Hi Folks. My apologies to anyone who got bombarded by notifications from my site recently. That wasn’t my intention. I’ve been quietly revising content, hoping to improve your experience—not overwhelm your inbox.

There was a time I could do this without alerting the world—or at least those of you who likely forgot you ever subscribed here. But, like so much in our late-stage capitalist / neoliberal era: profit is king.

:(

The author Cory Doctorow has a word for this: enshittification. The process is like this: a platform starts off serving its users. It grows. Then it slowly degrades as it chases profit, control, and shareholder value over creativity and community. And then, here we are.

WordPress, a platform I’ve trusted, enjoyed, and paid for over decades, is revealing its enshittification. Once-common tools, like choosing whether to notify subscribers, are now restricted to a Business plan. Not only is that out of reach for many creators, it’s a clear example of paying more and getting less. I think most of you can relate.

It seems all major platforms have come to treat its creators as an ATM of sorts. The ability to genuinely create, connect with community, and (yes) help fund the infrastructure that hosts them? Accessible ten or more years ago. Today? Near impossible. And, it’s also near impossible to leave a platform after decades of building SEO and search credibility.

I’m not sure where that leaves me and WordPress. I’m disappointed for spamming you, especially since I tried every workaround not to. I’m exploring alternative (if limited) avenues for my creative ad writing practice. This space will become a relatively static archival portfolio.

I’m keen to know if any of you have you encountered this, on WordPress or another platform. Are you a user who subscribed early, only to find the experience has dulled over time? Are you a creator, priced out of full functionality?

Thank you for reading this far (and dealing with my spam: I promise that’s over).

I’d genuinely love to hear how you’re navigating it. Please leave me a comment below.

— Teresa S.

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