal fee $3 per month? Or something less to reflect the reduced content on substack?
(as an aside - I'm glad you did the patreon/substack thing so there was a way for me to give something back for your work).
Are we going to be getting an e-mail from The Athletic about the automatic renewal? My e-mails were different on this site and that site (I've changed the one on that site to be in line once I heard the news).
Pardon if I'm not grasping this perfectly...so after year one, we will need to get our own Athletic subscription to read your sports stuff (hopefully mainly baseball), but you will keep Joe Blogs going for free, OR for a nominal fee in order to comment. That souds right? If that is accurate, I'd prefer to keep the comments!
So today I was at the small supermarket near my house, waiting for the cheese to be sliced as 3-4 workers filled orders, as the Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run" played on the radio. The girl slicing my cheese, nonchalantly took of her gloves, and put the cheese down and perfectly executed the hand claps after the "they headed down to old El Paso' line, did a 360 spin, put her gloves back on and handed me my cheese. She couldn't more than twenty years old. it is probably the most incredible thing I'll see all year. And my first thought was"Exuberance and enthusiasm can be such rare qualities in people. There are so many discouraged people." And I realized i had stolen your line, and your thoughts really. But in truth, I have paid for those thoughts, as a member here, and am glad to have done so. The rarest of writers influence the way we see others. Thank you so much. We'll follow you, relax.
Seems like a nominal fee to comment is the best solution, if anyone would take you up on it. Those who don't want to pay to comment can just read the stories.
I'm more a lurker, so comments mean next to nothing to me. I'd pay anyway because I support what I use - JoeBogs, Wikipedia, my PBS station, Wayback Machine. But I will not do The Athetic. I have a problem with sites that want to store my credit card information for something free. It's not unique to The Athletic but there's just no need to leave my credit card information on some machine for a year before it's needed.
Is there a way to access your writing in the app for The Athletic? I see your name as an author, but when I select it, it only has your previous writings.
I only come here for your stories. I've never read the comments, probably never would.
I haven't gotten the email with the link for free Athletic yet... :( :)
Baseball content: With Yordan Alvarez's and Pete Alonso's 2-HR games today, the streak of days with such games stands at 16. So three more days until Joe's daily updates return! (?)
For those who are wondering—I think someone was wondering—the RSS feed for Joe on the Athletic is https://theathletic.com/author/joe-posnanski/?rss.
Keep the comments.
This is a bit tongue in cheek -- but some stability would be preferred. I keep having to change my bookmark link to your website-of-the-week!
Also, I can't speak regarding The Athletic via a phone (app or via browser), but I don't have any issues with their website via my office PC where I do most of my article reading.
Here's the link that directs me to all of your articles:
https://theathletic.com/search/?query=Posnanski
Easy peasy.
Thanks, Joe. Looking forward to the rest of your Top 100 Baseball Players of All Time series. And the subsequent book I'm dying to add to my collection and give out as Father's Day gifts!
Thanks Damon! And, yes, let's hope for some stability. And don't forget, before that Baseball 100 book, I've got another one coming out, don't know if I've mentioned it.
Let me guess, it's not even about baseball. It's probably about some topic from 100 years ago, like Jack Johnson the boxer, Man o War the horse, or, I don't know, Harry freakin' Houdini the magician. I really hope it's about the boxer or the horse!
First of all, I love your work, have for years, and I’m die-hard enough that I’d likely pay for your content anywhere.
Having said that...
The pace of change is on the high side. Since I’ve really started following you, you’ve bounced around- a LOT. I don’t begrudge you your choices and opportunities, but I imagine that for those less ‘die hard’ all these moves are losing you potential subscribers/followers.
So I’m asking you to PLEASE do everything g you can to make this Athletic partnership last. I think it’s good for all parties to let this cement set for awhile.
Thanks for this. That's the plan. I signed a multi-year deal with The Athletic in exactly that hope.
I'm not sure if I would pay for commenting, but I would ask they if you charge for comments you allow people to read them for free even if they are unable to comment. I do value reading them; I'm just not sure if I would pay only to comment since I don't comment myself that often. Congratulations on your deal with The Athletic; I love the site. I do agree with another reader that keeping the Poscast off of their podcast network would be much appreciated; it's too clunky at the moment.
Thanks!
I wouldn't pay extra for commenting, because I was always reading your posts via email and rarely came to the site. FWIW, I do think substack is better than Patreon though.
Man, what terrible grammar. Maybe I can get someone at The Athletic to be my editor as well?
Already a subscriber to both JoeBlogs & The Athletic.....with no perceived expectations and thoroughly enjoy both! Would follow you anywhere Joe. Was tipped off about you from an admiring local sports scribe! One question....how do you get your podcast?
I’ve enjoyed the comments here and am glad to pay for it to continue. The idea that you might be more engaged in the comments makes it even more appealing.
FYI I signed up for The Athletic originally because you started writing for them and even though that has been minimal for a while, I’ve found the subscription to be wonderful. Great writing by some of the best people and without crap ads that you wonder if they actually care about their content!
With this move to The Athletic, here are some requests:
* Please keep an RSS feed here to all your stuff, regardless of where the content is, JoeBlogs or The Athletic. If the content of the feed is just a link to the article wherever it is posted, fine with me. A RSS feed reader is by far the most convenient way for me to read your writings.
* Please do NOT move The Poscast to the Athletic podcast feed or if you do, please do not make it exclusive to there. The podcast client in The Athletic app is a pain and far more limited than all the podcast player choices available with your current Poscast feed via iTunes, etc. All my other podcasts are in one place and The Athletic podcasts are separate and a PITA.
* Please charge what you need to make a living. I love reading what you write and want you to continue to be able to spend time writing. That is why I signed up to your Patreon and Substack.
Thank you.
Is it free for anyone who doesn't want to comment with the second option?
Yes. All the stories here will be free.
Three thoughts about this change:
1) in the current state of journalism, I can’t question a decision that will help you make a living or bring you a little more security. I assume this decision is at least partly for that reason, and good for you, Joe. You deserve to get paid.
2) As an Athletic subscriber - I don’t really love The Athletic. The writing is great, totally worth the money. The business model of The Athletic, however, does not seem designed to improve the state of journalism. They explicitly are seeking to carve off the profitable part of local news and leave the rest to rot. That’s pretty unfortunate, it’s not clear the profitable part is actually profitable, so I don’t know what will happen when the VC funding dries up. We’ll find out I guess. (Not a comment on your decision; maybe more on me as a supporter.)
3) The real point: what was most frustrating to me about the Patreon era of Joe Blogs was that the comments seemed to be everywhere and nowhere, half one place, half another, not nearly as lively as the ante-Patreon era. We seemed to be getting back to the lively era with Substack, and I fear that this will be a return to the bad old bifurcated days. Also, the commenters on the Athletic are somewhat more ... Internetty than the Joe Blogs folks.
The quality of discussion on Joe Blogs has been a tribute to you, and has been a significant part of the experience. I hope that continues; I wouldn’t know how to make it so. But if the conversation continues here I would gladly pay for it.
In the light of morning this reads a little more begrudging than I had intended. I stand by the opinions, but I want to underline that I really value your writing Joe, and I’m happy you’re finding a way to pursue the work you want to do. For you and for us.
I like the comments here. One thing that I hope doesn’t happen, is that the comments don’t shrivel up because people start commenting at The Athletic. There have been 3 comments here on the Brown’s diary, and a whole bunch at the Athletic. It comes and goes here, but is much more enjoyable when it’s active. And overall the comments by the BR’s are generally better than what I see at the Athletic. Small sample size, but still. Having Joe pop in every once in a while would help, I think, to keep the comments lively.
As an occasional commenter, I think there's huge value in seeing what the BR's have to say. I'd pay a nominal fee for that feel of community, as Joe's comment thread tend to break the standard rule of the internet.
I agree with this--even if there aren't that many comments, a lot of the time I just want to see what people have to say (even after I read the articles in my email). And with other sites where they've eliminated comments over the years, I truly feel something significant has been lost.
Thanks! Great to hear.
I would not pay for comments. $60 is already a lot to ask. But if there was bonus Poscast content, then I would shell out some extra $$ for that, because you and Mike always make me happy!
Thanks Mary! Just recorded a PosCast today; should be up and ready to go tomorrow.
I don't want the Athletic, even for free. Joe's Blogs works just fine, and is worth the $3 a month. Are you saying I can ignore the Athletic bit and keep getting exactly what I'm getting now on Substack? Except it will be free (with no comments) or really cheap with comments? Why not just keep it at $3 on Substack? It ain't broke, don't fix it. And people who want the Athletic can be happy with their free year and read your stuff on that site.
Well, the sports posts will appear exclusively at The Athletic. That's part of the partnership.
fwiw I am also getting foiled by my attempts to use the link to extend my Athletic sub... (tried on phone and laptop)
Curious what percentage of your subscribers were already Athletic subscribers too?
And at least one of us had our automatic renewal scheduled for just this past weekend! Well, I guess I'm really in it for the long haul now (and no complaints; The Athletic is great--all of you baseball fans here should especially seek out Eno Sarris's work on there, too).
Almost 50%!
First and foremost, congrats on the news. And I certainly appreciate the gift of the Athletic sub. I hadn't pulled the trigger on a sub in the past and may not renew next year, but free is free and I'll enjoy the year. So if there is still a nominal fee here for comments and non-sports, I'll likely keep that going and let the Athletic expire. For all of the joy your writing has brought over the years, I'll support any way that makes sense.
Thanks so much Kevin! Means a lot to me.
One more thought: is it possible to have a BR thread that is not tied to a specific joe column? Just general back and forth about baseball ?
I like this
Excellent idea. I should do one of these a month or something like that. I think that can be arranged.
I vote to keep everything here for a fee--not that this is necessarily a vote. It helps weed out trolls and I feel there is at least a hint of moderation (but not enough to keep things from occasionally going off-track 👍).
Thanks!
I know this isn't necessarily the place for this, but thank you for all of the words you've given us through the years. I purposely took "The Good Stuff" with me to the hospital when my oldest was born in February 2002 and have already pre-ordered a book I've heard is coming out about a magician sometime later this fall--and I have everything in between. I'm a KC native that has lived in Fargo since 1993 and have enjoyed everything you've written since you first came to the KC Star. Thank you for your words, and your accessibility, they are greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting you when the book tour hits Fargo! (Hey, I can ask--wh did get Buster!)
I vote for keeping the comments. I really enjoy reading the comments from the Brilliant Readers. With regards to The Athletic, I love the site and find it to be easier to navigate than say, SI or ESPN. You can "favorite" certain writers and their articles will come up when you open the app and most of all: there's no ads!!! You don't have to click through various links or stop a video from playing. And the writing is superb, across all sports.
That's great to hear, Karen. Thank you. I'm excited.
Agree with most other people to keep the comments at a nominal cost. What would make the comments seem more “valuable” is to have you be more active in the interactions. It seems like you go all-in 10000% with comments (like with this post), or the complete opposite (with 1 comment every 3 or 4 posts). I’d be very happy with some sort of middle ground where you chime back in a little bit on every post, even if you don’t necessarily reply to everyone. Just throwing it out there!
That's a great idea. I suppose it could be more valuable if I jumped in more ... and maybe I could get some guests to hop in on the comments now and again too.
And in addition promise to write a baseball post every day that someone, anyone hits a home run. When no one hits a home run, you are free from this prison. ( Which makes me wonder, when was the last time no one hit a home run that day? 1914 or thereabouts? ) Part time work- you’ll be off after the World Series- until either spring training games begin, or I suppose if that’s too much, I’ll grudgingly accept until the regular season begins. Thanks for all you do Joe. I definitely want comments. Your writing is the big draw, but the discussions often provide a lot of value too. If you pop in every once in a while, so much the better.
Excellent! I was worried you were going to try and teach me a lesson by not replying to my comment lol
Not a fan of The Athletic. I went there for your stuff some time ago, and didn't find other stuff that I wanted to read. Plus, I didn't think that the cost was worth it -- if you weren't there.
I can deal with them. Whatever. You'll give me links? OK. I can deal with that.
But I'd MUCH rather that all the money went to you. I don't read a lot of sports writing, anymore. But I still read you. You are the one, therefore, who deserves my money.
Thanks for this. I very much appreciate your readership.
I don't comment often but it's nice to have the option as it exists today. But, frankly, it's your column that is of value. I have zero hesitation about paying for that value but I'd draw the line at paying simply to be able to comment.
Thank you!
I’m also a yes to comments and will pay fee
Thank you!
I vote Yes for the nominal fee.
Excellent. Thank you.
I guess I need a better paying job or I should get rid of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, SiriusXM, or YouTube Premium!
I'm enjoying my free trial of SiriusXM now, blasting live Pearl Jam concerts basically whenever I'm in the mood while driving, but holy cow, the regular price for that service seems way too high for what it is. Or maybe I just don't spend enough time in the car to understand!
You have to call to cancel, then they give you a discount. Usually 50%. I do it every year. That's a good reason to cancel, now that I think of it.
Keep the comments ... I don't often use them, but it's nice to find a comment section that doesn't allow trolls or off-topic nonsense to derail the ... well, off-topic nonsense we've come to know and love.
Great to hear. I love the comments, myself.