Substack is to Blogger like Tik Tok is to writing letters. Modern, trendy, culturally relative. I follow a few interesting Substacks and thought I'd try setting up my own. I lasted about five minutes before deleting the whole thing, including the app on my phone. It was more a matter of curiosity rather than seriously trying out a new blogging format. I found the site confusing and difficult to navigate.
My very first blog was created on AOL around the year 2000. It was when the term "online log" or "blog" entered the vocabulary. AOL had a site where you could start your own blog. I got excited about the idea of writing an online journal for our older kids leaving home. They weren't the slightest bit interested. They couldn't wait to leave the nest and focus on their own lives. "No time, Mom, sorry, I've been too busy to read it."
My husband was my biggest fan. He actually printed each entry. I have no idea where those hard copies ended up. Probably in a file or a box somewhere that disappeared during a move. Eventually, AOL got sold or otherwise lost the prominence of those early Internet days. Their blogging service disappeared as did my entries, despite what people say about once online, always online.
I must be an ancient relic, one of the first bloggers on perhaps the first blogging service. AOL, folks! That's the modern equivalent to the Dinosaur Age.
And now there's Substack, popular and successful, earning some folks quite a nice living. Anything where talented and thoughtful writers can earn a living from their craft has my vote.
Have any of you explored Substack, or set up an account? Probably even more unusual, did any of you start a blog on AOL? I think it might have been called AOL Journal.
