Let's chat!
Introducing a space for our discussion threads
Today I’m introducing a new addition to my Substack publication: the Colorado Mountain Running & Living subscriber chat.
This is a conversation space in the Substack app that I set up exclusively for subscribers—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post short prompts, and you can jump into the discussion.
Why am I doing this? A couple of reasons.
One, I want to build a community around this newsletter. I like hearing from all of you and engaging in conversation. Also, I am growing increasingly disenchanted and disengaged with “conversation” (more like, shouting matches or snarky one-ups) on Twitter and Facebook. Early on, I thought of starting a Facebook group for this newsletter, but I want to spend less, not more, time on Facebook. (Instagram is the main social media I use now, along with Be Real to keep in touch with close friends.)
I appreciate that the Substack platform elevates the craft of writing and the development of meaningful discourse; as founder Hamish McKenzie recently wrote in a commentary about Twitter, “We believe that the next era of the social internet will be about deep relationships over shallow engagement; signal over noise; and ownership over serfdom. When people have the power over platforms, rather than the other way round, we can have more rewarding social experiences and healthier discourse, where we seek to understand our neighbors rather than score points against them. When the network is funded by paid subscriptions, not ads, trust relationships trump viral content.” (read more here)
To join our chat, you’ll need to download the Substack app (messages are sent via the app, not email). Turn on push notifications so you don’t miss a chance to join conversation as it happens.
How to get started
Download the app by clicking this link or the button below. Chat is only on iOS for now, but chat is coming to the Android app soon.
Open the app and tap the Chat icon. It looks like two bubbles in the bottom bar, and you’ll see a row for my chat inside.
That’s it! Jump into my thread to say hi, and if you have any issues, check out Substack’s FAQ.
I’ve already started my first chat thread, so come on over and say hello!
- Sarah