Share this comment
A thoughtful and informative piece as usual – which is why I subscribe to YOU, and only incidentally, come into contact with some “platform”, constructed as a market mechanism, and thus is obliged to be profitable.
Which makes me wonder what THAT means, and whether non-profit entities (like PBS) or a charitable model (like The Hub?) might…
© 2025 Justin Ling
Substack is the home for great culture
A thoughtful and informative piece as usual – which is why I subscribe to YOU, and only incidentally, come into contact with some “platform”, constructed as a market mechanism, and thus is obliged to be profitable.
Which makes me wonder what THAT means, and whether non-profit entities (like PBS) or a charitable model (like The Hub?) might have an internet role.
While, by contrast, I remember CBC and its behavior in respect of the “forbidden words”…and shudder; and I am wary of “official truth”, as history tells me I should be. Then there is the official FOI process, which is an oxymoron in Canada.
I also wonder how important anonymity is, in shaping the discourse and its impact on public or private interests; because it seems to me that that can be a significantly moderating influence in the “real” public square or a venue like a workplace.
Where, for example: identifying antisemitic protesters, or folks inclined to burn churches or topple statutes can have consequences. But this too is a difficult question, especially in respect of political views. “Should” we “know” that you are a “real Nazi” or an ISIS shill?
Finally, I love some of the adjectives that you report (but don’t use yourself) – like “healthy” and “wholesome” -- which, of course, are part and parcel of the associated with the (for profit) touting for “health food” and “alternative medicine”.
Keep up the good work!