Free subscriptions versus a paywall
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Dear Readers and, especially,
dear Pledgors,
A regular reader here recently asked me about “going paid”, saying that, if I introduced paid subscriptions, I was to let her know, so that she could see whether she could afford it or not. I really love this kind of directness.
Meanwhile, other readers have made what are called “pledges”: their kindness is a little overwhelming. My modesty has often been taken as being feigned, but my own sarcastic bombasticity has, to my chagrin, and by a strange inversion, often been taken for real. When I say, therefore, that pledges overwhelm me, then that is an expression of the huge compliment that I recognise in them: thank you, pledgors.
I replied to the lady in question that I had no real intention of asking for paid subscriptions but promised I would let her know. The very next day, wouldn’t you know it?, a further pledge was made, and once again my flabber was gasted.
So, everyone, here is the paid deal.
1. Free content. Content will still continue to be posted that is free to access.
2. Free subscriptions will always be available on request at The Endless Chain. They are literally here for the asking. They are not means-tested, and they are not offered under any conditions or duress. If you can’t or don’t want to pay, but still want to read, you may. Exactly like The Guardian newspaper.
3. Paid subscriptions will be introduced in the future at some point. They will offer more in terms of content than is offered with a free subscription (there has to be some value for your money).
For instance, paid subscribers may DM me with requests to examine, and give views on, their own pet subjects. E.g. you may have recently seen my article which mentions the Caribbean republic of Haiti. The article comes in response to a reader who has asked me to contribute research to a film he wishes to make about Haiti. This project led to that article, and will lead to much more in the fullness of time. Two other readers have also each asked me to engage in writing projects for them, one his biography, another her activity in the realm of human resources. We are currently in discussions to determine which direction these will go in. Perhaps one or the other would be suitable as paid-subscription content. So, you can see the kind of thing I mean (I think that, here, they call them deeper dives). Then, again, someone might simply ask, “Tell us what you think about the development of the Chinese photovoltaic cell market.” But if you do, you won’t be getting a financial analysis, that much you know by now.
I have to admit that some of the posts on The Endless Chain are better than others. I am currently working on an Index, which will help in navigating the archive to find content that arouses your curiosity or piques your interest. It’ll include info about the subject-matter, the YouTube links, and the languages in which content is written. I also want to embark on a sub-project aligned with my business activity, by translating more content into other languages, and paid subscribers who expressed an interest in seeing a given article in another language could also request that. The Substack gateway is not especially friendly to viewing spreadsheets, so the Index would be available as a download from a limited-access blogpost. I am not sure what the malware implications of this could be, so do be careful.
4. Pledges. You pledgors have already gone above and beyond the call of duty, and, I repeat, I am greatly humbled by your unurged, spontaneous demonstrations of generosity. If you have second thoughts about your pledges, then I invite you to retract them now: I don’t want to embarrass anyone into parting with their hard-earned money. But times are also hard for me at the present time, and I could certainly do with your contribution, but only if you won’t thereby suffer. I hereby myself pledge that a part of the proceeds from my work here on Substack will be used for a family I (try to) support in The Gambia or to some other charity institution, so that they may share in your bounty.
Acceptance of the pledges already made will not be coterminous with the introduction of paid subscription. It will come before that. I am led to understand that that is possible. I shall be writing separately to the pledgors (or they can comment below) to check that they will not be financially distressed by the acceptance process.
My mission on Substack has been to air my thoughts, to promote my own thinking and to provoke thought in others. Not to offer answers, for I have few to offer, and still fewer to deploy. Much about the modern world is no different to the world in times past and, I’m sure, will in no way differ from that in times future, aside, perhaps, from not being as warm. Ours is a constant struggle with our values and our beliefs, with our neighbours and with ourselves, with survival and with existence. I simply hope to have turned minds, if only a little, towards consideration of what we can do for each other, rather than of what we can do merely for ourselves.
Your acts of generosity, your fruitful and thoughtful comments, and your wee hearts of “like” have given me encouragement and fortitude, and great pleasure, in knowing that you enjoy what I do. You have now, and will have eternally, my gratitude for that.
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny, a halfpenny will do.
If you haven’t got a halfpenny,
Then, God bless you.
