Dear readers:
The Farting Sofa Faculty Lounge has been open on Blogspot a bit over six months, and I am delighted with the response: ofer 40,000 visits, with more than half of those in the last two months, as might be predicted in the lead-up to and publication of The Running Grave.
When I found myself suddenly in need of my own platform after many years of publication on Hogwartsprofessor. I defaulted to blogspot, the blogging platform with which I was most familiar. However, I have gotten feedback from some readers that they are unable to post comments, or have no choice but to do so anonymously. I am therefore considering moving to a different platform, specifically Substack.
This is not an attempt to monetize: I have no plans for paid subscriptions or pledge requests. What I am interested in knowing is 1) if that platform makes commenting easier and 2) if readers would find notification by email of new posts helpful.
I am playing with the new platform and currently have a placeholder site up, with the most recent 25 posts copied over. I invite people to check it out. and, particularly for those of you who have found commenting on this site to be difficult or impossible, I invite you to try there. Feel free to leave feedback on the pros and cons of such a move on either site.
Link to The Farting Sofa Faculty Lounge, Substack Edition.
One way or another, the Lounge will remain open. I have plans for follow ups to the meaningful names posts, the Double Wedding Band model and a plan for an in-depth look at how Hassan's Combating Cult Mind Control informs not just The Running Grave, but earlier JKR/RG works as well.
I'll consider reader feedback before I decide whether to make the switch. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts.
I've never tried to comment on Substack, though I read blogs there a fair bit. Personally I've never had any difficulty posting comments on Blogspot. There may be issues with particular browsers (I use Firefox).
ReplyDeleteI don't think you can do comment moderation on Substack -- not the normal way, anyway. You can delete comments you object to, but I don't think you can hold them until you approve them like on Blogspot or Wordpress. That seems to have been the case when I looked into it, anyway. The big positive about Substack is that it's censorship-free, but that probably isn't an issue for you.
The link to the Substack edition in your post doesn't work for me (I get a "problem loading page" error).
Loved your posts discussing The Running Grave.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other! I have used Substack so I can follow the Hogwarts Professor posts but I enjoy the content in either site.
ReplyDeleteHi Louise! I don’t have an opinion either way. I just wanted to say I appreciate your insightful, kind, and inclusive approach to book analysis (especially in comparison with the smug and defensive tone of that other site, ahem).
ReplyDeleteI’ve kept fairly quiet on fan sites because I’ve really struggled to reconcile my enjoyment of reading and analyzing these books with my dismay at the author’s apparent lack of empathy or concern for my trans students and friends. And I do pick up on her lack of empathy and curiosity in the Strike books, not just in her public comments. I’ve appreciated your sensitive handling of mental health and psychological conditions as they are portrayed in the books. I feel your expertise as a psychologist is really helpful in bringing fact and nuance to these discussions. I hope that makes sense!
Dear Heidi, Thank you for your kind words. It is gratifying to hear form people who think those of use who have earned the title "psychology professor" have something thoughtful to contribute to the discussion.
DeleteI do my best to keep the discussion on the books themselves and make the site enjoyable and thought-provoking reading for all, regardless of their position of "Mr. Galbraith's" political views.
I just wish I could find a quick fix for readers who want to comment, with their own name or anonymously, who are currently blocked from doing so, despite my checking "allow comments from all) on the blog settings. Advice from more experienced blogspot users?
Yes, all that was to say, thank you (with a bit of context about why this space feels more welcoming to me).
DeleteSorry I can’t help with the technical questions, but I have not had any difficulty posting comments here or on Substack with other writers.
I joined Substack for Hogwarts Professor and I think the comments are far superior to other formats, allowing a greater sense of community discussion. I can like or comment on other people’s comments, they can reply back, and with each reply, I can get a notification by email. It isn’t perfect, as sometimes longer threads can get difficult to follow, but it is MUCH more enjoyable to actually discuss what has been written. Also, I like listening to the audio of the blogs. Thanks, as always, for the great content! Your efforts help me to keep my busy brain focused on positive thoughts, wondering about double rings instead of climate change and war.
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