#subscription manager subscribe

[billsby23]

What Is Subscription Management and Why It Matters

Subscription management is all about keeping track of the various subscriptions you have - whether it's for streaming services, software tools, or monthly snack boxes. Have you ever wondered how companies like Netflix or Spotify keep track of millions of subscribers, ensuring they get billed accurately and on time? That's where subscription management comes into play.

How does subscription management work?

Subscription management works like the conductor of a symphony, orchestrating all the moving parts to ensure a smooth and harmonious experience for both businesses and customers. At its core, subscription management involves overseeing the entire lifecycle of a subscription, from sign-up to renewal or cancellation.

Here's a breakdown of how subscription management works:

Customer sign-up: It all starts when a customer decides to subscribe to a service or product. This could be anything from a streaming platform like Netflix to a monthly delivery box of snacks. During the sign-up process, customers provide their payment information and choose their subscription plan.

Account creation: Once the customer signs up, an account is created in the subscription management system. This account contains important details like billing information, subscription preferences, and contact information.

Billing and payment processing: As the subscription progresses, the subscription management system handles the billing process. This includes generating invoices, processing payments, and sending receipts to customers. Depending on the billing cycle (monthly, yearly, etc.), payments are automatically charged to the customer's chosen payment method.

Subscription changes: Customers may want to change their subscriptions over time. This could involve upgrading to a higher-tier plan, adding extra features, or downgrading to a more basic plan. Subscription management systems allow customers to easily make these changes through self-service portals or by contacting customer support.

Renewals and cancellations: When a subscription is nearing its expiration date, the subscription management system sends out renewal reminders to customers. If the customer chooses to renew, the subscription is automatically extended for another billing period. On the other hand, if the customer decides to cancel, the subscription is terminated, and no further charges are incurred.

Customer support and issue resolution: Throughout the subscription lifecycle, customers may encounter issues or have questions about their subscriptions. Subscription management systems often include customer support features, such as ticketing systems or live chat support, to help address these concerns promptly and efficiently.

Analytics and reporting: Finally, subscription management systems provide valuable insights into subscriber behavior and trends. Businesses can analyze churn rates, customer retention, and subscription growth to make informed decisions and optimize their subscription offerings.

In essence, subscription management works behind the scenes to ensure that subscriptions are managed effectively, payments are processed accurately, and customers have a seamless experience from start to finish.

Subscription billing models

Subscription billing models come in various forms, offering flexibility for both businesses and customers. Here's a look at some common subscription billing models:

Monthly subscriptions: This is perhaps the most straightforward billing model, where customers pay a fixed amount each month to access a service or product. Examples include subscription boxes, streaming services like Netflix, and  SaaS billing platforms.

Annual subscriptions: Similar to monthly subscriptions, customers pay upfront for a year's worth of access to the service or product. Annual subscriptions often come with discounts or incentives to encourage customers to commit to a longer-term relationship with the business.

Freemium: In this model, the basic version of the service is offered for free, with limited features or functionality. Customers have the option to upgrade to a premium version with additional features by paying a subscription fee. This model is popular among software companies and mobile apps.

Tiered pricing: Businesses offer multiple subscription tiers, each with different levels of features and pricing. Customers can choose the tier that best suits their needs and budget. Tiered pricing allows businesses to cater to a broader range of customers and capture different market segments.

Usage-based billing: Instead of charging a flat fee, this model charges customers based on their usage of the service or product. For example, cloud storage services often use this model, where customers pay based on the amount of data stored or the number of transactions processed.

Perpetual licensing: While not strictly a subscription model, perpetual licensing allows customers to purchase a one-time license to access the product indefinitely. However, businesses often offer maintenance and support subscriptions alongside perpetual licenses to ensure ongoing updates and support.

Pay-as-you-go: Similar to usage-based billing, customers only pay for what they use, with no fixed subscription fee. This model is standard in industries like telecommunications and utilities, where customers pay for services on a usage basis.

Each subscription billing model has its advantages and considerations, depending on the nature of the business and the preferences of both the business and its customers. By choosing a suitable billing model, businesses can optimize revenue streams, attract and retain customers, and adapt to changing market conditions.

Subscription management software: key features to look for

Subscription management software is a game-changer for businesses handling a multitude of subscriptions. Whether running a streaming service or a SaaS platform, choosing the right business management software can make or break your operations. Here are some key features to look for when evaluating different options.

Automated billing: One of the most important features of any subscription management tool is its ability to automate billing processes. Look for software that can handle recurring payments seamlessly, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring timely invoicing.

Customer management: Keeping track of customer accounts is vital for any subscription-based business. Make sure the software offers robust customer management features, allowing you to easily view account details, track usage, and communicate with subscribers.

Flexible pricing plans: Every business has unique needs when it comes to pricing. Look for subscription management software that offers flexibility in setting up different pricing plans, whether it's monthly, annual, or usage-based. This flexibility enables you to cater to a diverse range of customers and adapt to changing market conditions.

Integration capabilities: Seamless integration with other tools and platforms is essential for maximizing efficiency. Choose software that integrates easily with your existing systems, such as accounting software, CRM tools, and payment gateways. This integration streamlines processes and eliminates the need for manual data entry.

Analytics and reporting: To make informed business decisions, you need access to comprehensive analytics and reporting tools. Look for subscription management software that provides detailed insights into subscriber behavior, churn rates, and revenue trends. This data empowers you to optimize your pricing strategies and identify areas for growth.

Security measures: Protecting sensitive customer data should be a top priority for any subscription-based business. Ensure that the software you choose adheres to industry-standard security protocols and offers features like encryption, role-based access controls, and regular security updates.

Scalability: As your business grows, your subscription management needs may evolve. Choose software that can scale with your business, accommodating an increasing number of subscribers, transactions, and features without compromising performance.

Customer support: In the world of subscription management, issues can arise at any time. Look for software vendors that offer responsive customer support, whether it's through email, phone, or live chat. Prompt and helpful support can minimize downtime and keep your operations running smoothly.

By prioritizing these key features, you can find the subscription management software that best meets your business needs and sets you up for success in the subscription economy.

Subscription management vs. recurring billing

Subscription management and recurring billing are two closely related concepts in subscription-based businesses, but they serve distinct purposes and encompass different aspects of managing customer subscriptions.

Subscription management:

Subscription management is a comprehensive process that involves overseeing all aspects of customer subscriptions, from acquisition to renewal. It encompasses tasks such as customer onboarding, account management, billing, and customer support. Essentially, subscription management focuses on the entire lifecycle of a subscription, from initial sign-up to cancellation or renewal.

Key aspects of subscription management include:

Customer relationship management (CRM): Building and maintaining relationships with subscribers through personalized communication and support.

Account management: Managing customer accounts, including updating account information, handling upgrades or downgrades, and addressing account-related issues.

Billing and invoicing: Handling billing processes, including setting up pricing plans, generating invoices, and processing payments.

Churn management: Implementing strategies to reduce churn, such as offering incentives to retain customers or analyzing churn patterns to identify potential issues.

Analytics and reporting: Monitoring critical metrics related to subscriber acquisition, retention, and revenue to inform decision-making and optimize subscription offerings.

Recurring billing:

Recurring billing software , on the other hand, is a specific aspect of subscription management that focuses solely on the automated process of charging customers at regular intervals. It involves setting up billing cycles (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually) and automatically charging customers for their subscriptions according to their chosen billing frequency.

Critical aspects of recurring billing include:

Automated payment processing: Automatically charging customers' payment methods on a recurring basis, typically using a payment gateway or merchant account.

Invoice generation: Generating invoices or receipts for each billing cycle, detailing the charges and any applicable taxes or fees.

Payment collection: Collecting payments from customers via credit/debit cards, bank transfers, or other accepted payment methods.

Payment notifications: Notifying customers in advance of upcoming payments, ensuring transparency and allowing them to manage their subscriptions effectively.

In summary, while subscription management encompasses a broader range of activities related to managing customer subscriptions, recurring billing specifically refers to the automated process of charging customers at regular intervals. Both are essential components of running a successful subscription-based business, working together to ensure smooth operations and positive customer experiences.

Billing management systems

Billing management systems are the backbone of subscription-based businesses, providing the infrastructure needed to handle all aspects of billing and invoicing. These systems play a crucial role in ensuring accurate and timely billing processes while also enhancing customer satisfaction and streamlining administrative tasks. Here's a closer look at billing management systems and their key components:

Invoicing and billing generation: One of the primary functions of a billing management system is to generate invoices for products or services rendered to customers. These invoices typically include details such as the billing period, charges, taxes, and payment instructions. The system automates the invoicing process, reducing manual errors and saving time for administrative staff.

Recurring billing: Many subscription-based businesses operate on a recurring billing model, where customers are billed automatically at regular intervals (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually). Billing management systems facilitate this process by scheduling and processing recurring payments, ensuring a steady stream of revenue for the business.

Payment processing: Billing management systems integrate with payment gateways and merchant accounts to facilitate payment processing. Customers can make payments using various methods, including credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and online payment platforms. The system securely processes payments, encrypting sensitive financial information to protect against fraud and data breaches.

Subscription management: In addition to billing, these systems often include features for managing customer subscriptions. This may involve tracking subscription status, managing subscription plans, and handling upgrades, downgrades, or cancellations. Businesses can streamline operations and provide better customer service by centralizing subscription management within the billing system.

Accounting integration: Billing management systems integrate with accounting software to ensure seamless financial reporting and reconciliation. Transaction data is automatically synchronized between the billing system and the accounting software, reducing manual data entry and minimizing the risk of errors. This integration provides a comprehensive view of the business's financial health and facilitates compliance with accounting standards and regulations.

Analytics and reporting: Billing management systems offer robust analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to track key metrics such as revenue, churn rate, and customer lifetime value. These insights enable informed decision-making and help identify trends or patterns that may impact the business's financial performance. Customizable reports provide stakeholders with real-time visibility into billing activities and financial metrics.

Customer self-service: Many billing management systems include self-service portals or customer portals where customers can view and manage their accounts, access billing statements, update payment methods, and make changes to their subscriptions. Providing customers with self-service options enhances their experience and reduces the workload on customer support teams.

Subscription billing business models

The rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has transformed the way businesses approach subscription billing. With SaaS subscription management, companies can offer flexible pricing plans, scale their services according to demand, and easily add or remove users as needed. This versatility has made SaaS a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

Conclusion

In today's subscription-driven economy, effective subscription management is essential for maximizing profits and retaining customers. By investing in the right tools and strategies, businesses can streamline their operations, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition. Whether you're a small startup or a multinational corporation, understanding the intricacies of subscription management can make all the difference in your bottom line.

Billsby revolutionizes subscription management by offering a comprehensive platform that simplifies billing processes for businesses of all sizes. With Billsby, businesses can effortlessly manage subscriptions, automate billing cycles, and streamline payment processing, saving time and resources. Billsby's robust security features ensure the protection of sensitive customer data, fostering trust and compliance with industry regulations. By leveraging Billsby's powerful subscription management tools, businesses can optimize revenue streams, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive long-term success.

[livitaexe]

liviiiiiii 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

LALOOOOOO!

Not gonna lie, you're the first person to actually send me an ask on this blog... but yes, I now have an account for my AO3 (or I guess you could say a place where I would post all my chronic yapping about fictional boys).

Granted, I still only write for The Caligula Effect series and, like... 2 boys from the Persona franchise thus far, unless you count this one Yosuke post I made, yet regardless, I decided to officially make a non-roleplay blog because I heard x Reader authors tend to thrive more on Tumblr... and because I haven't really been receiving comments on my fics (outside of the ones I wrote for Adachi x Reader and that one Shinjiro x Reader oneshot that somehow amassed 29 kudos despite it not being my best work), I figured perhaps my readers would be more comfortable sending me asks there? To that end, I started cross posting some of my fics, invading the tags, and even following other x Reader enthusiasts.

However, I guess my stuff is still pretty niche, because to this day, I don't have many followers and the only asks I received were from Gaza spam bots? In fact, I often feel as if I'm posting into the void due to the Caligula Effect fandom being dead/not really rife with people horny for the male characters (that I'm frankly surprised my Biwasaka x Reader smut is my most bookmarked fic) and the Persona fandom seemingly not paying all that much attention to me.

Seriously, it's kinda super rough out here, because people would have no qualms subscribing, kudo-ing, or bookmarking my multi-chapter fics, yet not really tell me what they think of the chapters I post... so as of late, I started writing less fics and doing more Tumblr writing. Granted, I did at least start writing Chapter 8 of 'Love When You're Used' on Friday, but barely made much a dent, word count wise, because I kept getting distracted by Granblue Fantasy and notifs for replies I owe on my OC, OTL.

However, I do currently have 18 fics published on my AO3 account, meaning if nothing else, I've at least been busy!

[staff]

✨Ad-free Browsing is becoming Tumblr Premium ✨

You read that right: We’re upgrading Ad-free Browsing to a bigger, better package—based on your feedback and wishes. We hope you like it!

So, what’s in the box?

Alongside the beloved ad-free dash, every month, Premium subscribers will get one free Blaze and a free item in TumblrMart (except Premium itself, and some of the badges you have to earn)—to gift or use for yourself—as well as increased posting and liking limits and early access to experimental features like Communities and Patio! All for $6.99/month or $69.99/year (that’s 15% off when paying annually).

Check it out!

Are you a current ad-free browser? You’ll get an email from us about the price change and have 30+ days to decide if you want to keep your subscription. In the meantime, you’ll have Premium at the current price. You can manage your subscription right now here.

Questions? Visit the Help Center or let us know over at Support.

[dollbrbie]

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onlyfans!oliver who can’t get enough of you after that, making sure to get your personal number before you leave and gently kissing your lips and saying, “we should do that again sometime.”

© dollbrbie | don’t plagiarise or translate any of my work

[thefemigirl]

★ Reset Your YouTube

With the new year approaching, there’s a buzz in the air. It’s the perfect time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re heading. This year doesn’t have to look like the last one. If you’re planning a glow-up, stepping into a new mindset, or just becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be, here’s a method that can genuinely change the game: your YouTube feed.

Let’s be real, YouTube isn’t just entertainment. It’s also one of the most powerful platforms for self-improvement and learning. But if your feed is filled with videos that no longer serve your goals, it’s time to take charge and reset.

▸ Step 1: Unsubscribe From the Old You

First things first, go through your subscriptions and be brutally honest with yourself. Ask, “How often do I watch content from this channel? Does this align with who I’m becoming?”

Don’t worry about missing out. This isn’t about cutting off enjoyment—it’s about making space for growth.

Personal Example: I used to be subscribed to a lot of gaming channels because they were my go-to for entertainment. But now? I’m focusing on building my best self, so I said goodbye.

▸ Step 2: Hit the Reset Button

If you’re ready to go extreme (and trust me, this works wonders), delete your YouTube watch history. This is your ultimate clean slate.

Here’s how: Go to your YouTube settings, click “Manage All Activity,” and clear your watch history.

Why this works: YouTube’s algorithm will stop showing you videos based on your past habits. This means no more random recommendations that pull you back into old habits.

Pro Tip: Pair this with your new subscriptions to train the algorithm into showing you content that inspires and uplifts.

▸ Step 3: Subscribe to the Future You

This is the fun part. Fill your feed with creators who embody the energy you want to bring into the new year. Look for channels that motivate you, teach you, and align with your goals for 2025.

Being a femi girl, I will recommend some channels that are personally helping me upgrade myself:

Tam Kaur ▹ link

Alonna Elaine ▹ link

Bahja Abdi ▹ link

Adama Lorna ▹ link

Maya Galore ▹ link

Jillz Guerin ▹ link

Kisha Alejandra ▹ link

Thewizardliz ▹ link

Estelle Richter ▹ link

Simonesquared ▹ link

How to Find More: Search for videos with keywords like “level up,” “self-improvement,” “becoming her,” or “glow up in 2025.” Spend time exploring until you find creators who truly resonate with your vision.

▸ Step 4: Set Boundaries for Entertainment

It’s okay to watch fun and lighthearted content too, but be intentional. Ask yourself, “Is this adding value to my life?” If not, consider limiting your time with it.

Create playlists: Dedicate a playlist to motivational and growth-oriented videos. This will be your go-to space when you need a boost.

Schedule your entertainment: Watch for enjoyment, but don’t let it consume hours that could be spent learning or creating.

Resetting your YouTube feed might seem like a small change, but trust me, it’s powerful. When you surround yourself with content that aligns with your goals, you’re reinforcing the mindset and habits that will take you there!

So, I wish you the best of luck,

[grimrester]

i am really so sorry to continue harping on about the watcher entertainment streaming service. but this kind of stuff (internet content as a business & marketing it as such) is truly my obsession, and i think i will implode if i don't talk about some of the takes i'm seeing.

i'd like to emphasize again i don't have strong feelings about watcher either way. i like ghost files, i watch mystery files sometimes, i watched worth it back in the buzzfeed days. i don't watch any of their shows religiously.

anyway, here's the main things i keep seeing crop up and my thoughts on each:

"watcher has 25 employees they have to pay, and employing people in this economy is good, so we should be banding together to pay them."

employing people is good if you currently have the capacity to pay them. i checked watcher's linkedin page, and many of their employees were hired within the last year or two. if they hired people they cannot pay with the business model they had before, something is seriously wrong with their internal bookkeeping/decision making. it means they either didn't know they couldn't pay these people long term, or they did know and were content with risking newly hired employees' livelihoods on a huge content pivot in the next year.

of note is that none of their employees' titles have anything to do with managing the finances of the company. they are the size of a small business but have no one aside from the figureheads of the company in charge of their finances.

this is the kind of company decision making that leads to downsizing and layoffs, which can be devastating. but you know what's worse than laying off a portion of your staff? laying off everyone because your business is going under.

"not everyone can afford the subscription, but those who can should pay it to support the watcher team."

no. $6/month for a couple hours of content (depending on what shows you actively watch and the natural fluctuation of their release schedule) is a fundamentally bad value. i can pay that much for a few movies on amazon. i can pay that much for dropout, if i want to support a smaller business instead.

and to be totally frank, even if people do sign up, i don't think they'd get enough to compete with the amount they get through patreon/sponsorships. and the fact that they didn't know how many of their subscribers would realistically sign up is a bad sign.

a pretty good conversion rate of free to paid subscribers of a service or content is 3% (usually accomplished through a free trial). given the very poor reception of the announcement, let's say about 1% of their 3 mil youtube subs pay for their service. that's 30k people paying for their new platform. that's $180k a month in their pocket.

(they currently only have 12k subs on patreon so we are being generous here.)

a sponsorship deal (based on my googling, i have less direct experience with this) is anywhere from $10-50 per 1000 views. they've gotten about 1 mil views on their last few videos. 3 mil subs is nothing to shake a stick at, but let's say they're on the lower end of the payscale at $25 per 1000 views. that's $25k a video, $100k a month if they release 1 video a week. their lowest patreon tier is 5 bucks, so even if all their subs are at that tier, that's another $60k, so $160k total. it's entirely likely they're bringing in much more than that when you factor in merch, adsence, etc.

did anyone on their team crunch numbers on how many people would need to sub to make the switch worth it? did anyone do market research on how many people they could convert to paid users? because if not, if they really didn't have a game plan for this, the subscription service was always doomed to fail.

"this was their only option to continue making the content they want to make, with the production value they want."

i watched their announcement video. a key point in that video is that they have done sponsored videos and that's what used to pay for their content, but they did not like the amount of creative control the sponsor had over the content.

look, i get that's no fun. we'd all love creatives to be able to make whatever they want. but when you are a small business with a team of employees relying on you, you have to think about making money, sometimes at the cost of creative liberties.

and they had so many other options to make money for the projects they want to make without jumping to a subscription platform.

they could have started actually promoting their patreon, and maybe done some restructuring of the tiers. why not a highly produced, special series just for patreon members? or a special high-budget episode of each series, while the main series is lower budget?

bite the bullet and continue taking sponsorship deals on some less-produced shows, while axing sponsorships from the ones the crew feels more passionate about.

schedule larger, blowout-production shows only when they can be afforded. this is what Notorious Amongus Guy streamer jerma does. he saves up for big productions like his baseball or dollhouse streams, so he can really get creative with them.

they had other options and they've tried very little, especially when you compare them to other content house business at similar scales. try guys and good mythical morning both put out significant content with significant staff, and have had to diversify their income streams with auxiliary products, shows with widely varied levels of production, etc. but it seems to be working for them. watcher has merch and that's about it, and seems to only want to increase the production quality of ALL their shows.

really, all this just boils down to a terrible business decision. it's hard to say if the watcher team is working with a consultant or anyone outside of their team, but they certainly don't have anyone internally who is experienced with running a business like this. to me, it seems very much like they got in a room together and did some extremely optimistic income ballparking with no research behind it.

and that might have been fine for three dudes running a channel alone, but if they're a business, they have to start making decisions like one.

[milkoomi]

₊˚⊹ ᰔ a guide to maintaining financial wellness ᝰ.ᐟ

having good money habits can be insanely difficult. i know i personally struggle with impulsive spending, and i’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to the “i’m just treating myself” mindset. financial stress and even financial depression can feel so daunting and overwhelming, so i’m here to help you guys (and myself as well) manage your money better!

let’s begin !!

ᝰ.ᐟ set aside funds

it’s important that when every paycheck hits your bank account to immediately set aside some funds into your savings account. whether it’s 10-20% of your paycheck or even $20-$100, set aside some money into your savings!

it also might help to have that savings account be locked so that you can still put money in, but you can’t take money out. let that savings amount pile up and don’t touch it until you’re absolutely ready to make that big purchase!

ᝰ.ᐟ set aside any cash

get a piggybank or even one of those money organizing binders to set aside any cash that may come your way! keep that cash away from your wallet so you won’t be tempted to use it in any outside purchases. and, same as the first point, that cash will start to pile up!

ᝰ.ᐟ purchase needs rather than wants

let’s start getting out of that “i’m gonna treat myself” mindset!! while it’s nice to treat yourself, we really should only be doing it every once in a while. we can also find different ways of treating/rewarding ourselves that don’t require spending any money! (i can make a separate blog post on this if you guys would like!)

especially when you’re trying to save up for school, a new apartment, a new car, or whatever it may be, it’s really important to keep your purchases to only things that are absolutely necessary.

ᝰ.ᐟ keep track of automatic payments

especially if you have a subscription of any kind, keep track of when those automatic deductions from your account are happening. make note of when your next billing date is and how much you’re being charged for each month/year.

this would also be a good way to determine what subscriptions you really need/want to keep and which ones you can do without and unsubscribe to! i did a full cleanse of my subscriptions list and kept the ones i definitely wanted to keep. sometimes you never really realize how much money your losing when you’re subscribed to things that have no use to you anymore!

ᝰ.ᐟ plan accordingly

when your paycheck comes in and you have all these payments that are coming up yet you still need to buy groceries or get gas or whatever, make sure to plan your funds ahead of time! this way, it’ll help you budget for your groceries & any other necessities as well as help you determine how much money you can set aside into your savings and even calculate how much extra funds you might have to spend on for more personal things!

𝜗𝜚 final notes 𝜗𝜚

don’t let these tips make you feel like you can’t treat yourself to something! as i mentioned earlier, you can still treat yourself to nice things, but it might be best to do it once in a while! i know most of us associate success with money, and to reach success with money we have to learn to be more mindful about how we spend our money and how we manage it.

live and love, babe.

sincerely, juno ⭑.ᐟ

[mostlysignssomeportents]

2600’s amazing Hackers on Planet Earth con may go down under enshittification

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Jan 22 at 8PM.

It's been 40 years since Emmanuel Goldstein launched the seminal, essential, world-changing 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. 2600 wasn't the first phreak/hacker zine, but it was the most important, spawning a global subculture dedicated to the noble pursuit of technological self-determination:

https://www.2600.com/

2600 has published hundreds of issues in which digital spelunkers report eagerly on the things they've discovered by peering intently at the things no one was supposed to even glance at (I'm proud to be one of those writers!). They've fought legal battles, including one that almost went to the Supreme Court:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCSS

They created a global network of meetups where some of technology's most durable friendships and important collaborations were born. These continue to this day:

https://www.2600.com/meetings

And they've hosted a weekly radio show on NYC's WBAI, Off the Hook:

https://wbai.org/program.php?program=76

When WBAI management lost their minds and locked the station's most beloved hosts out of the studio, Off the Hook (naturally) led the rebellion, taking back the station for its audience, rescuing it from a managerial coup:

https://twitter.com/2600/status/1181423565389942786

But best of all, 2600 gave us HOPE – both in the metaphorical sense of "hope for a better technological tomorrow" and in the literal sense, with its biannual Hackers On Planet Earth con:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_on_Planet_Earth

For decades HOPE had an incredible venue, the Hotel Pennsylvania (memorialized in the phreak anthem "PEnnsylvania 6-5000"), a crumbling pile in midtown Manhattan that was biannually transformed into a rollicking, multi-day festival of forbidden technology, improbable feats, and incredible presentations. I was privileged to keynote HOPE in 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1D7APjmVbk

But after the 2018 HOPE, the Hotel Pennsylvania was demolished to make way for the Penn15 (no, really) skyscraper, a vaporware mega-tower planned as a holding pen for luxury shopping and empty million-dollar condos sold to offshore war-criminals as safe-deposit boxes in the sky. The developer, Vornado (no, really) hasn't actually done all that – after demo'ing the Hotel Pennsylvania, they noped out, leave a large, unusable scar across midtown.

But HOPE wasn't lost. In 2022, the ever-resilient 2600 crew relocated to Queens, hosted by St John's University – a venue that was less glamorous that the Hotel Pennsylvania, but the event was still fantastic. Attendance fell from 2,000 to 1,000, but that was something they could work with, and reviews from attendees were stellar.

Good thing, too. 2600 is, first and foremost, a magazine publisher, and these have been hard years for magazines. First there was the mass die-off of indie bookstores and newsracks (I used to sell 2600 when I was a bookseller, and in the years after, I always took the presence of 2600 on a store's newsrack as an unimpeachable mark of quality).

Thankfully for 2600, their audience is (unsurprisingly) a tech-savvy one, so they were able to substitute digital subscriptions for physical ones:

https://www.2600.com/Magazine/DigitalEditions

Of course, many of those subscriptions came through Amazon's Kindle, because nerds were early Amazon adopters, and because the Kindle magazine publishing platform offered DRM-free distribution to subscribers along with a fair payout to publishers.

But then Amazon enshittified its magazine system. Having locked publishers to its platform, it rugged them and killed the monthly subscription fees that allowed publishers to plan for a steady output. Publishers were given a choice: leave Amazon (and all the readers locked inside its walled garden) or put your magazine into the Kindle Unlimited system:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/arp/B0BWPTCP4K?deviceType=A1FG5NAKX0MRJL

Kindle Unlimited is an all-you-can-eat program for Kindle, which pays publishers and writers based on a system that is both opaque and easily gamed, with the lion's share of the money going to "publishers" who focus on figuring out how to cheat the algorithm. Revenues for 2600 – and all the other magazines that Amazon had sucked in and sucked dry – fell off a cliff.

Which brings me to the present moment. After 40 years, 2600 is still at it, having survived the bookstorepocalypse, the lunacy of public radio management, the literal demolition of their physical home by an evil real-estate developer, and Amazon's crooked accounting.

This is 2600, circa 2024, and 2024 a HOPE year:

https://www.hope.net/

Once again, HOPE has been scheduled for its new digs in Queens, July 12-14. Last week, HOPE sent out an email blast to their subscribers telling them the news. They expected to sell 500 tickets in the first 24 hours. They didn't even come close:

https://www.2600.com/content/hope-ticket-sales-update

It turns out that Google and the other major mail providers don't like emails with the word "hacker" in them. The cartel that decides which email gets delivered, and which messages go to spam, or get blocked altogether, mass-blocked the HOPE 2024 announcement. Email may be the last federated, open platform we have, but mass concentration has created a system where it's nearly impossible to get your email delivered unless you're willing to play by Gmail's rules:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/10/dead-letters/

For Emmanuel Goldstein, founder of 2600 and tireless toiler for this community, the deafening silence following from that initial email volley was terrifying: "like some kind of a "Twilight Zone" episode where everyone has disappeared."

The enshittification that keeps 2600's emails from being delivered to the people who asked to receive them is even worse on social media. Social media companies routinely defraud their users by letting them subscribe to feeds, then turning around to the people and organizations that run those feeds and saying, "You've got x thousand subscribers on this platform, but we won't put your posts in their feeds unless you pay us to 'boost' your content":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/platforms-decay-lets-put-users-first

Enshittification has been coming at 2600 for decades. Like other forms of oddball media dedicated to challenging corporate power and government oppression, 2600 has always been a ten-years-ahead preview of the way the noose was gonna tighten on all of us. And now, they're on the ropes. HOPE can't sell tickets unless people know about HOPE, and neither email providers nor social media platforms have any interest in making that happen.

A handful of giant corporations now get to decide what we read, who we hear from, and whether and how we can get together in person to make friends, forge community, rabble-rouse and change the world. The idea that "it's not censorship unless the government does it" has always been wrong (not all censorship violates the First Amendment, and censorship can be real without being unconstitutional):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/04/yes-its-censorship/

What can you do about it? Well, for one thing, you can sign up for HOPE. It's gonna be great. They've got sub-$100 hotel rooms! In New York City!

https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-xv

If you can't make it to HOPE, you can sign up for a virtual membership:

https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-xv-virtual-attendee

You can submit a talk to HOPE:

https://www.hope.net/cfp.html

You can subscribe to 2600, in print or electronically (I signed up for the lifetime print subscription and it was a bargain – I devour every issue the day it arrives):

https://store.2600.com/collections/subscriptions-renewals

2600 is living a decade in the future of every other community you care about, weird hobby you enjoy, con you live for, and publication you read from cover to cover. If we can all pull together to save it, it'll be a beacon of hope (and HOPE).

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/19/hope-less/#hack-the-planet

[blushingbubbles]

Saw your post about wanting to write and thought I’d send a setting and let your mind run wild and share with us what you come up with.

The setting is a free use city. Everyone is of legal age and clean. Anyone wearing a collar is free use to anyone. Any man/woman could take you at any time. Waiting in line for food and the man behind you starts fingering you. At the register a free use woman is being fucked by the manager while you give your order. When you get on the bus, the driver grabs you to suck his cock while he drives and doesn’t let you go when your stop comes up. Your home has no locks and men can come and go in the night as they please.

How do you see a day living like this going?

first of all, thank you for giving the addendumn that everyone is clean and legal 🥰

this is a free use society marked by color-coded collars -- green for newbies (which are observers ONLY), blue for novices (who can be used ONLY by other novices and are also MENTORED by silves), and silvers (to be used by EVERYONE).

also cameramen take shifts night & day to film the sex happening in the city. they stream it all live, and people across the world can subscribe to see it. the subscription prices cover every civilian's taxes because im sick of paying mine lol

and i added a little tech in here too for like an extra layer of consent bc extra consent is extra sexy

this is SO FREAKING LONG SORRY NOT SORRY

It's 1:30 in the morning when the collar vibrates for the first time. The movement isn't enough to completely wake me. By now, I've gotten used to the sensation, the shifting coolness against my skin.

Someone's reserved me -- likely Charlie, the bartender in the apartment just above mine.

But it's only likely. I won't know for sure until they arrive.

The collar vibrates again at 1:40, and my eyes flicker open. If I really wanted to, I could disable the vibrations. If I really really wanted to, like some of my friends, I could take the collar off at night.

The system would label me "offline," my door would automatically lock, and I wouldn't be woken at 1:30 in the morning. But by this point it's a habit to keep it on.

The collar vibrates again, a third and final time, and my front door opens.

Charlie calls my name through the apartment. When I dont answer, he wanders the hall to my bedroom. His belt is already off. I wave at him from the pile of blankets.

"Hi."

He smiles, his belt hits the floor, and he unbuttons his dark jeans. "Thought for sure you'd be asleep."

I yawn and stretch, pointing to the silver collar winking in the light. "It woke me up. Do you want me to be asleep?"

His shirt went next. Then his boxers.

"No, but if I woke you up and you knew it was me without opening your eyes, it'd be hot as fuck."

"I'd always know," I admit. He grins and attempts to untangle my legs from the blankets. "You smell like whiskey. Like...all the time."

"That bad?"

"After leaving the bar? It's a dead giveaway."

When my legs are free, he rolls me onto my side. The little purple numbers on the nightstand clock glow back at me.

My back presses flush against his chest, and despite me lifting my leg for easier access, I feel myself on the verge of another yawn.

He kneads my tits and groans in my ear, "Fuckin' missed these."

Half a moment later, he slips inside me, and we both gasp.

The clock reads 1:59.

--

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. After changing my sheets and tidying my apartment, I stick an arm out the window to test the temperature.

On the street below, a woman moans. From the fire escape, I can see them both. The man kneeling before her wears a silver collar resembling my own, and she's grasping on the wall behind her, her chin tipped up. Next to them a man wearing a black vest films. It's Sam, this side of the city's morning videographer.

I get coffee with my friend Ash and we sit outside, enjoying the spring breeze. They play with their collar -- blue now instead of green.

"So I stayed online yesterday," they admit, and I gasp.

"How was it? Did you get any visitors?"

"Last night."

I squeal, tapping my feet on the pavement.

"Just the one! No more."

"No that's perfect, I'm glad," I say, taking another sip of my tea. "I know it might be frustrating, but it's better than being thrown in the deep end."

Until three days ago, Ash's collar and status was green: observer. The blue one signifies something else, a step further into the community. Now, they're free to service three other blue-statuses per day.

My next words halt at an approaching shadow.

"Good morning," Ash smiles.

"Morning," he says. He takes in both of our collars before nodding pointedly at me, and I stand from my chair.

He unzips his pants as he sits down. Toward me, he points at the ground. Two green collars sitting to my left turn to look.

Ash props their face in their hand while my knees meet the pavement. The stranger tugs the front of my dress down until my tits spring free.

"Better," he sighs, and I smile.

My hand secures around his length and I begin to stroke his hardening cock. He glances at Ash.

"How much longer do you have to go for silver?"

I draw him closer to my lips. Saliva pools in my mouth, coating my tongue, and I draw half of his length in. More saliva spills out, and I use it to work the base of his shaft.

"I just changed over three days ago, so about a month."

I hollow my cheeks and rise before taking him deeper. He grunts, his hand reaching for my hair.

"This your first training session?"

"No," Ash laughed. "She took me out on Friday. We went to Cobalt."

I remember the night and resist a smile, taking his cock to the back of my throat.

"Cobalt's--" he stumbles over his words. "--P--erfect."

"We had a lot of fun."

I brush a knuckle softly over the the underside of his shaft, and his breath hitches. "I'll bet."

"She's a very thorough teacher."

He breaches the back of my throat and stops speaking entirely. When the wind picks up, he pulls my hair from my face. Ash adjusts their chair, peering over the table at me.

My eyes flick up to meet his own, and his orgasm takes both of us by surprise. Startled, I gag on his cum, and some slips from my mouth. My tongue darts out to catch it before it seeps into his pants.

"Very thorough teacher," he agrees. For the next minute I clean him of my spit before tucking him back into his pants. He helps me stand from the pavement and brushes the pebbles embedded in my knees.

Before departing, he squeezes each of my still-exposed tits. "Keep these out today."

I take the seat he just vacated and grin at the green collars sitting nearby.

"Hi."

I could write forever abt this but this has gone on so so so long lmk if u want another part 🫠

[personasintro]

Hi Mimi! How are you?

I have a question and maybe a suggestion, something you might already be familiar with. I’m not sure if it would work for you, but there’s an author whose work I really like, and she has a Patreon where subscribers can access chapters before they’re available to the public. It’s a source of income, and from what I understand, she manages to live by working exclusively on that. The subscription fees are quite reasonable, and on Patreon, her works are like, 10 chapters ahead of what’s published on AO3. This way, she still keeps her works available to the public but offers exclusivity and perks to readers interested in being monthly subscribers. Maybe this could work for you too, to work exclusively on writing. But I’m not sure if it’s something you’d like. The only thing I do know is that I’d definitely be a subscriber to your content haha. Thank you for your dedication over the years, stay healthy 💖

I used to have a Patreon account too but then I decided to just keep Ko-fi one instead. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with fees. People pay 5€/£/$ and you get just a portion of it 🐥. It works like that on all platforms of course. Patreon fees were bigger than Ko-fi’s.

I’ve thought about writing a story and for it to be primarily updated there, to be honest. It was just a thought I played with in the past. I’ll think about it!

Thank you so much! 🫶💖

[denissvasiljevs1999]

The latest interview with Deniss is paywalled but I hope sharing a summary of this very long text is OK as he raises many important points. If you can, consider supporting the website by subscribing to it for €1.45 and then cancelling the subscription before you're charged again.

(Bear in mind this is based on machine translation but I used two different translators to compare the output and double checked things.)

1. One of the main themes of the interview is the distinction between a "sportsman" and an "athlete". Winning is the main focus for sportsmen, but athletes have a broader outlook where self-improvement and the culture of sport are more valuable. Victory is ephemeral and may in fact hinder your progress because you'll be under more pressure.

2. Deniss thinks the scoring system isn't working properly and PCSs aren't evaluated correctly. He disapproves of skaters focusing all their energy on jumping difficulty at the expense of developing other areas but it's something encouraged by the system that doesn't adequately reward other skills.

3. He has trained in multiple countries and has experienced a variety of coaching methods. Stephane Lambiel is the best coach for him because he gives him a lot of freedom. He thinks many other coaches tell skaters what to do but he values independent thinking and being given the right tools and environment by the coaches.

4. When he got seriously injured in 2016, everyone else told him to retire but the team in Switzerland helped him recover. His team actually consists of people from different countries focusing on different things because diverse perspectives are valuable (he mentioned e.g. Ghislain Briand, who lives in Canada).

5. In a similar vein, he'd like to see Latvian clubs collaborating rather than competing with one another domestically to best prepare skaters to represent the country internationally.

6. Some coaches lack the knowledge of other fields and some want to squeeze everything out of their skaters to fulfil their own ambitions. He's glad we're moving towards more ethical and athlete-focused coaching.

7. There's little money in figure skating worldwide now and he thinks it's because of the greed of the management. He gets financial support and earns money from shows but he reinvests it in his skating career.

8. Not only are skaters underfunded but also often cold at rinks and skating on inadequate ice. Such conditions lead to underperforming, injuries and other health issues. Rinks shouldn't cater only to hockey players but also to figure skaters.

9. He's proud of his longevity because it's his third Olympic cycle. He feels he's a veteran at 25 and is pushing the limits of his body. At the same time, he thinks he's improving and actually he's working on a new quad but he'll only reveal which one when he masters it.

10. Figure skating is very time consuming and you can't do it part time but eventually he'd like to have a family of his own. If his child wants to be a figure skater, he may actually cry because of the toll it takes on you but he'll support them, which will require mental preparation.

11. He wouldn't like to do only one thing in life and he wants to do something productive for society in the future. Sport is not everything and the world is much bigger than it.

[antimony-medusa]

Ao3 Wrapped

I like numbers so here I am delving into my works again!

__

Overall stats for 2024!

User Subscriptions: 218

Kudos: 1,703

Comment Threads: 376

Bookmarks: 479

Subscriptions: 126

Word Count: 186,620

Hits: 186,620

That's a decrease on most metrics, but my word count is very comparable to last year, and I had no idea my subscription count had broken 200! Cool! Especially as I wrote some kind of out there fics this year, I'm very touched by that people want to stick around. I feel like I also do kind of absurdly well for comments, so thank you guys for that.

Fun Stats: 

Fics Published: 25, including one on anon, for 186,620. This is down from last year's 31, but my word count last year was 198,621, so we're pretty damn close!

Number of One-Shots: 22— It was another year of going hard on exchanges, and that encourages one-shots! Of those, 14 were under five thousand words, so I'm pretty pleased with my objective of learning to write short was actually enacted, when I was experiencing deadline pressure!

Number of Multi-Chapters: 3 total, and one still unfinished. I didn't start any new ongoings and leave them unfinished this year, but I still have multiple languishing from 2022, and I didn't finish the one of those I was working on this year, so— augh. I need to stop doing events and finish some of those ongoings! But events are so good...

Number of Inspired Works: 3, because I participated in recursive exchange, where you write fic inspired by other people's fic and art! One of those was inspired by an animation, which I'm very proud of.

Longest Fic: You Blew Me Into Stardust (42,846 words), my beloved mech au. I did two fics for the aufest reverse bang, I also wrote Trying Hard Not To Smile Though I Feel Bad (16,254 words) for Aufest, which is a college au! The minimum for that event was 5k so I— went overboard a bit.

Shortest Fic: I just posted it actually, that's How To Make The Secret City’s Speciality Dessert - Roasted Brown Sugar Oranges And Buttermilk Ice Cream  (912 words), that's a zine fic where we had a 1250 word maximum! I love this fic, and I'm so proud that I managed something short.

Most Kudosed Fic: Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, which is a bit unfair because that one has been acquiring kudos since 2022, and is now at 213 kudos. My poor neglected child the mafia fic I HAVE THE REST OF THE FIC OUTLINED I just keep writing things for events instead of writing you.

Most Viewed Fic: That's Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, with 2,220, but again a bunch of those are from last year, so probably my biggest fic is Trying Hard Not To Smile Though I Feel Bad, my 13-things-I-hate-about-you Niki & Ranboo au, at 1,457 hits. That one I honestly did not expect to get as big as it did, but I guess people like the comedy.

Most Subscribed Fic: Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, with 82 people wanting to know how that one ends. I"M SORRY. I"LL FINISH IT I PROMISE. I did notice my subscriptions to fics overall fell— people were still subscribing to one-shots last year, and this year I guess people realized that was not panning out.  

Most Bookmarked Fic: okay so it LOOKS like it's Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club at 73 but I can count dates so I can tell that only 28 of those are from this year, wait I forgot about private bookmarks. Hm. Well anyways the one I'm sure was bookmarked this year was Things Could Be So Easy (If You Let Them), my first real intentional shot at writing QPR emduo with a proposal, and boy having THAT unlocked was a delight. That one has 52 bookmarks.

Most Used Fandom: Dream SMP with 13 fics, and SMPEarth in second place with 5. I wrote 9 different fandoms this year, technically.

Least Used Fandom: this is A MULTIWAY Tie as Internet & Social Media (Anthropomorphic), Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura, Original Work, Origins SMP, and Parkour Civilization are all at 1 fic.

Most Used Rating: Teen, 18 fics. I wrote my first two explicit fics this year, both for exchanges!

Least Used Rating: Gen, 1 fic.

Most Written Relationship: Technoblade & Phil Watson | Philza, 10 times, UP FROM NINE LAST YEAR I'M DOING BETTER.

Most Used Additional Tag: hilariously, it's a tie between Comedy and Grief/Mourning, both with four times.

Most Frequently Used Characters: 

Philza (16)

Technoblade (15)

Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF) (6)

Niki | Nihachu (5)

Tommyinnit (3)

Ghostbur (Dream SMP) (2)

Tumblr (Anthropomorphic) (1)

Jade (Books of the Raksura) (1)

Moon (Books of the Raksura) (1)

Archive of our Own (Anthropomorphic) (1)

Last year I was really startled that Tommy didn't make the list and well. I am not immune to Tommyinnit. He's back again.

Last Year’s Stats

And here's my stats! Tag me if you do this too, I like to see numbers!

[rampantram]

Hey, so...pretty exciting news.

As of now, you can get access to N$FW content from me for only $5 a month on SubscribeStar. 👀

You can find more details on my profile, but here's a quick summary of what you can expect (I tried to cover everything, but let me know if you have additional questions):

You must be 18 years or older to subscribe.

You'll get one full page of content per month (can be divided into 1/4 and 1/2 pages) - so think of the full-page posts I've done in the past like this one.

Fully rendered content (colored, shaded, etc.) like this post.

Posting dates (depending on number of posts) are the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd of each month (so if I post all 1/4 pages, then there'll be a total of four posts in that month, or if I do one full page, then it'll get posted on the 1st).

Payment schedule: INSTANT upon subscription; repeats in a 30 day cycle (so if you subscribe on the 8th, it'll charge that day, then again 30 days from that day and so on).

Content is pretty much just CotL charactes and OCs right now, but I may expand to other things/fandoms in the future as well.

Vanilla with very minor knk/ftish additions, depending on the characters involved.

This is something I've been wanting to do for several months now and, despite all the setbacks and downward spirals I've been experiencing in life, I've managed to make it happen.

I also have you guys to thank for your kindness, patience, and understanding. So thank you! 💕

[tiasha-sims]

🌳 Creating a Family Tree | TheSimsTree

Keep your family history and precious moments!

ㅤ

If you're a dynasty lover who cares about your sims, you’ve probably been looking for a way to recreate your family tree in digital form.

Today, I am with the team want to share a young project called TheSimsTree, which has been a real lifesaver. We genuinely recommend it based on our own experience 💫 ㅤ

ㅤ

🌿 TheSimsTree.com

This site will become your go-to helper for creating and managing your family tree. It makes it easy to save and visualize the stories of your Sims, share them with other players, and enjoy a ton of unique features and customizations that will make storytelling even more fun.

💌 And if you’ve used PlumTreeApp before, you can import your family tree with just a couple of clicks, so you won’t lose any precious progress.

We’ve shared with links to our family trees ⇣

🐇 Tosy | The story of a little green one sim

🐾 Slooo | A dynasty by chance

🥐 Cladkaya_bulka | The Lauder dynasty

━━✶━━

The main features of the site are available for free, which is great and doesn't feel awkward like when payment is forced on you.

If you genuinely want to support the project and enjoy some premium perks, you can sign up for a subscription. The team has offered a really sweet bonus for our subscribers as a token of appreciation :3

⭐️ The promo code TIASHA gives you a discount of 4$ on an annual subscription!

━━✶━━

Site features:

✍🏻 Creation and management ° A multifunctional family tree that lets you go both up and down. No limits on characters, pets, or generations. ° Displays relationships, allows you to highlight the heir’s line, and even add your partner's family for a complete picture. ° Personality traits can be entered manually, allowing for custom traits. There are also icons for occult affiliations. ° The parent function highlights only the specified parents on the card if the child has different parents. Biological parents won’t be shown in cases of adoption. ° You can keep a personal diary for your sim, adding photos, stories, and details. Uploaded avatars are saved, which helps track the character’s development throughout their life. ° Markers show the completeness of the diary and the avatars of each sim.

🎨 Customization ° A creative space for crafting and designing a unique vibe. ° Lovely wallpapers for every taste, including custom ones from your favorite simmers. ° Dark mode for the interface, along with photo and text editors. ° Options for fonts, colors, tables, lines, highlights, and other elements. ° You can share your social media links in the author’s profile and add a video widget for YouTubers.

💭 Community ° Several privacy settings and the option to share your family tree. ° A public gallery where you can read others' stories and find your audience. ° The ability to like and comment on diaries. ° A blog with articles where you can publish and share your own stories.

━━✶━━

It's clear that the team puts a lot of heart into their work and listens to player feedback, constantly making improvements. It's a wonderful and responsive project that truly deserves support! 💚

[nearandfur]

I was talking with the manager of a local radio station about ads for one of my ventures. I asked about the people in the waiting room. It turns out they were here for a DJ audition. The station was thinking of changing its format. The manager said the streaming services were killing station revenue and change was needed. I suggested that the station should set up its own subscription streams as another revenue source. I know someone who could do it. From the look of the group waiting in the lobby and doing the auditions, they should also set up a video streaming service of their studios too. I'd subscribe.

[emohorseboy]

I'm so interested in all of your posts about mad liberation. I've never seen anything that puts my thoughts on the whole psych complex into words. I'm really curious to learn more about this. No pressure if not, but do you happen to know of any more comprehensive resources on this? Like books maybe?

Hi, I can definitely give you some recs! My list is a little bit UK centric because that's where I'm based but hopefully it's useful:

In terms of books:

I read 'Mad World: The Politics of Mental Health' by Micha Frazer-Carroll this summer and I can't recommend it enough.

I'm also making my way through 'Call Me Crazy: Stories from the Mad Movement' by Irit Shimrat, which I think is out of print but can be read as a PDF here (hopefully)

I've only dipped in and out of his books for my dissertation but Andrew Scull has written several well regarded books about the history of psychiatry ('Museums of Madness' is the one I've read bits of, 'Desperate Remedies' is on my TBR)

Some books on my TBR: 'The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease' by Johnathan Metzl, 'Drop the Disorder!', 'Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies', 'Anatomy of an Epidemic' by Robert Whitaker

Some really good articles:

'Abolition Must Include Psychiatry' by Stella Akua Mensah

'Mad Activists: The Language We Use Reflects Our Desire for Change' by Lisa Archibold

'Not a naughty child: people’s experiences of service responses to self-injury' by Alison Faulkner and Rachel Rowan Olive

More resources!

The Campaign for Psychiatric Abolition - UK based, they have a lot of really great resources including an extensive recommended reading list, a Psych Abolition 101 Zine, and a resource for making a crisis support plan.

Asylum Magazine - again UK based, radical mental health magazine. To read full issues you need to subscribe (I recently paid for a subscription for a year of digital editions for £10, physical copies are a bit more) but the website has plenty of articles that you can read for free so well worth exploring.

Psych Survivor Archive - US based this time, there is so much on here, the Psych Survivor Zine is the main event but they also have a really great resource list (some of the links are dead though).

Mad in America - publish a lot of really interesting and impactful stuff on their website, I also really like their podcast (particularly recommend this episode about ECT, this one about esketamine, and this one about 'prolonged grief disorder'). There is also Mad in the UK and a number of other country specific sites that exist as part of their Mad in the World Network.

Folks to follow:

Dolly Sen - UK based artist who does and is doing a lot of cool stuff, notably at the moment they are the lead artist for the Birdsong From Inobservable Worlds project. This podcast episode they did is also great.

Nicole / lacey_art_ - another UK based artist, she wrote a poem about a bird recently that I can't stop thinking about (she does a lot of other cool things too).

Rachel Rowan Olive - brilliant and funny artist, she is also on instagram and etsy.

Luna Tic - artist and activist who has been involved with a lot of really brilliant stuff, including the successful StopSIM Coalition here in the UK which managed to bring an end to SIM.

There are so many more I could name and so many more things I could recommend but this post is already so long! I really hope it was helpful. I started trying to be brief and then gave up but I did cut out a fiction and literature recs section because I thought that was overkill lmao. Thank you for giving me an excuse to make this list I had a great time.

Learning about the Mad and psych survivor movements has been so transformative and empowering for me and I could honestly talk about it all day. Please do feel free to send me a message if you want to chat about it more!