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"a Twitter clone with no upside to writers"

Notes linking to Substack Newsletters should convert better. Notes are networked "post summaries" that represent an improvement over the traditional blog homepage format. I see a play that could improve what they're cloning while also benefiting their core offering.

It has potential but the likeness of the clone is a bit off-putting for me.

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Your post clarified my thinking on this. If I think of Notes as a Twitter clone then I'm upset because, like the parent poster, I want a much narrower subscription-base for long form content than I do short form content. However, if I think of this as merely a short form update from accounts I follow then it's fine.

That said, Substack showing writers adjacent to your subscriptions in Notes makes if feel more Twitter-like in a way that I'm not sure I like.

"However, if I think of this as merely a short form update from accounts I follow then it's fine."

Substack will need to decide if they view Notes as a search engine with an RSS feed or a standalone social network.

Edit: I don't think their positioning is obvious yet.

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