Pumpkin Carve 2024 - #SoulSeesBest #AgEcoResearch

GIF from 2024 Halloween 🎃 by WriterJoshua on YouTube

It's October

    Spooky Season is upon us and, while I like to think of myself as removed from the trendiness, I can't help but be caught up in the pumpkin fever that the Fall brings. One of those trends is prevalent across streaming platforms in the form of Halloween inspired collections. While browsing HBO's Max,  I came across a Food Network competition known as, Outrageous Pumpkins. After binging a few seasons, I became inspired. I feel a bit overwhelmed, as some of the carvers are of a full on set construction and special effects design caliber. However, my only experience with Jack-O-Lanterns was a simple triangle eyes, square teeth, cut out kind. I had seen more intricate details created by shaving the pumpkin, instead of cutting all the way through but, this was the first time I would consider trying it myself.

Still from Outrageous Pumpkins on Food Network

Stream Outrageous Pumpkins on MAX

My two pumpkins next my laptop with a screenshot of Outrageous Pumpkins on FoodNetwork for inspiration

AgEcoResearch Pumpkins

Pumpkin in a raised garden bed surround by cover crops

    I should also note that, I have been growing my own pumpkins for about three years. After one Halloween, I tossed the store bought Jack into the garden. I have a raised bed that I've been trying to build organically (and as financially efficient as possible!) by layering a few bags of soil and fertilizer at a time, planting cover crops, adding yard waste and kitchen scraps, and repeating the process to fill the the container.

    So, I just tossed it in the corner, not worried about whether it would grow or not, just happy to make it part of the ecosystem. I wasn't all that surprised when I found pumpkin vine growing the next Spring. I harvested a pumpkin or two the next season and repeated the process, tossing that Jack back into the box. You guessed it. That one grew back the next season and, this year, I harvested two more pumpkins! This year, I've saved the pumpkin seeds and plan on planting them in a more intentional way but, in the mean time. I have two Jack-O-Lanterns to experiment on! (Muahahahah because, you know 🎃)

Pumpkin leaves surrounded by cover crop 

Two pumpkins marked with crayon before becoming Jack-O-Lanterns

Two pumpkins shaved and carved into Jack-O-Lanterns

    I spent about two hours with a cheap carving kit, a potato peeler, and a small kitchen knife. They weren't the best tools, as I found myself missing a clay carving tool, like the ones I saw in Outrageous Pumpkins, to shape in finer detail. I also have a vertical peeler, as opposed to the horizontal oriented ones they use, that made it a bit harder to control the angle. Otherwise, I enjoyed myself and think that these are a great first attempt and creative pumpkin carving. If everything goes well, I have some more to play with in 2025!

WriterJoshua carving into a pumpkin with a pairing knife

    So, I set up my laptop and my iPhone to capture some footage of the process. You might find it pretty boring. I didn't do any talking. I wore headphones so, there's no music but, I hear that there are folks who just like the background noise and kitchen sounds. I also found some cheap LED lights with remotes to give them a spooky vibe in the dark. You can hear the carving and scraping of the pumpkin so, I posted the 2 Hour Ambient Pumpkin Carve on YouTube. 

For those of you with less patience, I'm working on cutting that video down to a shorter version with music, and maybe some voice over. Link coming soon.

For those of you with even less patience, how are you still reading this? I'm impressed! I posted a short video of the results on social media, linked below.

• Homegrown Jack-O-Lantern 🎃 by WriterJoshua on YouTube Shorts
• Halloween 2024 🎃 by WriterJoshua on YouTube Shorts
• 🎃 by SoulSeesBest on TikTok
• Halloween 2024 by SoulSeesBest on TikTok
• 🎃 Pumpkin Carve 2024 by SoulSeesBest on TikTok
• Halloween 2024 🎃 by WriterJoshua on Twitter (X)

If I don't see you before then, have a safe and Happy Halloween 👻

--

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lucero

Send Me An @Email

www.writerjoshua.com

--

WriterJoshua Around the Web

Joshua Lucero on LinkedIn

WriterJoshua on Facebook

@JoshWritesWell on Twitter (X)

u/WriterJoshua on Reddit

Short Blog Posts?

    Why do I feel like blog posts have to be long, elaborate columns, as if they were in a newspaper or magazine? Is it social media that does that? There's this idea that, "if it's going to be shorter than a few lines, it should just be a social media post." I mean, isn't social media just a microblogging platform? Is that just me? As a blogger, do you feel compelled to keep your short worded ideas off of your blog?

    Why can't we direct daily traffic to our own websites with short posts? I can't be the only one who feels that way, and I'm sure it's not a coincidence. I get "ideas" throughout the day and want to post them somewhere. Not so much to share them with you but, to document them. Like a digital notepad, I like to go back over my "list of notes" to analyze my thought patterns and maybe flesh out an idea for a research project, or something. I kind of loathe having to go to another website to do that.

    I could just use the notes app. Sure, it's not always about reaching an audience but, sometimes these thoughts could inspire others to pursue their own. After all, isn't social media so successful because we have a deeply primitive urge to communicate with others? So, I like having that option.

    I'm trying to work on that. I obviously want to connect with society but, I don't feel like it must be through somebody else's app. So, see if you catch a few short posts around here and tell me what you think. 

    Also, I'm working on reorganizing my webspace. Google Domains are now operated by Squarespace so, the change over has made it...interesting. I'm trying to host my main url at a Google Sites design, and use this Blogger account as a Blog.WriterJoshua.com subdomain. I've tried adding custom DNS records but, it's not quite coming together. It's hard to read because some changes are instant, yet some say they'll take 24-48 hours so, it's hard to say if there's an error or it's just not showing, yet. Pardon My Dust, as it were, I guess.

Happy Thursday. Somebody tell October it's supposed to be Autumn in SoCal.

☀️

--

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lucero

Send Me An @Email

www.writerjoshua.com

--

WriterJoshua Around the Web

Joshua Lucero on LinkedIn

WriterJoshua on Facebook

@JoshWritesWell on Twitter (X)

u/WriterJoshua on Reddit

Opinion: Knowing the Why - One Easy Step To Understand Anything!

Hey,

Happy October!

I'm still very new to the world of clay. I've been extremely hesitant to just get my hands dirty and figure stuff out. I've always been somewhat cautious about approaching new things. I need to understand the why and how of it all. It's not enough to just copy someone else and say I Did It! This can have positive and negative effects. In this case, it created a barrier to entry. I was so focused on being the perfect clay potter that, I lost touch with my inquisitive nature. 

I love YouTube. It's becoming an ad-ridden hell hole, sure but, I've learned a lot of niche skills and discovered interesting and unique ideas that I may not have otherwise. It's like the Universal Library of information. However, one of the largest trends is the How To genre. It's filled with videos of, seemingly, professionals showing you how to do anything in 4 Easy Steps! Most of them are alright, this isn't about knocking the ones that aren't terrible. However, even amongst some of the well meaning ones, a trend has developed among the community.

With so many videos online showing how to do anything, most people have stopped asking Why? Wanting to know how something is done, simply to recreate it, is fine. It's a great starting point but, for most people, it seems like it ends there. There's not many videos of people receiving knowledge. Everybody wants to come across as the all knowing giver of knowledge but, most of the smartest people in the world are learning, rather than teaching. There's an entire culture of people obsessed with and satisfied with a result, rather than appreciative of the journey of exploration and understanding. Try this analogy.

Imagine society has broken down. You are humanity's last hope to build shelter. All we have left is this IKEA style, snap into place, home building kit. It's easy, you just put piece A into piece 1, etc. That's fine. It works but, what happens if the instructions are corrupted and some of the pieces are destroyed? You don't know which piece goes where, let alone why the foundation and supporting beams are put where they are to support the ceiling and the roof. You just knew the simplified answer was, put A into 1. With that little How To, you could do it but, if you had taken the time to understand the Why of each piece and how it was connected, you could take that knowledge and adapt it to something outside of the context of the How To Instruction Manual. 

Knowing the Why, you could find suitable materials to replace the ones you lost, apply the principles of building a sound structure, and make adjustments based on what you have at hand. A truly knowledgeable person's power comes not from being able to recall the right excerpt from the book but, in being able to recall the understanding of the concept and applying it to the current circumstance. What good is knowledge if you aren't building on to it?

I know. That analogy gets a little wonky but, I think you're smart enough to understand what I'm getting at. What good is having all of the knowledge of the universe at our fingertips if, once it becomes inaccessible, we are useless? It's great to be able to reference anything whenever we want but, we should be using that reach to expand our core systems, instead of simply relying on the cloud. From a networking perspective, access to the cloud network is fine but, just in case, let's keep a hard copy offline.

Let me try to tie it in with this. I began my clay journey with a sustainability goal in mind. I wanted a cost-effective, ecofriendly solution to my need for many small pots, used to store and transport seedlings and rooted cuttings. I knew I didn't want to use the plastic cups that were so readily available and I knew I didn't have the budget to buy the fancy Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Pots at the scale I had in mind. That's when I fell back on my fascination with ancient technology. Particularly, ancient pottery.

It seems so easy. It's literally just dirt, mixed with water, and shaped into a bowl. Now, as I ventured down the rabbit hole of information about Wild Clay, I was inspired but, also deterred from beginning. While I'm sure most of the accounts mean well, I felt this strong deterrence. There was a mental, or spiritual, blockade: You can't just go and get dirt from your yard. I agreed. It couldn't be that easy, right? There was all of this information about clay sediments, and locations, and private and public land, etc., etc. Don't get me started on the fancy modern pottery vernacular, with the cone firing ratings and what not. 

The more I learned, the further away I was taken from my goal. Listen. I get it. Some dirt is just not clay. It may not hold up well, it may not last long. Sure, there are some limitations but, why wasn't I just getting my hands in some dirt and seeing what's what? 

🪬 Handcraft by a man who's soul sees better than his eyes do at SoulSeesBest.writerjoshua.com

So, today, I decided to do some experimentation of my own. I'm not going to name any specific accounts because this isn't meant to be disruptive. If anything, despite all of this, I still learned quite a bit, and have been inspired just the same. The adbreaks are still a GIGANTIC TURN OFF but, that's another entry (I mean, I don't even like watching ads in professional television, why would I want to watch ads from someone I don't even know is going to give me the right information, yet?). The point is, I choose to understand the why and how of clay, instead of simply relying on what YouTubers say. I'm going to take what I've learned and apply it to my current circumstance, and that means some experimentation.

• Read: What Happens If I Don't Seal Air Dry Clay? - #SoulSeesBest #AgEcoResearch (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

 I have also received a lot of information about sun drying clay. You're not supposed to sun dry clay because, it is said, that it will crack and become useless. But, I want to know, how useless? I've also been looking into adobe mud brick. I am currently living in the Southwestern United States. Adobe is prevalent so, why not see if it can be a solution for me. 

• Read: What Happens If I Sun Dry Clay Pottery? - #SoulSeesBest #AgEcoResearch (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

--

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lucero

Send Me An @Email

www.writerjoshua.com

--

WriterJoshua Around the Web

Joshua Lucero on LinkedIn

WriterJoshua on Facebook

@JoshWritesWell on Twitter (X)

u/WriterJoshua on Reddit

Technology: How I'm Leveling Up IRL XP Making Maps in Fortnite Creative 2.0

What is Fortnite Creative 2.0?

    You can thank the Ninja Turtles for really solidifying my engagement in Fortnite. Grinding to complete the Chapter 5 Cowabunga Pass, as well as owning the Master Splinter skin, encouraged me to invest more time and energy into this game. One of the conditions of earning Ooze, the temporary currency for the Cowabunga pass, was to gain XP in User Created maps. Honestly, the perfectionist in me could hardly get past the flaws of many of the Islands. They seemed so primitive compared to the official channels, understandably so. Building an entire video game is a difficult task. It is so complex that it takes entire teams of people to make the best games and even they can have bugs and other complications. That's why there are updates often. Part of that is because the internet makes it possible to push updates rather frequently. Studios don't need to necessarily get it perfect before it ships, like they had to in the days of cartridges and laser discs. So, I say all that with the utmost respect.

    Fortnite Creative is revolutionary to the gaming industry by simply making this technology freely available to everyone. I've never understood more of the nuance of creating virtual worlds and connecting us around the world to play together in real time ever before. Having grown up in the 90's, it is sort of mind blowing to think about. It reminds me of the impact that Apple made on the music industry when it made GarageBand, a powerful music production tool, available for free on its devices. The same may be said about iMovie, as well. 

    I'll get to the specifics of the Unreal Engine in a minute but, the "Omniverse" concept is decentralizing the way we entertain ourselves. It is empowering players, many of them young, to engage in computer sciences with almost zero experience in computers and coding. Most of all, it's actually fun!

    Fortnite Creative 2.0 is powered by the Unreal Engine (Epic Games, 2024), which has created some of the most iconic games on the market. It is available on PC as a developer tool and has recently launched Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN) explicitly for creating Fortnite Islands. It is currently not available for MacOS so, I haven't been able to fully embrace the power of it but, I have been able to experience the more modest version of Creative on the Playstation 5 console can already see the impact it will have on, not only gaming but, computer sciences and education. 

    If you've been around for the past few years, you are certainly aware of Web3, cryptocurrency, decentralized banking, NFT's, and the Fediverse. The Fortnite Omniverse performs a similar function. The game itself is free for everyone. Most, if not all but one, of the islands are free to access. Anyone can sign up for the Creator Portal, allowing them to receive payouts for creating engaging Islands (Epic Games, 2-2024). Considering the potential to earn a living creating video games is nothing I have ever thought possible but, now it is. More than that, though, I find navigating the environment and using such a powerful tool to access an unlimited level of creativity to be a driving force. 

WriterJoshua's Islands

    Joining the Creator Portal and becoming an Island Creator comes with it's own eligibility requirements, including the 30 days rule, before you can publish (Epic Games, 2024). So, you won't find my Islands, just yet. However, I am live streaming my creative exploratory process to document and reference as I move forward. I am learning so much and have lots of great ideas for game modes and experiences. My biggest goal is to be able to implement my own music, as I have been composing soundtracks for many years. I am also excited to engage my storytelling skills into a fun, playable environment that I can share with you. 

    These games may be classic Battle Royale matches, immersive Solo and Cooperative Campaigns, or even virtual concert and music performance instances. Then, there's all of the innovative ideas I've yet to dream up. Having access to such a platform opens up an entire world of artistic possibility. It's been awhile since I've been this excited about a creative venture. I have a good feeling about it. 

    Until I begin publishing, you can contribute by engaging with my online content, or tipping via financial platforms listed below. I am also interested in connecting with you if you'd like to test some of my Islands, possibly collaborate on a project, or just share ideas and feedback. If you are a writer interested in creating dialogue, or a gaming expert interested in discussing game mechanics and structure, or if you have your own projects that you believe some of my music would fit, leave a comment or connect with me on Epic Games or the Playstation Network.. I am also interested in sharing Nintendo Friend Codes if you prefer that platform. That's the great thing about games with cross-platform capability.

I tried to avoid being charged for changing my Player Name but, it wouldn't allow me to connect a new PS account to my current Epic Games account so, I decided that it is still early enough that it isn't much of a loss to abandon the old account. I'll still have access to my TMNT content on the old account if I need it. Plus, there's plenty of evidence on my gamer YouTube channel. Hopefully, that content will cycle back into the shop at some point. Otherwise, I think it's worth it keep all of my tags easily organized so you can find me in game. 

• EpicGames: WriterJoshua_
• PSN: WriterJoshua

$WriterJoshua on YouTube

This is a new domain as of February 2024. Per the Google Workspace Agreement, an account must be active for 30 days to be eligible to create a YouTube account. It will take even longer to be approved by YouTube to do Live Streaming. I'm just too excited to wait! So in the meantime, I've been using my gaming channel to stream my early discovery experience on Fortnite Creative.

I am also new to the Fortnite Omniverse. Until my new channel is approved (watch this space) I will posting my Fortnite Creative adventures at @BeauHolliday on YouTube. You can also follow as I check out Epic Originals like Zero Build, Festival Jam Session, Lego Survival as well as cool creator maps like, Super Market Prop Hunt and Footnite. The possibilities are quite infinite.

Check out these playlists for some of the Live Stream Replays:

• @BeauHolliday: Fortnite Zero Build Victory Royale
• @BeauHolliday: Fortnite Creative Live

My Gaming History

Video games have evolved significantly since I played my first Duck Hunt on the NES. I was going to mention my experience with Pong at my grandpa's house but, I thought that would have dated me older than I am. Ha! I was heavy into Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Super Mario Bros on the NES. I was probably too young for it but, I spent some time shooting demons in Doom, when. I wasn't typing book reports or playing Minesweeper and Solitaire. Super Nintendo introduced me to Street Fighter and more Mario Bros, and FIFA on Playstation constituted most of my gaming through elementary school. Daytona USA and Virtua Street Fighter on the Sega Saturn are still some of my fondest memories. My friends had multiple Xbox's and we had a lot of Halo LAN parties.I dabbled in GTA on a Playstation 2 but, I mostly used it as a DVD player, if I'm being honest.

That's around the time I started working full time in restaurants and doing the adult life stuff, you know. I lost touch with video games. I would play the occasional Wii Sports with my little sister but, I spent a lot of time away from gaming. I missed the initial boom of online gaming. I didn't have an Xbox 360 or spend much time gaming on PC. It wasn't until I started playing Xbox One demos of FIFA at the mall in 2016 that I began to feel the pull of video games, once again. 

While it was primarily used to play FIFA, the Xbox One immersed me into the new experience of online gaming. By now, the internet speeds were stable enough to support complex software across vast distances. I felt like a caveman riding in a sedan. With that immense processing power, I was enabled to experience open world games, like the Assassin's Creed franchise, and fell in love with the storytelling aspect of gaming. 

Now, I'm on Nintendo Switch and Playstation 5, in addition to the Xbox One for my Halo connections. Ghost of Tsushima was my first game, and via Playstation Plus, I was able to access Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. 

Which brings us to February 2024. I had played a quick game of Fortnite a long time ago. With my experience in first person shooters, I did okay but, I didn't understand the Build Mechanics and lost interest. After playing some Minecraft with family over the holidays, the kids finally convinced me to give Fortnite a try. I've leveled up, some, playing Zero Build lobbies. If I had known this was an option, I might have been here sooner. Now that I understand the weapon classes, how the storm works, which consumables do what, and how to strategize, I'm enjoying it. 

Thank you for your time. Please share your thoughts on Fortnite, or gaming in general. Are you an Island Creator? Which platform is your favorite to play on?

--

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lucero

Send Me An @Email

www.writerjoshua.com

WriterJoshua Around the Web

Joshua Lucero on LinkedIn

WriterJoshua on Facebook

@JoshWritesWell on Twitter (X)

u/WriterJoshua on Reddit

Resources:

Epic Games. (2024). Fortnite Creative Mode. Fortnite.com. https://www.fortnite.com/creative

Epic Games. (2024). Home | Creator Portal. Fortnite.com. https://create.fortnite.com/island-creator/overview

Tech: I Use My Desktop Magic Mouse On My Laptop, Too

Hello again!

    I'm rather excited to write this one. First of all, forgive me if this is already common knowledge. I was a strong holdout for Android and Windows PC's before I got my first iPhone. I have only been a member of the Apple ecosystem for a few years, and the content I found, today, was posted in 2010. However, after setting up a new desk, one which allows me to share space between my iMac and MacBook Pro, I began wondering about the Magic Mouse. Particularly, could I use it on my MacBook without messing something up?

    Firstly, I didn't know how to pair the Magic Mouse to a new device. Good news if you don't either, because it will actually do it on it's own! 

    However, there was a snag in my plans. I began by searching the web to find out if this is even possible. In the Apple Discussion forum, user: alzeg posted this query: Magic mouse connect to 2 computers. "Great," I thought. If someone else has already posed this question on the official forum, there must be a reliable answer. He mentioned that he was connected to two computers but, that he has to manually pair to each device, every time.

    To my immediate dismay, though, the "Best Reply" was from user: Eric Maier who quoted "Welcome to bluetooth. The Magic Mouse is a monogamous creature, can only pair with 1 computer at a time," followed by some quip about buying more mice because they're "cute."  It was disappointing. I gave some serious thought to purchasing another one but, it was just going to sit at this desk. Then I would get them mixed up. It would be a whole fiasco!

    Then, I scrolled down to find the new "Best Reply" from user: tolkan (I voted it helpful). It states: "Sorry Eric, you're incorrect. I have my mouse paired to both my PC and my Mac. It can only connect to one machine at a time. If you want to change the computer that the mouse is connected to, you either have to shut off bluetooth on one of the computers, or shut the computer down. Afterwards, the mouse will find the other computer and connect to it."

    Sweet! This might actually work! So, I shut down my iMac desktop and waited for a second, wiggling my one and only Magic Mouse. Then, in my MacBooks Bluetooth list, there it was! It worked! I used it to move straight to the blog so I could share the good news with you all.

If this is something you interested in doing, here's a few key things to note:

• The Magic Mouse will only connect to ONE bluetooth device at a time. I haven't tested it, yet but, it's safe to assume that it will always stay paired to the latest connection by default.
• Shut Down or Turn Bluetooth Off on any device you are not using the Magic Mouse with. My mouse has been sitting next to my laptop for almost a year and I didn't even notice it on my "Available Devices" list until I shut down my iMac first.

    My iMac desktop has the old school USB ports, which makes it easier to connect my audio and MIDI devices. While it's possible to use my iMac to make music, with GarageBand, I prefer the physical touch of my electric piano, which I only have connected to my desktop. So, it's become the "music studio" computer.

My laptop travels with me everywhere, sometimes even, only to the back porch or the living room. Unless I'm at my desk, I don't really need the mouse anyway. However, for some digital projects that require a more concise cursor control, it's nice to have mouse nearby. Even just performing some organizational tasks, like sorting a large number of photos, or reading long pages of text, scrolling with the mouse is just much more enjoyable.

--

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lucero

Send Me An @Email

www.writerjoshua.com

--

WriterJoshua Around the Web

Joshua Lucero on LinkedIn

WriterJoshua on Facebook

@JoshWritesWell on Twitter (X)

u/WriterJoshua on Reddit

How's your English?

If you, or someone you know, is interested in improving their English skills for school or work in a contemporary setting, I may be able to help you with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and more. Please read "Modern American ESL Tutor For Hire" to know more.

A Pair of Fresh Eyes

Do you have an important document but, you're not sure if it's ready to submit? Is there something about formal English that you can't wrap you're head around? Do you just need another perspective before you send? I may also be available to proofread your documents, blogs, social media posts, emails, assignments, etc. Leave a comment or contact me to discuss your needs and how I can help.

Tips and Payment

$WriterJoshua on Cash App

WriterJoshua on Venmo

WriterJoshua on PayPal.me

Why Social Media Ain't What It Used To Be

    Let’s not pretend that we don’t know what went wrong. Once they realized that the most valuable asset was attention, and that they could manipulate it, the “new world” was over. I’ve been around since well before MySpace but, I was there at the beginning of Facebook and Twitter. I was a bit late but, still early to Instagram. Social Media, for all intents and purposes, was the digital era Gold Rush.

    “Head West. Stake your claim. There’s enough for everyone to strike it rich!” The crazy thing is, it was true! It was a literal world marketplace. I like to picture it as a universal swap meet. You show up, present your wares, and the entire world interacted. There was no algorithm, no ideal post time, no keyword strategy. It was just, being on the internet. It was remarkable, really.

    It’s not that anymore, is it? It’s impossible to build a brand without already having an established brand presence. That’s by design. It’s money. It comes down to money. Greed is probably more accurate. Preferential treatment. Maybe even further, preferential dis treatment. “Algorithms to show more of what you want to see.” Pfft! It went from world marketplace to abandoned strip mall incredibly quick. Advertising, lol.

    They got greedy. They saw an oasis in the desert. A beautiful stream of water, enough for all of us, then dug it up to maximize profits and wasted it all trying to keep it for themselves.

    I’m sure there’s political nonsense in it, too. You remember all of the social uprisings as people around the world were finally able to communicate in real time at a grand scale. The glass door effect. Overnight, every agenda on the planet was exposed to the light of day. The world has never been the same.

    So, here we are, pretending that we need advertisers. We don’t need you. We CERTAINLY don’t need you targeting us even more aggressively. If you monopolize the “desire” sector, where does that line between what we want, and what you want us to want, exist? We know your shit don’t work.

    No, I don’t want some “bro” to ambush my YouTube videos, mentally abusing me into flipping houses or listen to some poorly written voice bot tell me my body isn’t good enough and there’s a "miracle" to fix it. That will NEVER generate a click, let alone conversion, from me. We. Don’t. Need. You.

    So, to my point. As you may have gathered, I’ve explored just about every social media there is. I’m trying to make a living (like they all tell me I can and should do) being a content creator. Not an influencer. Not a meme generator or a glorified pyramid scheme but, a genuine creator, a contributor to society. I have been eternally disappointed.

    A few months ago, I found Substack. It seemed incredibly promising. There was positive talk, from founders on the platform, about how it was going to be different. All the same misgivings I had about social media seemed to be addressed. I thought “these guy’s really get it.” I had high hopes and as you imagine, I’m extremely skeptical. Today, though, I received two “notifications” from writers I have NOTHING to do with. I don’t follow them. I’ve never liked, even read, any of their posts. I haven’t even expressed any desire to see their content.

    This is how it started, the demise of all social media.

    Notifications are direct interactions on content: likes, replies, shares, etc. I get that you want to “share with me the wonderful world of your ecosystem” but, that’s not a notification. You do that and consider my trust violated. If I ask you to recommend “accounts to follow” then, by all means, fire up that algorithm to sift through my activities and connect me to an account that is similar to my interests.

    DO NOT try to force feed me stuff that you think will “increase my engagement” on your website application.

    I don’t think I’m asking too much.

Sincerely Yours,
Joshua Lucero
www.writerjoshua.com