Hi Max, long time, first time. A big part of the success I think could be attributed to the “old internet” feel of Substack. A friend recently pointed out how Discord has absorbed so many message boards, put them behind a paywall, and saddled them with a horrible search function.
I feel like this dovetails with the prevailing sentiment among my geriatric millennial peers “the internet just isn’t fun anymore”
Hell yeah. And I frankly think the comments of this kind of smaller/"initmate"(?) place are much better than A Discord. Discords to me feel work, ironically just like the IRC Networks of yesteryear.
Happy birthday, Read Max!! Always learning from your work; I have sent your "pig-butchering" story to maybe a dozen friends. Also, I would pay good money to get that Tarot Card/classified ad on some sweet merch.
Please don’t add a Discord! I can’t handle anymore endless feeds with unread notifications but I also don’t want to have FOMO about the great banter and dad-thriller recommendations.
Also if you do a podcast, make it like 10 or 15 minutes tops.
Love your work in general. If I had to push you, I’d suggest trying to incorporate more original investigative reporting and interviews. Tell us more about weirdly online people and things that we wouldn’t otherwise learn.
100% this! I come to the sub for long form-ish curated takes, not another group chat with randos to lose track of(no offense fellow subs, I’m sure you’re all cool!)
I feel like I once saw you promote Read Max as "get this for that weird cousin you see on the holidays" and, as that weird cousin, I am so glad that this place exists.
Looking forward to "Every pair of sunglasses that *should* have been in Dune part 2 as informed by the 1992 direct-to-video masterpiece 'Nemesis' (dir. Albert Pyun)".
Loved this recap - and as a fellow Substacker (with a fraction of your subscribers) I found it really instructive. I did, however, notice that when you categorized your top posts of the year, you didn't assign a category to "True Life: For reasons I don't fully understand I bought hundreds of Cold War-era military slides on eBay" -- which would DEFINITELY fall under "Weird Guys Online." In the best way, of course.
Congrats on another year! I always look forward to your book recommendations, they're usually spot on for me :)
Maybe its the boomer in me but I find most discord servers lager than 100 people are just a mess of memes and in-fighting. Its a lot of work to keep any discord server from turning toxic.
Congratulations on the anniversary and the good numbers. But I think that hoping for Delaware based subscribers is a bit ambitious since this newsletter is for humans and that state is occupied exclusively by companies dodging taxes.
I’m a paid subscriber in New Zealand. And New Zealand wasn’t even lit up. But hey we usually get glossed over so all is forgiven. Thanks for writing such a great publication. And no to Discord.
A free, bilingual, macedonian (find that country on your map lol) subscriber here, I signed up after your recent fake apple messages post and I really like your writing style. it's like that nerdy, techy friend that also funny, knows pop culture and appreciates the weird shit that many people overlook. sorry I can't pay for your services for now (a few dollars a month can go a long way around here) but I expect I will very soon.
we love max
Hi Max, long time, first time. A big part of the success I think could be attributed to the “old internet” feel of Substack. A friend recently pointed out how Discord has absorbed so many message boards, put them behind a paywall, and saddled them with a horrible search function.
I feel like this dovetails with the prevailing sentiment among my geriatric millennial peers “the internet just isn’t fun anymore”
Hell yeah. And I frankly think the comments of this kind of smaller/"initmate"(?) place are much better than A Discord. Discords to me feel work, ironically just like the IRC Networks of yesteryear.
Happy birthday, Read Max!! Always learning from your work; I have sent your "pig-butchering" story to maybe a dozen friends. Also, I would pay good money to get that Tarot Card/classified ad on some sweet merch.
https://maxread.substack.com/p/whats-the-deal-with-all-those-weird
Hmm... maybe a Read Max subscriber tote...
PLEASE! I'll pay extra if it is the same color as your website background! ("Solarized"?)
Please don’t add a Discord! I can’t handle anymore endless feeds with unread notifications but I also don’t want to have FOMO about the great banter and dad-thriller recommendations.
Also if you do a podcast, make it like 10 or 15 minutes tops.
Love your work in general. If I had to push you, I’d suggest trying to incorporate more original investigative reporting and interviews. Tell us more about weirdly online people and things that we wouldn’t otherwise learn.
100% this! I come to the sub for long form-ish curated takes, not another group chat with randos to lose track of(no offense fellow subs, I’m sure you’re all cool!)
I feel like I once saw you promote Read Max as "get this for that weird cousin you see on the holidays" and, as that weird cousin, I am so glad that this place exists.
Looking forward to "Every pair of sunglasses that *should* have been in Dune part 2 as informed by the 1992 direct-to-video masterpiece 'Nemesis' (dir. Albert Pyun)".
Loved this recap - and as a fellow Substacker (with a fraction of your subscribers) I found it really instructive. I did, however, notice that when you categorized your top posts of the year, you didn't assign a category to "True Life: For reasons I don't fully understand I bought hundreds of Cold War-era military slides on eBay" -- which would DEFINITELY fall under "Weird Guys Online." In the best way, of course.
Hmm. As a free subscriber in South Carolina, I am feeling a bit triggered.
I lived in Jackson MS from 2021-2022. I still work remotely for an insurance agent there too. I'll try and spread the good word.
Congrats on another year! I always look forward to your book recommendations, they're usually spot on for me :)
Maybe its the boomer in me but I find most discord servers lager than 100 people are just a mess of memes and in-fighting. Its a lot of work to keep any discord server from turning toxic.
I very much appreciate the Keano flyer.
The number works!
The person in Montana, north Dakota and Nebraska really need to start a group chat, they are probably very lonely
Congratulations on the anniversary and the good numbers. But I think that hoping for Delaware based subscribers is a bit ambitious since this newsletter is for humans and that state is occupied exclusively by companies dodging taxes.
I think it would be a nice little sci-fi touch to have a few sentient-corporation subscribers
I’m a paid subscriber in New Zealand. And New Zealand wasn’t even lit up. But hey we usually get glossed over so all is forgiven. Thanks for writing such a great publication. And no to Discord.
There are only five paying subscribers in New Zealand!! Compared to 19 in Germany.
A free, bilingual, macedonian (find that country on your map lol) subscriber here, I signed up after your recent fake apple messages post and I really like your writing style. it's like that nerdy, techy friend that also funny, knows pop culture and appreciates the weird shit that many people overlook. sorry I can't pay for your services for now (a few dollars a month can go a long way around here) but I expect I will very soon.
🍻 to 2 years
Hell yeah brother cheers from Hav
As a subscriber from Germany, you're welcome.