Long ago and far away. And unforgettable. July 2005
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I’ve been quietly seething for months now about the dumb emails I get from people wailing about my podcast’s invisibility on YouTube. Increasingly urgent, promises that this is the last time, more in sorrow than in anger, blah, blah, blah. I don’t reply, of course. That only encourages the bastards. But if I did I would probably say something elitist like, if I wanted people to “listen” on YouTube I would have done that now without your help.
Why stop seething quietly now? Because struck a chord. Ewen pointed out that his followers on IG have been declining as his indifference to the platform has grown. He notes:
There was a time when algorithms were designed to connect art to an audience. Which was great, because I just want to reach the people who enjoy what I do. But those days are long gone.
I still want to reach the people who enjoy what I do, but my feeling is that those people are not going to find me on YouTube if they haven’t already found me. Maybe I’m wrong, but my gut says I’m not. I’ve never really chased an audience. Sure, I promote new episodes once per social (IG, masto, bsky, MB) and occasionally resurrect an old one if there’s a peg. Of course it’s a thrill when I get a new subscriber and a downer when someone leaves, but I’m fortunate enough that I can afford to keep doing it because I enjoy what I do. I’m the audience I want to reach. If other people meet me where I’m at, that’s enough.
As well as promoting new podcast episodes on IG, I do occasionally still post images as well. I do that because among my followers (far fewer than Ewen’s) are some actual friends, and IG makes it so easy to stay in touch. Doing the same on mastodon or micro.blog means overcoming just a tad more friction, and while that’s often a good thing, more often it’s not. Also, most of my friends are not there, yet.
The big secret to keeping sane on IG is always, always, always to click that little drop-down where it says For you and select Following. Every time!
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@etp I never used Instagram and never will. Seething dept: Read this morning that Zuckerberg is now the latest billionaire to buy a castle in Ireland (in Waterford). No doubt via some Cayman Island shell company.
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