18 Comments
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Mike Feder's avatar

This is not some senator's phony "help me understand"-gotcha set-up. I really want to understand what the actual value is in being number one on Substack's list. Why concern yourself with who's number one on some competitive list? Maybe there's some practical value to it (maybe being number one attracts more subscriptions), so let me know.

(Whatever your rung on the ladder, I think your posts are amazing and I heartily support you)

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Susana Montano's avatar

Yes!! What they said - particularly about the quality of writing (for what it’s worth- I’m a retired high school English teacher, so I REALLY appreciate well written pieces!!) 🤩

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M.A. Taylor's avatar

It means more people are reading their content. It's that simple. If the idea is to awaken and enlighten - and it is - reaching more people will allow that awakening and enlightenment to spread - and if the goal is to turn the ship around from his dedicated fascist direction to a far better and more sustainable way to live - and it is - then more people are needed to make that happen. So, no, it's not about shouting "we're number one" while waving a flag - this is not the US corner at the Olympics - it's not about being #1 to be #1. It's about spreading truth, awareness, good information to as many people as possible and thereby changing our current lot here - something that desperately needs to happen and happen quickly. This movement needs all of us - that's not a cliche but a fact.

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Mike Feder's avatar

Thanks very much for that-- If making it clear that a platform is the most read has the effect of attracting more readers (especially if it's in a good cause which Closer to the Edge is) then I'm all for it.

Also, I'm eighty years old, and the general desire (which I once had) to be "the best' or "the most" tends, naturally, to fade with the years--so it's good to be reminded of the place that kind of desire can have in the bigger picture...

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M.A. Taylor's avatar

You're welcome, and I appreciate this kind and thoughtful response. Thank you.

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Lesley Houghton's avatar

I love your writing. The content is great of course but you could write about dog food and it would be great literature. Take care. Stay strong. Resist and endure with a smile and a sledge hammer. When's your book coming out?

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Joanna's avatar

You along with Midas Touch, HCR, Bulwark, etc are all like spokes on a wheel, each has its own role, and vibration. We need all of you for the wheel to turn with full force…

Without you turning up every day nothing moves… and we HAVE to keep moving. So whatever number you are in the wheel, it’s all good.

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MaryMcC's avatar

I would include Truth Matters, Robert Reich and Adam Kinzinger as needed spokes on the wheel along with those you listed.

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Moki Kokoris's avatar

Number 6?!? As in S. I. X? Hell yeah!! Phenomenal climbing, particularly since you have no Sherpas to fix ropes for you ahead of the next pitch. There's something much more noble in the simpler minimalist approach, in reaching for the summit under your own power. Clearly, the world has noticed, and is watching. With bated breath.

But now, please excuse me while I huff on my fisted fingernails and mock-polish them on my "I NEED AMMUNITION; NOT A RIDE" T-shirt.

I make no apologies for feeling proud to have personally contributed to your ascent by shamelessly plastering half of the planet (OK, teensie exaggeration) with links to your individual Substack posts. How many new subscribers you've gained through my shares is hard to quantify, but the reply reviews have been stellar. I share, not because you hinted at it, and not only because your writing warrants it, but because it demands it! For me, you've made sharing a goddam obligation. You are the AMMUNITION all of us need, especially in these times...

And you know what they say about pens and swords... (she types as she hands you a new carabiner)

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Laura Woodward's avatar

My sanity is due in no small part to my subscription. Thank you for each and every word!👍

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Yvonne McCarthy's avatar

Glad to help. Hope you achieve your goals. Just keep writing. Your wordsmithing has become necessary for my sanity, apparently. Just a warning. 😁

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Sarah B Guest Perry's avatar

I love your writing. And congratulations!

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Candice Michel's avatar

What number on the charts you are has very little meaning to most of the rest of us. Your information and style are great, and I will always keep coming back. But, the other sites are important and valuable as well. This should not be a competition, IMO. I'd prefer that you spend whatever energy you have going into worrying about placement go instead into fact-finding and publication.

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Jeanne Alford's avatar

I love you guys. I paid for a subscription.

I have to say that I’m a writing nerd. I find several of Closer to The Edge’s letters that rely too heavily on comparisons that are overly figurative. One, two or three thrown in a letter is gold.

But every sentence?

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks again for your outstanding reporting. Keep up the good fight!

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Leslie Landrey's avatar

So thrilled to hear this news! And not a bit surprised. Your writing manages to distill current events and capture on the page a unique prism-eye-view that is fun (although often painful) to read. Thanks so much for your creativity and hard, hard work!

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Codder's avatar

No love for The Bulwark?

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Ed Luwish's avatar

Wow! I’ll check your paid membership rates, and upgrade if I can afford it.

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Ed Luwish's avatar

Well, I can’t afford it, but I upgraded anyway

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