One option: you can set up "sections" on your Substack such that people can choose subscribe to only the content posted in specific sections, and not the others! Or they can just stay subscribed to everything.
In terms of opinions on topics, I'm definitely hyped for imagining a future free of vulgar positivism. I say it's time to skip right on ahead to critical realism (which comes after postmodernism which comes after postpositivism), and in particular to relational materialism...
I also think it would be fun if you wrote more about rules & anarchy. Or maybe I'm saying that cause it's what *I* should do lol.
I don't, but I use them myself (for my poetry substack). I haven't found them too difficult to use—when you publish a post you just click a box to say which Section you want it to fall under. You can set it up to have new subscribers automatically subscribed to all Sections or set aside certain Sections to be opt-in only. I dunno if you had a more specific logistical concern in mind?
The Lecture Blogs and Collections are excellent methods for new readers to approach the range of your writing. I don't think you need more than those two as long as you keep them updated.
The problem of repetition looms larger for you, who knows the material so well. Regular readers, this one at least, appreciate the reminders.
My only concrete suggestion is add a Rule #10. Provide a link to buy the book at the top of every post. The book deserves every reader it can get.
arg min offers a great value. Telling people who read your work for free that for the low, low price of $20.97 they can buy a fully baked version of some of these sketches does them a favor.
As a somewhat technical person, I would also enjoy your input on new papers that you have read and found interesting. (My experience is that your blogs are solely on your own studies.) I do not mind extra math at all. Thanks so much for everything and have a great argmin anniversary :)
I'm enjoying all of your posts, and if I had to vote for more of any particular topic, I would love to read more essays on postmodernism, stats, and related topics.
Ben, one of the things I like about your blog is that it's clearly not suffering from "audience capture": you're curious about a bunch of things, and you explore those things. Period. Don't change this i.e., don't contort your curiosity to make your readers happy.
Re: different readers caring about different topics, either do nothing (I usually just read the first paragraph and decide if I want to read the post or not) or have tags at the top of the article.
Personally a big fan of how unpredictable the topics can be--feel like I learn more that way. My main motivation for reading the blog is primarily to see unique and insightful takes on things and that seems to basically stay constant regardless
It would be very difficult to force me to sit through an entire football game (my dad unsuccessfully tried to several times while I was growing up). Even so, I enjoy reading your football related posts, keep them coming!
I know next to nothing about football, but I read those posts dutifully to keep reminding myself that Quinian radical indeterminacy is real.
What is Quinian radical indeterminacy?
Fundamental underdetermination of meaning by observed behavior (see e.g. https://iep.utm.edu/indeterm/).
One option: you can set up "sections" on your Substack such that people can choose subscribe to only the content posted in specific sections, and not the others! Or they can just stay subscribed to everything.
In terms of opinions on topics, I'm definitely hyped for imagining a future free of vulgar positivism. I say it's time to skip right on ahead to critical realism (which comes after postmodernism which comes after postpositivism), and in particular to relational materialism...
I also think it would be fun if you wrote more about rules & anarchy. Or maybe I'm saying that cause it's what *I* should do lol.
Good call about Sections. I'm looking into it, though a bit worried about the logistics of managing it. Do you follow anyone who uses them?
Noted about rules and anarchy. Adding it to the topic list.
I don't, but I use them myself (for my poetry substack). I haven't found them too difficult to use—when you publish a post you just click a box to say which Section you want it to fall under. You can set it up to have new subscribers automatically subscribed to all Sections or set aside certain Sections to be opt-in only. I dunno if you had a more specific logistical concern in mind?
The Lecture Blogs and Collections are excellent methods for new readers to approach the range of your writing. I don't think you need more than those two as long as you keep them updated.
The problem of repetition looms larger for you, who knows the material so well. Regular readers, this one at least, appreciate the reminders.
My only concrete suggestion is add a Rule #10. Provide a link to buy the book at the top of every post. The book deserves every reader it can get.
arg min offers a great value. Telling people who read your work for free that for the low, low price of $20.97 they can buy a fully baked version of some of these sketches does them a favor.
Thank you, Rob! I appreciate that, and I should do it.
As a somewhat technical person, I would also enjoy your input on new papers that you have read and found interesting. (My experience is that your blogs are solely on your own studies.) I do not mind extra math at all. Thanks so much for everything and have a great argmin anniversary :)
RE: Private language. Andrew Gelman has taken this to an extreme and as a result needs to maintain a glossary. Maybe you are next?
Unfortunately, so many of my tics are unconscious. I need people to tell me which words are confusing.
I'm enjoying all of your posts, and if I had to vote for more of any particular topic, I would love to read more essays on postmodernism, stats, and related topics.
I enjoy your writing and topics even if I don't always agree with the conclusions. Just wanted to add my vote of appreciation.
Ben, one of the things I like about your blog is that it's clearly not suffering from "audience capture": you're curious about a bunch of things, and you explore those things. Period. Don't change this i.e., don't contort your curiosity to make your readers happy.
Re: different readers caring about different topics, either do nothing (I usually just read the first paragraph and decide if I want to read the post or not) or have tags at the top of the article.
Personally a big fan of how unpredictable the topics can be--feel like I learn more that way. My main motivation for reading the blog is primarily to see unique and insightful takes on things and that seems to basically stay constant regardless
It would be very difficult to force me to sit through an entire football game (my dad unsuccessfully tried to several times while I was growing up). Even so, I enjoy reading your football related posts, keep them coming!
I personally valued the entries about statistics and machine learning (broadly speaking) most highly of all the blog content.
More football, of course!