I have responded to a good percentage of the replies to my posts. If I were watching what everyone said about my endless notes and replied to them, that would drive me up a wall. I haven't given it any thought, but I imagine I will continue to ignore readers' comments on notes when I deliver them in Substack. I respect your point of view, I wish I could read and respond to all notes and didn't have those Hank Greenberg rabbit ears he references in "A Glory of Their Times." I will say, though, as someone who has been on your end, that having the ability to reply isn't just about having a conversation with the author, but about having agency, about working through an idea, about getting something off your chest. You can pretend I'm there. There is also the possibility that you can have dialogue with other readers. In a way, I think there is a bit of hubris on the author's end in thinking every comment must be to him specifically.
I have an impression that you never respond to Replies. If that's accurate, then I won't be subscribing. Is that a false impression?
I have responded to a good percentage of the replies to my posts. If I were watching what everyone said about my endless notes and replied to them, that would drive me up a wall. I haven't given it any thought, but I imagine I will continue to ignore readers' comments on notes when I deliver them in Substack. I respect your point of view, I wish I could read and respond to all notes and didn't have those Hank Greenberg rabbit ears he references in "A Glory of Their Times." I will say, though, as someone who has been on your end, that having the ability to reply isn't just about having a conversation with the author, but about having agency, about working through an idea, about getting something off your chest. You can pretend I'm there. There is also the possibility that you can have dialogue with other readers. In a way, I think there is a bit of hubris on the author's end in thinking every comment must be to him specifically.
Thanks for the heads up, David. I find your notes and analysis to be very entertaining and thought-provoking, so keep up the good work!
A labor of love. :)